Mueller Report Fallout Pressures Democrats to Impeach Trump
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Ever since taking back the House of Representatives in January, Democratic leaders have carefully modulated the demands for impeachment from their activist base. First, they stressed the need to wait for the outcome of Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Last month, House speaker Nancy Pelosi splashed cold water on the idea of impeachment, telling The Washington Post’s Joe Heim, “Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there’s something so compelling and overwhelming and bipartisan, I don’t think we should go down that path, because it divides the country. And he’s just not worth it.”
The idea that Democrats would focus on defeating Trump at the ballot box in 2020 had become accepted conventional wisdom in recent weeks, particularly after attorney general Bill Barr’s late March summary of Mueller’s conclusions seemed to indicate that Mueller’s findings had resulted in what Trump himself declared on Twitter as “ Total EXONERATION !”
Yet as the hours passed Thursday, and Washington digested the 448 pages submitted by Mueller’s Special Counsel Office, a sense of surprise and almost dread descended on Democratic leaders: Mueller appeared to have delivered a report that was all but an explicit impeachment referral , examining in lurid and compelling detail at least 10 specific instances where it appeared President Trump had sought to obstruct the special counsel’s Russia investigation, through a mix of official actions, private badgering of witnesses, and public statements.
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Democrats have painted themselves into a corner. Now that Mueller's report has been released to the public Democrat's have lost their political cover of waiting for completion of the independent investigation. Robert Mueller has tossed the investigation into the Democrat's lap. If the evidence contained in Mueller's report is not sufficient to prompt Democrats to pursue impeachment proceedings then what would it take? Democrats demanded an independent investigation and got exactly what they wanted. Democratic refusal to impeach Trump now would only substantiate that their outrage has been nothing more than butt hurt political posturing to score points. Democrats are in danger of losing a lot of credibility going into the 2020 election.
As the seeded article points out, Democratic leadership has essentially taken impeachment off the table with assurances that Democrats will focus attention on defeating Trump in 2020. But Mueller's report also raises the odds that Trump will be challenged during the Republican primaries. Republicans now have an incentive to keep Trump off the ballot; so its quite possible that Republicans could defeat Trump before Democrats have a chance. Public release of the Mueller report also raises the possibility that Trump may decide not to run in 2020. Democrats can't rely on running against Trump.
Democrats are going to need to focus attention on policy. And Trump has neutered a lot of the old policy ideas that Democrats have ran on since Reagan defeated Carter. So far the only Democrats putting forward policy ideas have been Democratic Socialists in the party. So, Democrats have painted themselves into a corner (again). Refusing to impeach Trump now makes the 'not Trump' claim less credible. And Democrats focusing public attention on 'not Trump' rhetoric has ceded the policy arena to Republicans and Democratic Socialists. If Democrats continue to follow their strategy of butt hurt outrage then they are in danger of not only losing the next Presidential election but losing their majority in the House, as well.
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What have Democrats got to run a 2020 campaign if they can't run against Trump? The completion of Robert Mueller's investigation has forced Democrats to do something. Simply heckling from the peanut gallery is no longer enough. Now what?
Democrats demanded an independent investigation and got exactly what they wanted. Democratic refusal to impeach Trump now would only substantiate that their outrage has been nothing more than butt hurt political posturing to score points. Democrats are in danger of losing a lot of credibility going into the 2020 election.
Attempting to impeach and failing...once again...will be their doom. And not only that, they must be wondering what charges and investigations are going to be going on concerning all the fools that got this collusion/obstruction/whatever silliness started in the first place. Barr and his DOJ is going to be busy.
If impeachment proceedings ever begin on Trump they will be spearheaded by the republicans if 'certain events' surrounding Trump threatens their political future.
There’s nothing remotely like that out there.
Always 'hedge' the bet. Especially when the wager is on something that blinds you.
Everyone seems to ignore that the FBI, intelligence agencies, and both chambers of Congress were conducting separate investigations. It wasn't only Mueller's team that was digging for evidence. Where are the indictments?
The argument has been raised questioning whether or not a sitting President can be indicted. But no one besides Donald Trump could use that argument to avoid indictment. Where are the indictments?
The idea that only Donald Trump could have coordinated and colluded with Russians is too implausible for even stalwart partisans to accept. There were far too many people involved in the campaign. Where are the indictments?