Democrats risk Donald Trump impeachment backfire

Impeachment support is waning, yet the Democrats are forging ahead with the gamble of putting Donald Trump on trial.

Us President Donald Trump. Picture: AP

President Trump has been formally charged with abuse of office as the Democrats forged ahead with the gamble of putting him on trial, even as public support for impeachment appears to be waning.

Members of the House judiciary committee took less than eight minutes to indict Mr Trump, with 23 Democrats voting in favour and 17 Republicans against. The vote followed 14 hours of rancorous argument on Thursday.

The formal charge sets the scene for a high-stakes showdown in the full House of Representatives next week on whether to send President Trump for trial in the Senate for the “high crimes and misdemeanours” of abusing his office and obstructing Congress over his dealings with Ukraine.

Republican party managers are confident that not one of their representatives or senators will vote to impeach. The Democrats, however, fear that several on their side could break ranks in the House vote, driven by the fear of losing their seat in next year’s elections.

Public sentiment moved in the president’s favour this week with a poll showing that 51 per cent were against impeachment, up from 48 per cent in late November. It was the first time a majority of voters have rejected impeachment in the Quinnipiac University poll since the process began in September; the opposite result to what the Democrats had hoped for when they launched televised hearings with a dozen witnesses.

Non-aligned voters were even more wary, with 52 per cent against, in a warning sign to Democrats trying to hold seats in swing districts.

Mr Trump denounced his opponents for “trivialising” the impeachment process but said the prospect of becoming only the third US president in history to face a political trial in the Senate was benefiting him politically. The two others, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, were both cleared but neither stood again — meaning that the Democrats have entered uncharted waters by targeting a president who is determined to stand for re-election.

“My poll numbers as you know have gone through the roof, fundraising for the Republican party has gone through the roof … because the people are disgusted,” he said at the White House. Mr Trump’s approval rating has been consistent, remaining in the low 40s since the impeachment process began. “It is a very sad day for our country but it seems to be very good for me politically,” he added.

His campaign team said there had been a surge in support. “This lit up our base, lit up the people that are supporters of the president. They’re frustrated, they’re upset, and that motivates voters,” said Brad Parscale, the Trump campaign manager. “They have ignited a flame underneath them.”

My statement on today’s vote:

This committee vote is just another act in the Democrats’ political theater. The baseless, sham impeachment is just out-of-control partisan politics and the American people are rejecting it. pic.twitter.com/m3GG6gGLhU

— Brad Parscale (@parscale) December 13, 2019

It was private poll showing that impeachment was shifting voters to back Mr Trump in key swing states that triggered Michael Bloomberg, the media billionaire, to make a late entry into the Democratic presidential race last month. On Thursday he announced that he would pump dollars 10 million into shoring up Democrats at risk of losing their seats after voting in favour of impeachment. Most are moderates who were elected last year in areas that voted for Mr Trump in 2016.

Jeremy Corbyn's catastrophic showing in the U.K. is a clear warning:

We need a Democratic nominee who can defeat Donald Trump by running a campaign that appeals to Americans across our divides.

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) December 13, 2019

“Sadly Republicans are more interested in protecting the president than the constitution,” said Mr Bloomberg. “Fortunately House Democrats are holding the president accountable, and they need resources to stay in office.”

As president, I’ll set new, ambitious climate goals for our country - goals we can actually achieve over the next eight years.

I will push for an 80% reduction in electricity emissions by 2028, setting us on the path to 100% clean electricity. https://t.co/7gOpdCsHyv

— Mike Bloomberg (@MikeBloomberg) December 13, 2019

The president is accused of putting his own interests above those of the country and endangering national security by seeking to influence the 2020 US election by withholding US military aid from Ukraine. He is accused of using those funds to put pressure on President Zelensky of Ukraine to open investigations into the son of Joe Biden, a Democratic rival, who worked for one of the country’s biggest gas companies. Mr Trump had accused Mr Biden, the frontrunner in the race for the Democrat presidential nomination of improperly trying to help his son’s business interests. He is also accused of stonewalling requests from Congress for documents and witnesses.

“Today is a solemn and sad day,” said Jerry Nadler, chairman of the judiciary committee. “For the third time in a little over a century and a half, the House judiciary committee has voted articles of impeachment against the president, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.”

This horrendously boring, sham-impeachment is so absurd that even the hapless Jerry Nadler can’t seem to stay awake. Dude, go get a coffee already. C’mon man! 👇🏻pic.twitter.com/xnpuoKFu54

— Dan Bongino (@dbongino) December 12, 2019

Stephanie Grisham, the White House press secretary, condemned the ruling as a “desperate charade” and “shameful”. She added: “The president looks forward to receiving in the Senate the fair treatment and due process which continues to be disgracefully denied to him by the House.”

The Republicans complained that they were not allowed to call the witnesses they wanted but the Democrats countered that they had offered to hear from the president or his lawyers at the judiciary committee but they had declined.

The vote in the full House chamber, where the Democrats have a 233 to 197 majority, is expected on Wednesday. At least two Democrats are likely to oppose one or both articles, having voted against the process on October 31.

“Last night House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler admitted that Democrats are pursuing Impeachment because it’s too dangerous to simply let the American people pick the next president in 2020.” @kilmeade @FoxNews

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 13, 2019

Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker and senior Democrat, had been against launching impeachment unless there was some cross-party support but threw her weight behind the process in September after a whistleblower raised concerns about a phone call in July between Mr Trump and Mr Zelensky. The whistleblower claimed that Mr Trump had asked the Ukrainian leader for a “favour” to investigate Hunter Biden’s role on a Ukrainian energy company board. Mr Zelensky has repeatedly said he felt under no pressure from Mr Trump.

Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican Party, tweeted: “Pelosi, Schiff, and Nadler all said impeachment should be ‘bipartisan’. This vote was the exact opposite. It’s yet another reminder that all they care about is overthrowing the will of the 63 million Americans who voted for @realDonaldTrump.”

If you had any doubt that this charade is 100% partisan, look no further:

Democrat Ted Deutch admits their vote last night was delayed because it was too late for a TV audience to watch. pic.twitter.com/Qo13ILrKmN

— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) December 13, 2019

The Democrats condemned an apparent decision by Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump’s personal lawyer, to return to Ukraine last week to meet pro-Russian figures to investigate Hunter Biden. Mr Giuliani was seen in the White House on Friday after The Wall Street Journal reported that, when he returned from Ukraine, the president had phoned him as his plane was still on the runway.

“What did you get?” Mr Trump is said to have asked.

“More than you can imagine,” Mr Giuliani apparently replied. He is putting his findings into a 20-page report.

For months, Democrats delayed President Trump’s USMCA and blocked routine legislation that Congress must pass before the end of the year. The impeachment obsession has left us with an overload of 11th-hour business that’s still unfinished.

— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) December 12, 2019

Mitch McConnell, the minority leader in the Senate, said there was “zero” chance of Mr Trump being convicted, as that would require 20 Republicans to vote against him to meet the two-thirds majority.

To the fury of the Democrats, Mr McConnell said he would work closely with White House lawyers to decide the format of the trial, after telling Republican senators privately this week that a long process would be “mutually assured destruction”. He added: “We all know how it’s going to end.”

THE TIMES