The improbable v the implausible
Less than 14 months from the US election, it continues to shape as a re-run between Donald Trump, 77, and Joe Biden, 80 – the highly implausible taking on the deeply improbable, as Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerard Baker describes it. Such a contest would be bad for Americans and for the superpower’s allies, including Australia, at a dangerous time strategically. And the Washington political mire just got murkier, with the President facing the damaging prospect of impeachment as he campaigns for re-election. Mr Trump, if he wins the Republican nomination, would be campaigning while facing 91 charges in four states, the most serious of which – working to overturn the results of the 2020 election – could see him jailed for years.
Republicans have taken the first step in what would be a long process to impeach Mr Biden. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced a formal inquiry into allegations of “abuse of power, obstruction and corruption” around Mr Biden’s family, mainly related to Mr Biden’s time as vice-president to Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017. The accusations centre on to what extent, if at all, Mr Biden benefited from his son Hunter’s business dealings with foreign companies in China, Ukraine and Romania.
“Bank records show that nearly $US20m in payments were directed to the Biden family members and associates to various shell companies,” Mr McCarthy said. “The Treasury Department alone has more than 150 transactions involving the Biden family business associates that were flagged as suspicious activity by US banks.” Mr Biden has long denied all knowledge of his son’s dealings. Mr McCarthy reportedly was under pressure from hardline Republicans to launch an inquiry. The setback follows Mr Biden’s shambolic press conference in Hanoi, where he declared climate change more dangerous than a nuclear war.
All of which reflects Washington’s dysfunctional polity as China and Russia seek to reshape the world through the BRICS pact. In the US’s interests and those of the free world, Democrats and Republicans must find viable candidates to contest the White House.