Donald Trump’s Bad Week

The president of the United States claimed he had not watched the first day of testimony in the impeachment inquiry being held by the U.S. House of Representatives for the alleged pressuring of the Ukrainian government to offer damaging information about Joe Biden, a likely contender in the presidential election next year.

What is certain is that since Friday he has tweeted and retweeted dozens of times about the hearings, attacking witnesses and Democratic congressmen. On Friday, he tweeted a criticism of the witness, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, and the tweet was entered into the hearing record in real time, eliciting comments from participants — an event without precedent.

The first witnesses, public servants with long and prestigious careers in foreign service chosen by the Democrats for their media impact, were serious and forceful. They meticulously described the attempt by the White House to, initially, form a negotiation channel parallel to official channels, establishing a relationship with the Ukrainian government; and then, to place an investigation of Biden at the center of the discussion. We were introduced to some new elements — most interestingly, a call from Trump to his envoy in Ukraine, insisting that he was interested in the investigation against the Bidens above all.

There was no smoking gun to fell Trump, but there was an accumulation of testimony that confirms a narrative. Also, it was clear that Republicans, thus far, have no intention of backing down, nor are they considering withdrawing support from the president. Moreover, the attorney general gave a speech accusing the Democrats of changing the choice of voting Americans by holding the House procedures.

The week ended with the reelection of Democrat John Bel Edwards in Louisiana, despite Trump’s intense campaign for the Republican candidate. A year before the election, hostilities have begun. Democrats continue to accumulate new candidates for the nomination, and the atmosphere in Washington is becoming more polarized with each day.

How far will he go, and what will the president do, in order to continue his hold on his electoral base? That is the question concerning the world.