No, hell hasn’t frozen over yet. However, with the Ukraine/whistleblower dilemma decimating the orange man in the Oval Office by the day, could a Donald Trump resignation soon be on the horizon?
Politics
Last week when the Ukraine/whistleblower story broke, Trump dug out his predictable “witch hunt” defense then made himself out to be the victim, created the storyline that the whistleblower is a “spy” who should be punished, and even inspired Fox News personality Geraldo Rivera to say on-air that he’d like to punch the “rotten snitch” whistleblower for following the law and doing his/her duty.
Fast forward 24 hours later and all hell broke loose forcing Trump to shift his strategy.
The Ukraine telephone transcript was released, the official whistleblower report made its way to Congress, a potentially massive cover-up was exposed, special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker resigned out of nowhere (guilt?), the House issued subpoenas to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as well as 5 other State Department officials, Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General William Barr went rogue and dug a deeper hole for all involved, while Republicans went radio-silent and Trump’s troubles grew into what some are calling insurmountable odds.
With 49% of Americans already in support of the congressional impeachment inquiry after only 5 days (and that number expected to grow), a Donald Trump resignation seems almost inevitable.
Let’s take a look at the facts.
Fox’s Geraldo Rivera: “I’d love to wap” “rotten snitch” whistleblower https://t.co/v7vprTU4CV pic.twitter.com/uycFLdnM01
— Timothy Johnson (@timothywjohnson) September 27, 2019
If Donald Trump is impeached and removed from office, his presidential cloak will no longer protect him from the law and he could face prosecution and jail time for crimes involving Ukraine, the Southern District of New York’s case involving Russia and the 2016 election, and more. However, even if he is not removed from office, this impeachment inquiry and all the dirt that will come out in the wash will become a huge stain on his reelection hopes.
Or, in other words, Trump’s days in The White House could soon end via impeachment or within a year via a lost election. Either could see Trump exchanging his oversized suits for a black and white prison jumper — a costume change he is desperate to avoid.
So, with his boat seemingly sinking by the second, what is ‘The Donald’s’ best chance at saving himself? A Trump resignation!
“Trump will not be removed from office by the constitutional impeachment and removal process. Instead, the self-professed supreme dealmaker will use his presidency as a bargaining chip with federal and state authorities in 2019, agreeing to leave office in exchange for the relevant authorities not pursuing criminal charges against him, his children or the Trump Organization.” – Alan J. Steinberg, former EPA administrator
Trump could take a page from the Richard Nixon playbook and strike a deal with Mike Pence (similar to the deal ‘Tricky-Dick’ struck with then-Vice President Gerald Ford). The deal would dictate that Trump step aside and allow Pence to become president in exchange for Pence granting Trump a full pardon once he’s the new Commander-In-Chief.
Or, Trump could strike a deal with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and federal authorities that he resign on the condition that all inquiries into his acts as president, business deals, family, etc. immediately cease and that he and his family be granted full immunity.
For as long as Donald Trump remains in The White House, he will find every way imaginable to skirt the law and avoid the consequences. However, one day the Constitution will have its say and Trump will have to leave the presidency behind. Then, he will be forced to pay the piper for his misdeeds and infractions.
Now, let’s be honest. Donald Trump wants the easy way out. He wants to go back to his cushy pre-Washington life and wake up every morning inside Trump Tower and not Riker’s Island. He’d also prefer to avoid an impeachment trial where his taxes and family scandals could be placed front and center for all the world to see. The only way to truly protect himself is a Trump resignation — where he could create the false narrative that HE chose to step down and that somehow it was all a masterful victory.
So, don’t be surprised if we soon see ‘The Donald’ strike a deal, step aside, then slip back into private life for the rest of his miserable days. It’s the only way to save his own hide and fool his base into believing he’s still a winner.
“Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a Monarchy?” “A Republic, if you can keep it.” The response is attributed to Benjamin Franklin —at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, when queried as he left Independence Hall on the final day of deliberation Nancy Pelosi quotes Thomas Paine: “The times have found us today. Not to place us ourselves in the same category of greatness as our founders—but to place us in the urgency of protecting and defending our Constitution.” I think in the not too distant future the majority of WE The People (and Historians) will view Speaker Nancy Pelosi as an American Hero, True Patriot and among our Greatest political leaders for having stared this abomination (the Trump presidency) in the eye and in defense of our Constitution and the Rule of Law, she saved Our Republic. She is, indeed, the Only political leader I… Read more »