Despite all the talk about impeachment – and the growing number of Democrats clamoring for it – the chance of President Trump being impeached is approaching zero. There are five reasons for that.
First, despite their best effort, Democrats have failed to convince a majority of the American public that Trump should be impeached. More than 50 percent of the public opposes impeachment and another 25 percent are ambivalent. Another 9 percent offer no opinion. That leaves the advocates of impeachment at less than 20 percent – mostly the #NeverTrump Resistance Movement folks.
Those numbers are the reality that keeps House Speaker Nancy Pelosi constraining impeachment fever in her caucus. Moving against public will on such an issue could give control of the House back to the Republicans and end her speakership – and she knows it.
The second reason is that there is not enough time to start and end an impeachment process in the House – much less in the Senate – before the presidential campaign is in the final stages. This means that such hearings would run close to the 2020 General Election – maybe even beyond it. Either prospect could be a disaster for Democrats.
The third reason is that is it well understood that the Senate will not boot Trump from office. Many people, who might otherwise support an impeachment hearing, see the futility of it all. They see it as a monumental waste of time and a diversion for the serious business of the nation. This also plays against the Democrats and further explains Pelosi’s reticence.
The fourth reason is the 2020 election, itself. One reason many people are not enthused about impeachment is that Trump’s future in the White House is better determined by we the people—not a bunch of politicians. Many Americans – perhaps a majority – see impeachment as usurping their right.
The fifth reason is that Democrats have not found the impeachable offenses. Oh sure, the Democrats talk a good game, but despite all the accusations, speculations and alleged charges they level against Trump, he has been cleared of both criminal collusion and obstruction of justice. There are even a few Democrats who will admit that Trump faces no problems from the criminal justice system. Realistically, he faces no charges even after he leaves the White House.
Trump has been cleared of all criminal collusion with Russia. So sayeth Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller made no determination on the issue of criminal obstruction of justice. He listed a few examples that COULD be construed as criminal obstruction, but they could also be determined to not be criminal. Mueller handed that issue to his boss, Attorney General William Barr. After consulting with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the lawyers in the Office of Professional Conduct, it was decided BY THE GROUP that nothing in Mueller’s Report rose to the level of criminality. Like it or not, that ends any further prosecution on either the aforementioned offenses. Case closed.
Any failure of the public to understand that rests on the shoulders of Democrats and their allies in the press who are constantly telling the public that Trump guilty of these crimes – misinforming the public with malice of forethought. They are again doing a great disservice to the public, especially those on the left – just as they did when the assured the nation that Trump had “no path to the presidency” and when they repeatedly said that Mueller’s Report would prove Trump’s guilty and make the case for impeachment.
A few hardliners – such as Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and the gaggle of extremists (did I say “the squad?”) will keep the issue alive – either because they desperately want an impeachment hearing out of a visceral hatred for Trump or because they see it as a winning election issue in their very liberal congressional districts. They falsely claim that Trump IS guilty of both criminal collusion AND obstruction of justice. The facts will eventually undermine their political impeachment scheme.
Actually, they pursue impeachment because it does NOT require criminal activity to oust a President. It is a political process that relies on the court-of-public-opinion rather than the real courts, where rules-of-evidence and innocent until PROVEN guilty beyond a reasonable doubt are protective hurdles. The House can constitutionally impeach a President for littering if they can get enough votes.
There will be all kinds of … hmm … b***sh*t (calling it like it is) about impeachment between now and the 2020 General Election. It will not result in the impeachment of Trump. At least that is my humble opinion at this moment.
So, there ‘tis.