It’s a shame that so many Republicans are calling for a quick impeachment trial and the inevitable acquittal of Donald Trump. It seems more than a bit shortsighted. Why should Republicans settle for an acquittal when we can accomplish so much more?
The Democrats have laid a trap for themselves with this absurd impeachment farce and their demand for witnesses in the Senate trial. Let’s oblige them in their efforts to destroy themselves. The goal shouldn’t be simply to acquit Trump. That’s a fairly low bar and virtually a given. The goal should be to crush the Democrats and make this entire process as painful and devastating as possible.
This is an opportunity of a generation to cause real pain for Democrats and administrative state actors—heck, even for their propagandists in the mainstream media. Why let a good crisis go to waste? Why not take full advantage of the situation?
Let Jay Sekulow and Pat Cipollone make mincemeat of Adam Schiff and his clown crew while getting to cross-examine them under oath on national television.
People argue that Republicans shouldn’t give this impeachment trial credence because of the clearly partisan and hyperpolitical nature of it all, that it’s illegitimate and to take it seriously is to give it credibility. Of course, that’s right—but we’re beyond that now.
Fact is, impeachment has happened and the trial is underway. It’s a reality taking place right now, so to quibble about how we got here and how unconstitutional it all is, and how it is a farce is all true—and completely beside the point. Now that we’re here, the question is how do we maximize the opportunity, because it absolutely is an opportunity.
Some question whether stretching out a trial for six to eight weeks with witnesses is a good idea. Can we trust Republican senators to not botch the process? This is a valid concern, but people forget that nearly two-dozen Republican senators are up for reelection in 2020.
The impeachment trial concerns a Republican president who just happens to have a 95 percent approval rating within his party. While most Republican senators are gutless wonders, one can rest assured that almost all of them are experts in self-preservation: to do anything to hurt Trump is to incur the wrath of the party’s base in a vital election year. Add to the fact that Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants to be the longest-serving majority leader, which means he needs to hold the majority through this year’s elections, and you have a scenario where there is a lot of self-interest at play here that works in Trump’s favor.
Of course calling witnesses will stretch out the trial. Damn straight it will. And it will bring utter chaos to the Democrat’s 2020 primary.
Would a long trial with witnesses in an election year drown out Trump’s massive list of accomplishments, from the economy to wages to trade deals? Not likely. Trump has a somewhat powerful presence on Twitter and other platforms that allows him to shape and drive his own narratives. His message will not be drowned out by a long trial; between his social media presence and his massive rallies, he’ll do just fine.
But you know whose narratives will be drowned out? The Democrats’ presidential wannabes. A long impeachment trial will step all over them.
So let’s go for it. After the House managers’ performance, which amounted to just begging the Senate to call in Hunter Biden, let’s go even further. Let’s call in every last witness they want with the understanding at the very onset that Republicans will be calling very specific witnesses, too.
Democrats want John Bolton. Great! Give them Mick Mulvaney, too. Then Republicans can call in Hunter Biden, Eric Ciaramella, Michael Atkinson, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who just happens to be a material witness. Let Jay Sekulow and Pat Cipollone make mincemeat of Schiff and his clown crew while getting to cross-examine them under oath on national television. It will allow Trump’s team to show the world what Democrats and administrative state actors have been up to the last few years with their soft coup attempts.
After what would likely be a very painful process for Democrats, then let’s have an acquittal vote exonerating the president. Leading into the fall elections, Trump would hammer Democrats for the complete absurdity of it all.
If done correctly—and granted with Republican senators there are always massive “ifs”—a long, drawn-out, damaging trial for Democrats helps Republicans take back the House, keeps the Senate in Republican hands, fully exonerates Trump and helps him sail to re-election in 2020.