# 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:** 7
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/121 "2018-08-24T01:18:10Z")
Congressional Republicans will support this president until they judge the political cost of doing so to be too high. Then they’ll drop him like a shit sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/122 "2018-08-24T02:08:13Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > If I bump this thread to point out how very wrong the predictions of impeachment were, I’ll be accused of gloating… Wait, you’re gloating that an admitted criminal/traitor gets to stay in office as President? Way to care about America, there… But you’re going all in on “No Impeachment”… if you recall, the title of this thread is “Is this finally the series of events that will end Trump’s (aspiration/candidacy/presidency)” Trump can “end” in dozens of ways. He could quit, have a heart attack (with or without Hooker Urine), be offered a “golden parachute” deal… or my favorite: he sees his friends and family in trouble, is warned of financial ruin coming, and slinks away in the dead of night. In fact, if he ends up in a Cozy Dacha on the Danube, I called it over a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/123 "2018-08-24T02:40:36Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > [Beavis and Butthead/] heh-heh. You said peckerhead [\Beavis and Butthead] > > This and the Cohen deal are important. There was a conspiracy to pay money for the purpose of influencing the election. This plus the obstruction of justice should be enough to put the nail in his coffin and/or the garlic spear through his heart. But there’s more, and I don’t know why it hasn’t gotten more attention. If you read the Cohen plea deal documents you will see it describes the way in which Cohen was reimbursed for the payment he made to Stephanie Clifford. Cohen conspired with executives at the Trump Organization to submit and collect on fraudulent invoices structured for the purpose of concealing the payment. At minimum, they have a couple of executives at the Trump Organization dead to rights on tax evasion. PS - As I am typing this, MSNBC announced a breaking NYT story that the Manhattan DA is going to criminally investigate the Trump Organization over these payments. Maybe the dominoes are starting to fall. > [@MikeF](#): > > Now that Pecker at the National Enquirer is talking is also possible that he could release McDougal from their agreement? Now, that would be interesting. (Although, I guess there’s not much more she could add to the interview she did with Cooper or whoever it was.) Pecker and the National Enquirer have been in the bag for Trump for a long time now and there may have been other questionable interactions between the two. Trump used a National Enquirer story in a blackmail attempt on Joe Scarborough. Trump was certainly involved in a smear piece the Enquirer ran on Ted Cruz towards the end of the primary season. > [@Mangosteen](#): > > About 88%! of Trump’s base (Republicans) approve of his performance and 45% of registered voters approve of his performance as President. Like it or not, these a very high numbers for a sitting President that Democrats want to be impeached. What Republican Senator would vote to remove such a popular president? Political suicide. > > And I have news for you. There will NEVER be 67 Democratic Senators before Trump leaves office in 2024. > > “Trump’s 24/7 VERY popular propaganda arm” ??? What are you talking about? Its Fox News and Trump’s Twitter account vs. the rest of the MSM. Check out the article from that conservative rag, The Washington Post, “Study: 91 percent of recent network Trump coverage has been negative”. > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/) The media isn’t out to get Trump. Federal law enforcement isn’t out to get Trump. This is one of Trumps con artist techniques – Start a feud with anyone that might bring down your scam, then you can accuse them of bias when they get the goods on you. 91% of the coverage on Trump is negative because 91% of the stuff Trump does is horrible. The media actually makes an effort to give him positive coverage if they get the opportunity - it just doesn’t happen much. I don’t understand how that can find that 9%. > [@Silver\_lining](#): > > You’re correct. Impeachment won’t happen with a campaign manager being convicted for tax evasion with nothing on the President, but if the Democrats get a majority in the Senate, they can waste their time on calling for a vote. > > Bill Clinton’s alleged extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky resulted in his impeachment by the House of Representatives on Dec. 19, 1998. The charges for the impeachment were perjury and obstruction of justice. In the end, 50 senators voted to convict him on obstruction of justice and 45 found him guilty of perjury. Clinton remained in office because the required two-thirds, or **67-vote, minimum was not reached.** And no one could ever accuse Trump of lying and obstructing justice, could they? Now it may turn out that Trump effectively shielded himself from the actions of his cronies so that no one can pin anything on him directly. At which point you guys will be cheering and high-fiving each other like you won something. I’m sad for my country, half of them because they’ve let a con man persuade them that decency and integrity are not important, especially if you can get a few extra bucks in your pocket in exchange for your principles and moral center. And I’m sad for the other half because we have to live in the same world as those guys. ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/124 "2018-08-24T08:03:09Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Everything else is fluff, feathers, and misdirection. Impeachment is a waste of time, energy, and the patience of the voters. Oooh, ooh, this might be it is not a productive use of time. Yeah, any expectation that the president flagrantly breaking election laws would be enough to have him removed from office severely overestimates the moral fiber of republicans in congress. Actions that would result in normal people being thrown in prison are AOK if it’s the president. This isn’t me being facetious, that’s literally where we are right now. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/125 "2018-08-24T10:40:24Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Yes, Obama gave Fox News interviews. > > [https://youtu.be/9uzJYlbhH54](https://youtu.be/9uzJYlbhH54) Well that’s disappointing. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/126 "2018-08-24T12:50:17Z")
> [@Silver\_lining](#): > > No. If the best Mueller has to convict guys on tax evasion that happened years before Trump was elected President, he’s 1,000 country miles away from what he was looking for in collusion. Reading the indictments against Manafort would let you know that Manafort was accused of crimes that continued “at least through” 2017. Whoever told you otherwise was flim-flamming you. ---
**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 24, 2018, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/127 "2018-08-24T13:25:48Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Yeah, any expectation that the president flagrantly breaking election laws would be enough to have him removed from office severely overestimates the moral fiber of republicans in congress. Actions that would result in normal people being thrown in prison are AOK if it’s the president. > > This isn’t me being facetious, that’s literally where we are right now. This probably applies to the Republicans in the Supreme Court as well. A key moment in the Watergate scandal was when Nixon claimed he didn’t have to comply with a subpoena because he had “executive privilege”. The court unanimously decided against him and required the President to submit to the legal proceedings. That was 1974. If the same issue was put before the 2018 court, I believe the Republican judges would rule that the President could ignore the subpoena and keep the evidence in his possession. And, as they did in 2000, they would say this wasn’t a precedent and they were free to change their minds if a Democrat asked the same question. The days when the Supreme Court was above politics are past. It’s now just another political body like the House, the Senate, or the Presidency. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/128 "2018-08-24T13:36:13Z")
> [@Silver\_lining](#): > > Bill Clinton’s alleged extramarital affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky resulted in his impeachment by the House of Representatives on Dec. 19, 1998. The charges for the impeachment were perjury and obstruction of justice. In the end, 50 senators voted to convict him on obstruction of justice and 45 found him guilty of perjury. Clinton remained in office because the required two-thirds, or **67-vote, minimum was not reached.** This is a warning for Failure to follow a moderator’s instructions. You’ve been instructed to indicate your sources when copying and pasting. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/129 "2018-08-24T16:33:54Z")
[Trump Organization CFO granted immunity](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/24/longtime-trump-organization-cfo-weisselberg-granted-immunity-in-cohen-probe-dj-citing-sources.html). No indication of what he’s doing to get it, so far as I can tell. But if it’s just paying off women about affairs, I can’t see the base or GOP Congress getting riled up about it, even if turned out have been done with campaign funds, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/130 "2018-08-24T16:50:30Z")
My hope way back in 2017 was that, once the Mueller investigation demonstrated to red voters saw how corrupt their man was (and how little he actually cared about them), they would realize how badly betrayed they’d been by their own party and the GOP would collapse flaming into ruin. Yes, I was somewhat naive. Now I believe that no matter what Mueller turns up – including ironclad evidence that Trump has been laundering Russian drug money for a decade or more, and that he personally and actively enlisted Russia’s help in the election – Trump’s base won’t believe it, and the party that impeached Clinton for lying about a blowjob will say move along, nothing to see here. Still, if Dems win a House majority and Mueller presents evidence of that magnitude, they should impeach. They won’t succeed in removing him, but they have to do everything they can to broadcast the sickening truth about this guy and his party of enablers, to ensure that his presidency ends Jan. 20. 2021. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/131 "2018-08-24T16:56:41Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > My hope way back in 2017 was that, once the Mueller investigation demonstrated to red voters saw how corrupt their man was (and how little he actually cared about them), they would realize how badly betrayed they’d been by their own party and the GOP would collapse flaming into ruin. Because it’s not actually about corruption or swamp-draining or even the economy. It’s about white people convinced that they’re losing their way of life and being persecuted and that they might not be on top one day and it terrifies them. And Trump plays on that fear and promises to make it all better. Trump can bang a thousand porn stars on top of a pile of embezzled money while the country is sold to Russia and that’s fine for these people provided they can still feel superior for being a white English-speaking heterosexual Christian (bonus points for being male). ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/132 "2018-08-24T17:07:38Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Because it’s not actually about corruption or swamp-draining or even the economy. It’s about white people convinced that they’re losing their way of life and being persecuted and that they might not be on top one day and it terrifies them. And Trump plays on that fear and promises to make it all better. Trump can bang a thousand porn stars on top of a pile of embezzled money while the country is sold to Russia and that’s fine for these people provided they can still feel superior for being a white English-speaking heterosexual Christian (bonus points for being male). Yes, I get that now. Plus, Faux News. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/133 "2018-08-24T17:30:06Z")
> [@Akaj](#): > > …Still, if Dems win a House majority and Mueller presents evidence of that magnitude, they should impeach. They won’t succeed in removing him, but they have to do everything they can to broadcast the sickening truth about this guy and his party of enablers, to ensure that his presidency ends Jan. 20. 2021. And impeaching him will lay the whole mess at the feet of the senate republicans. At that point only they will be able to remedy the situation. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/134 "2018-08-24T17:38:54Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > And impeaching him will lay the whole mess at the feet of the senate republicans. At that point only they will be able to remedy the situation. If (that’s a BIG “if”) the House manages to impeach him, is there any guarantee the Senate would even hold a trial? Or could The Turtle just sit on it and refuse to do it like he refused to have a hearing on Garland? ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/135 "2018-08-24T17:42:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > And impeaching him will lay the whole mess at the feet of the senate republicans. At that point only they will be able to remedy the situation. They won’t remedy the situation. Forget that fantasy. But when they face re-election, they will have to face questions such as “How is it you consider a man who’s been reliably revealed as a money launderer for Russian drug kingpins fit to remain President of the United States?” ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/136 "2018-08-24T20:53:02Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > If (that’s a BIG “if”) the House manages to impeach him, is there any guarantee the Senate would even hold a trial? Or could The Turtle just sit on it and refuse to do it like he refused to have a hearing on Garland? Is there some way that could be turned into an obstruction rap? ---
**Author:** ![Epic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e274bd/32.png) [@Epic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epic)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/137 "2018-08-24T21:13:12Z")
we’re still 6 years, 4 months, and 26 days away from the end of President Donald J. Trump’s time as prez. Sorry, no peach mints gonna happen. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/138 "2018-08-24T23:50:57Z")
> [@Tzigone](#): > > [Trump Organization CFO granted immunity](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/24/longtime-trump-organization-cfo-weisselberg-granted-immunity-in-cohen-probe-dj-citing-sources.html). No indication of what he’s doing to get it, so far as I can tell. But if it’s just paying off women about affairs, I can’t see the base or GOP Congress getting riled up about it, even if turned out have been done with campaign funds, etc. The only reason to grant the Trump Org CFO immunity is if he has actionable information about his coworkers. This is going after the Trump family and it will almost certainly be shared with the NY state attorneys investigating the Trump Foundation & the NY city prosecutor who is investigating criminal charges against Trump Org. As Esquire put it - nothing good happens for the boss when they flip the accountant. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/139 "2018-08-24T23:56:13Z")
> [@Epic](#): > > we’re still 6 years, 4 months, and 26 days away from the end of President Donald J. Trump’s time as prez. Sorry, no peach mints gonna happen. Your arithmetic is off. Either that or you forgot the term for president is only four years. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-finally-it-is-this-finally-the-series-of-events-that-will-end-trumps-presidency/820028/140 "2018-08-24T23:58:56Z")
He’s presuming a second four year term, an event only slightly less likely than his initial election was. [Previous 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=6) [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=8)