No, He Is Not Done For (Yet)

Is Donald Trump done for? Is his presidency on its last legs?

Some American news outlets are now openly asking this type of question. Last week, we must point out, was full of developments that seem to prove the noose is tightening around the president’s neck. He is being blamed for actions which people suspect he is guilty of, and for alleged lies that aim to hide his involvement in several incriminating events. And the truth is that all of this looks very, very bad.

The hardest blow to his credibility has been the conviction of Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former lawyer, who was recently sentenced to three years in prison.

Most importantly, Cohen violated campaign finance laws and claims to have done so at the request of… Trump.

Let us remember that before the election, this lawyer orchestrated generous payments of hush money to two women (Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal) who allegedly had affairs with the businessman.

Cohen was one of the Republican president’s most loyal allies, but he decided to come clean. He even told Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s team that he had contact with Russian officials during the Republican presidential primaries. He was taking steps at the time to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. A crucial detail is that Cohen maintainsTrump knew about it even then.

We have also learned that David Pecker, editor of the National Enquirer, is cooperating with the Justice Department as well. He has admitted to having offered $150,000 to one of Trump’s presumed mistresses.

That is not all. News outlets have reported that there is a federal investigation concerning potentially illicit payments to the committee responsible for organizing Trump’s inauguration. At least some of these payments appear to have come from donors in Arab countries. Well, what do you know?! Other stories are unfolding, too, including the one stemming from the misuse of funds held by the Trump Foundation and another involving money spent in his hotels by foreign dignitaries.

From the moment Trump launched his campaign in 2015, scandal has been the norm. Yet up until very recently, the stench of these scandals did not seem to be affecting him. Now, even though his support from the Republican base remains strong, he seems vulnerable. He even had trouble finding a new chief of staff.

The midterm elections this November also hurt Trump. Democrats will control the House of Representatives beginning in January and will be able to put spokes in his wheels more easily.

We can confirm without fear of being wrong that 2019 is shaping up to be the year of Trump’s demise. A visit to the dentist is nothing in comparison to what awaits him. That being said, he remains the most powerful man in the world, and for this reason, he can still do considerable damage. And isn’t it said that we must be wary of a wounded animal?

It is far from certain that Trump will have to face criminal charges between now and the end of his presidency.

The Department of Justice has already spoken twice on the matter, and its policy is that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime.

But that does not mean the president is above the law. There is a political solution if a president is found guilty of “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”: impeachment.

But Democrats would be wise not to use this option. Given the current composition of Congress, Democrats would hit a brick wall. The procedure begins in the House of Representatives, but the Senate, where the Republicans are still in the majority, must then vote. Additionally, such an initiative could give the impression that Democrats are out to get the Republican president, which could boost his popularity. That is what happened in the case of Bill Clinton in the late 1990s.

Trump, done for? The answer consists of two letters, and we will allow ourselves, as he would do, to use all caps: NO! The coming year will certainly be difficult for him, but God alone (and maybe also Special Counsel Mueller) knows what it truly holds for him. If we think Americans deserve better, the best way to avoid disappointment is still to avoid getting our hopes up.