Former New York City mayor and current Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is warning Trump’s critics not to push for impeachment. According to Giuliani, such a move would lead to a “revolt.” Giuliani also believes that the recent developments play in the favor of President Trump.
“You could only impeach [Trump] for political reasons and the American people would revolt against that,” Giuliani told Sky News reporters.
The latest furor emerged after former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and Paul Manafort were found guilty on charges arising from the ongoing Mueller probe. However, the recent cases did not stem from collusion with Russia, but other charges evolving from the investigative process. Cohen was found guilty of breaking campaign finance laws, among other things. Manafort was found guilty of bank and tax fraud.
President Trump was not directly implicated of criminal activity in either case. However, the guilty verdicts mark the closest strike yet, targeting individuals who were once part of Trump’s inner circle. Some allege that these convictions hint at a trend of corruption within President Trump’s inner circle, although “guilty by association” isn’t exactly legal evidence.
(Credit: Facebook/Davis McCollum)
Mueller Probe To Go Quiet Ahead of Midterms?
As for the Mueller investigation, it’s quite possible that, for now, it’ll go on the back burner. The Justice Department generally forbids any activities that could interfere with elections in the 60 days leading up to said elections. With the midterm election date set for November 7th, it wouldn’t be surprising if the investigation went silent come September.
Calls for impeachment have been rising among activists and commentators. So far, however, Democrats in Congress have largely shied away from calling for impeachment. DNC insiders fear impeachment talk could rally Trump’s base. That hasn’t stopped left-leaning pundits from ratcheting up calls for impeachment, however.
Back in June, a poll found that 42 percent of Americans supported impeaching President Trump. Unsurprisingly, the views were largely partisan. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats supported impeachment, versus just 9 percent of Republicans. Polls haven’t been run since the court cases, to determine their impact.
Pressure On Trump Increasing but Battle Far From Over
So what’s my take? So far, it seems both sides are misrepresenting the recent developments. Take CNN labeling Jeff Sessions’ mild rebuke of Trump this week as punching back “hard.” Sessions released a statement clarifying that the Department of Justice would not be influenced by politics. It was a swipe at Trump, but not exactly an earth-shaking blow.
On the other side, Trump allies are either shrugging off the Cohen and Manafort trials as non-stories or victories for the President. Neither seems right. Former President Bill Clinton was impeached for lying about his sexual affair. Trump, likewise, has denied knowing about the payments to Stormy Daniels, but evidence suggests that he did know and may have ordered them.
Meanwhile, Trump’s association with Manafort, who had close ties to foreign agents, is concerning, at the very least. Of course, concerning is far different from having been found guilty of anything. It’s hard to remember that, with so many pundits already calling for Trump’s head. Either way, the recent developments don’t bode well for the President but they are far from nails in the coffin.
What’s clear from all of this is that there’s a lot of politicking on both sides. Opinions are subjective, but there’s a disturbing trend of facts being secondary to political goals and aspirations. Whatever comes out of the investigations, it should be impartial and objective. Nothing more, nothing less.
