What Do Democratic Calls for Sen. Menendez to Resign Signify?

Following reports that Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is facing federal bribery charges, several Democratic leaders are calling on him to resign. While some are praising Democratic leaders for holding Menendez accountable, others are questioning the political motivations of Mendenez’s critics. 

Party Divide: A writer for CNN Opinion (Left bias) argued the reaction from Democrats to the allegations “might surprise those accustomed to how some Republicans have responded to criminal charges against former President Donald Trump.” The article concluded the incident reveals a divide in how the parties handle misconduct, with Democrats more willing to hold their own accountable, writing, “When it comes to their beloved Trump, some Republicans clearly reject the idea that ‘no one is above the law.’ Thankfully, though, some Democrats are showing us with their actions that this concept is not an empty cliché but a principle they champion.”

“Low-stakes Exercise”: Noah Rothman (Lean Right bias) argued Democrats calling for Menendez’s resignation are engaging in a “low-stakes exercise,” since he would likely be replaced by another Democratic Party member appointed by the Democratic New Jersey governor. “If New Jersey was governed by a Republican who would fill a vacant Senate seat with a political ally,” Rothman states, “Democrats would surely rationalize Menendez’s continued occupancy of the seat.” The lesson for Democrats, Rothman determines, is that “it is better to have a party strong enough to rip its Band-Aids off than to allow its festering wounds to necrotize.”