President Trump answered questions from reporters before boarding his helicopter, on Thursday, Oct. 3. Trump publicly recommended Ukrainian President Zelensky to investigate the Former Vice President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, based on his alleged ties with China.
Then he said that he wanted China to do the same. Despite digging himself into deeper trouble, he will probably win re-election in 2020.
Some will, no doubt, be pleased that this is the outcome I am predicting. And some will find that prediction deeply troubling. I myself am deeply troubled about my own prediction. Let me explain.
In June, Trump was interviewed on ABC by George Stephanopoulos. Stephanopoulos asked the president whether Trump should accept information from a foreign power or to turn the information into the FBI. He also asked Trump if it was interference.
The president replied, “It’s not an interference; they have information. I think I’d take it.”
Keep in mind that this was just months after the release of the Mueller report. When asked if he would accept the help, he said that he would.
I can understand that as a private citizen, he may have had a bit more of an excuse for accepting help from Russia, but since Trump ended up winning the election, it stirs the pot more.
He swore an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States, and asking a foreign power to give information would be a violation of the emoluments clause – Article I, Section 9.
This is what is at the core of the impeachment inquiry.
I would think that Republicans, who stand for the status quo, who defend the Constitution as it was written, would stand up in defense of our sovereignty. But it seems that cold feet and fear of a possible democratic victory in 2020 keep them frozen.
Do all Republicans love Trump? No, of course not. Many harbor doubts, and so they just grin and bear it.
If there is one thing that Republicans do better than Democrats, it is sticking together. It has taken two and a half years for most Democrats to support impeachment. And it was the disunity of the Democratic party that lost the 2016 election.
I have heard people say that the reason why the Democrats will lose in 2020 is that there are too many candidates. There were a lot of candidates vying for the Republican nomination in 2016, and they were having a much less cordial fight.
But when the dust settled, they bit their tongues and stood behind Donald Trump. They voted as a block. They managed to put their differences aside and they stuck together.
Not us. Hillary Clinton may not have gotten people excited like Bernie Sanders did, but people should have been able to come out for HRC when the dust settled. But that didn’t happen.
Many people disillusioned by the defeat of their hopeful decided to stay home on election day, while some wrote in Bernie’s name or another outsider.
Let’s get back to the impeachment. It will not matter what the president says or does; his party will stand behind him. Maybe the House will impeach him, but he will not be voted out of office in the Senate.
Have you seen the president’s latest 2020 campaign advertisement? In it, he fires back against the impeachment inquiry, attacks Joe Biden and warns that the Democrats are going to “steal” this election. Imagine someone stealing an election. The horror!
After the president talked with reporters and boarded his chopper, he was flown to Florida where he paid a visit to The Villages, a retirement community. He had a lot of supporters in the audience, and they were afraid of a socialist wearing a blue tie. They will vote.
Being able to stoke fear in the hearts of the Republican base is made easier when they subscribe to Fox News. Impeachment is just another witch hunt, just another clever ploy from the Democrats. Their strategy is to focus on 2020. Stick together, beat the Democrats.
Impeachment is a distraction. 2020 is only a few short months away. Fear is a toxic thing to have in an election – but it was effective in 2016. Whoever wins in 2020 will depend on who keeps their eyes on the prize, and who is most afraid to lose.
