# Is this finally it? Is this finally the series of events that will end Trump's presidency? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 22, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028 "2018-08-22T06:04:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_stamos_left_ear/32/3198_2.png) [@John\_Stamos\_Left\_Ear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Stamos_Left_Ear)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/1 "2018-08-22T06:04:13Z")
The one-two punch of Manafort being convicted of eight felonies and the stunning turn of events with Michael Cohen has me optimistic for the first time that maybe, just maybe, we will be rid of the scourge that is Trump leading our nation. What do you guys think? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/2 "2018-08-22T06:12:20Z")
We can only hope. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/3 "2018-08-22T06:14:07Z")
Crazy. Here’s wishing I will wake up from this nightmare, soon. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/4 "2018-08-22T07:06:08Z")
I’m optimistic this will put the kibosh on his 2020 re-election. But Trump ain’t going anywhere until his current term is over. (Which I think is preferable over him getting impeached) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/5 "2018-08-22T07:16:06Z")
He’s got a Congress and a Supreme Court that desperately want to avoid doing anything about him. I don’t see any change happening unless the Democrats win back Congress and Trump starts facing some real opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/6 "2018-08-22T07:38:15Z")
I think the vast majority of the Republican Party will simply try to ride out _ **any** _ political scandal. We’ll be hearing a lot more about “fake news” and the “deep state.” So a lot depends on how Democrats do in the midterms. And also whether the economic boom stalls. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/7 "2018-08-22T07:38:30Z")
Looking at the approval ratings for Presidents through history ([How Popular Is Donald Trump? | FiveThirtyEight](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/?ex_cid=rrpromo) - switch to the 8 year view in the third section), Nixon’s rating dropped like an anvil at the start of 1973 and even then it still took several months, after hitting the low 20s, before they finally axed him. We’ll have to see what happens to his popularity rating, but if it stays steady then I don’t think there’s much hope of impeachment. On the other hand, you could debate whether a modern Congress would be more or less likely to support the President once he dropped under 30% approval. Modern politicians are more partisan the ones of yore, but they’re also now shackled more heavily to the fickle demands of the general public. Whereas, in the 70s, they could be reasonable and wait for an official report to come out, from the investigation, these days they might dump Trump as soon as the numbers say they need to. But on Trump’s side of things, it’s now too late for him to step down. Presidential immunity and the pardon power are his only hopes for staying out of jail, outside of fleeing to Russia and asking for asylum. He’ll stick with it until he thinks that people are coming for him, and then he’ll make a run for the border. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/8 "2018-08-22T10:24:56Z")
Didn’t he just seat the deciding vote for when this reaches the Supreme Court? How can anyone be optimistic knowing this? He already lined up his ‘get out of jail free’ ticket it looks like to me. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/9 "2018-08-22T10:33:49Z")
Be careful what you wish for…President Pence? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/10 "2018-08-22T10:33:52Z")
they won’t impeach him and remove him. The reason is that the GOP guys like everyone else have the #1 goal of staying in office. If he is removed the GOP are afraid they will lose re-election not just to Dems but also they could even lose their next primary to a Trumper. ---
**Author:** ![UnwittingAmericans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d9b06d/32.png) [@UnwittingAmericans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UnwittingAmericans)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/11 "2018-08-22T10:34:52Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Didn’t he just seat the deciding vote for when this reaches the Supreme Court? > > How can anyone be optimistic knowing this? He already lined up his ‘get out of jail free’ ticket it looks like to me. What are you talking about? The Supreme Court doesn’t remove the president, the Senate does. If you are talking about a legal fight over a subpoena from Mueller, Trump would still lose that battle in the Supreme Court, even if Kavanaugh was sitting. Of course, having lost the battle, Trump could still refuse to comply. I hope that happens. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/12 "2018-08-22T10:57:01Z")
> [@Enola\_Gay](#): > > Be careful what you wish for…President Pence? :eek: I was more amenable to Trump than Pence, but seeing Trump’s body language with Putin, I don’t think we can safely have him as President. If they don’t have video of him banging a 14 year old prostitute in St Petersberg, then they have information about money laundering, accepting money from them for the election, or something else that would be life in jail. Pence may be a blight on humanity, but he’s at least loyal to the country and - if Trump is impeached - I don’t think the Republican party would dare let him do anything even slightly objectionable. He’d be forced to be the most milquetoast and bland President since Jimmy Carter regardless that every fiber of his being might cry out for a Fundamentalist paradise. He’ll order massive penalties against Russia and then go into hibernation for two years. ---
**Author:** ![Ca3799](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9f8e36/32.png) [@Ca3799](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ca3799)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/13 "2018-08-22T12:29:39Z")
Since the prevailing wisdom is that Trump won’t be impeached, I think the best we can hope for as all his dominos continue to fall is for Trump to achieve “lame duck” status which would reduce the amount of damage his is doing to the country and relationships with allies. Who knows what the future will bring. Mueller is certainly working on other cases. There is likely to be more indictments coming. Trump’s Republican allies as showing signs of weakening support. If the “blue wave” occurs, the odds of impeachment increase. I would like to see him indicted while in office, though. An indictment or an impeachment in his third year would be good in that it would leave the whole last year of his (or Pence’s) presidency “lame”. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/14 "2018-08-22T13:06:10Z")
I don’t think it’s the end of Trump, but it might well be the beginning of the end. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/15 "2018-08-22T13:15:50Z")
In a word, No. The whole idea was Russian collusion, by Trump. This isn’t Russian, it isn’t collusion, and it isn’t Trump. At least when they tried it with Clinton, he was guilty of something. Maybe the Dems will take over the House, and ram their heads into the brick wall for a few more years. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/16 "2018-08-22T13:26:24Z")
No, it won’t make a difference because the Republicans in congress and the vast majority of their supporters don’t have any honor. They don’t even pretend to have honor, except Sessions who had his honor deeply offended… that he got caught lying. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/17 "2018-08-22T13:34:08Z")
Will it swing some Independent voters, depress some Republican voters and help Democrat turnout, thus increasing the already excellent chance of flipping the House? I think absolutely yes. If the Dems flip the Senate too (sigh, unlikely but not impossible), then you bet impeachment is what’s for breakfast. Even just the House will make a huge change. Will it cause any immediate change in the Republican members of Congress? Not on your life. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/18 "2018-08-22T13:35:11Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > In a word, No. > > The whole idea was Russian collusion, by Trump. This isn’t Russian, it isn’t collusion, and it isn’t Trump. At least when they tried it with Clinton, he was guilty of something. > > Maybe the Dems will take over the House, and ram their heads into the brick wall for a few more years. Democrats’ heads tomorrow could end up as sore as Republicans’ tails are today. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/19 "2018-08-22T13:54:52Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > In a word, No. > > The whole idea was Russian collusion, by Trump. This isn’t Russian, it isn’t collusion, and it isn’t Trump. At least when they tried it with Clinton, he was guilty of something. > … Michael Cohen seemed to implicate Trump yesterday, under oath, of being guilt of violating some election laws. So, he may certainly be guilty of that (so far). ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2018, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/20 "2018-08-22T13:59:37Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Michael Cohen seemed to implicate Trump yesterday, under oath, of being guilt of violating some election laws. So, he may certainly be guilty of that (so far). Seemed to, my ass. He said that he was directed to commit felonies by person number one, a euphemism for that orange cretin with the goofy hairdo. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028.md?page=2)