TRUMP IMPEACHED! — The Weekly Opine

The moment Donald John Trump was impeached. 8:23 p.m. ET. (Photo credit CNN screenshot)

Permanent and indelible

December 18, 2019. A date forever seared into the conscience of America. Even those without a conscience, such as Republican senators, congressmen, congresswomen and the legions of MAGAs, will remember yesterday as the day of reckoning for their guy, Donald John Trump.

For a man who avoided real accountability his entire life, yesterday was no doubt jarring. Trump’s psychopathic, deranged 6-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the day before the House voted on articles of impeachment, gave an indication Trump is on the verge of a titanic meltdown. Trump’s unhinged performance at a Michigan rally last night, face flush-red with anger and stress, reinforces the man is not well.

From the intelligent, dignified Barack Obama to the ignorant, corrupt Donald Trump; not since Abraham Lincoln to Andrew Johnson has the U.S. presidency fallen so far so fast. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Now, Donald J. Trump becomes the first elected U.S. president impeached in his first term of office. Let that sink in. The man who has an Obama fetish, foolishly questioned former President Barack Obama’s birthplace, and made it his Number One priority to undo all the Obama administration’s accomplishments, has now achieved something no other president achieved; impeached before the end of his first term.

Trump is also a combination of the only other two presidents to be impeached. Andrew Johnson was a racist. Bill Clinton a sexual misbehaver. Trump is both. And Trump is a misogynist, pathological liar, admitted sexual assaulter and…you get the point. As Rep. (D) Maxine Waters said on the House floor yesterday, impeaching Trump “was not inevitable but was predictable.”

And who does not believe things are about to get worse for Trump, with stooges like Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and Rudy Giuliani running point?

For example, Christianity Today, a leading evangelical magazine founded by the late-Rev. Billy Graham, published an editorial today calling for Trump’s removal from office. The editors say Trump’s actions re: Ukraine-gate are “profoundly immoral.”

While CT’s call for Trump’s removal is a welcome crack in the evangelical protect Trump armor, it is noteworthy that CT editors admit Trump previously displayed myriad moral failings but did not call for his removal until now.

CT hides behind the feeble line that “impeachment hearings have made it absolutely clear, in a way the Mueller investigation did not, that President Trump has abused his authority for personal gain.” Did they not see Michael Cohen’s testimony, where Cohen provided copies of checks totaling $135,000 that Trump paid to a porn star, with whom he’d had an extramarital affair, to buy her silence?

It is time for many, many evangelicals to experience a road to Damascus ‘moment’ and find their way back to the light.

The Trump brand’s best days appear to be in the rear view mirror. (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Brand new trouble

The Trump brand will likely be the recipient of shock waves emanating from the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. Recent reporting says the Trump Hotel in Washington, D.C. is being shopped for sale. Reporting says Trump’s golf resort in Ireland is in financial trouble. Some tenants of his residential buildings have demanded (and have been accommodated) that Trump’s name be removed from their buildings.

Given the age of Trump’s children, one wonders how long it will be before they begin to seriously try distancing themselves from a boorish old man and a brand that will be tarnished, and the butt of jokes, forever.

One also wonders how many times a day Trump kicks himself for getting into this mess in the first place. Trump had it all. A private jet. Riches (putting aside for the moment how the money was acquired). The public was not “on to him.” He could have spent the rest of his life in opulence. But his massive narcissism tricked Trump into thinking he could handle being president.

The adoring crowds at his rallies, most of whom are not very smart, did not have the capacity to discern a fraudulent huckster when he was on stage directly in front of them, spinning tales of his might when Trump is, in reality, a mouse.

Given Trump’s proclivity to assign nicknames such as Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco and Crooked Hillary, surely MAGAs can understand this now permanent name: Impeached Donald Trump.

It’s OK to smile

For some reason much has been made – by House Democrats, media, historians and others – that yesterday was a somber day, not to be celebrated. I beg to differ. Yesterday was a glorious day, a moment to be cheered and applauded!

Put it this way; if Franklin D. Roosevelt slipped-up toward the end of his presidency, and abused power and was impeached, that would have been a somber occasion. After Abraham Lincoln, FDR was arguably America’s greatest president. FDR’s accomplishments were grand, and many, helping millions of Americans for generations to come. It would have been sad to see a great man like FDR take a fall, even if it was deserved.

But Donald J. Trump? He has done nothing except divide this country. There is not even a shred of sadness about him being impeached. No feelings of somberness are necessitated seeing the most unqualified, ignorant, corrupt president in U.S. history get what he deserves – impeachment. It would be sad if Trump was to continue unabated, wrecking America.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shrewdly cornered and impeached her prey. Well done! (Photo credit CNN screenshots)

She has the Ace

Nancy Pelosi and her team did a masterful job – especially considering the Trump gang ignored subpoenas, destroyed evidence, refused to turn over documents and refused to testify. Trump was totally uncooperative. So, now it must be humiliating for Be Best bully Trump to be continually smacked down by the graceful Pelosi.

And along comes Mitch McConnell, renown for being a master strategist, showing us once again he is prone to disastrous mistakes. (Remember how he flubbed his attempt to kill-off the Affordable Care Act?)

Whatever possessed McConnell to brag on camera he is “not going to be impartial” and the Senate trial is not a trial (actually, Mitch it is) but rather a political proceeding? Then Lindsey Graham goes on camera and says his mind is made up and he doesn’t need to see any evidence.

One thing we’ve learned from all of this is disturbed Republicans - Trump, Pence, Barr, Mulvaney, Giuliani, McConnell, Graham, Collins, Jordan, McCarthy, Kennedy, NUNES - are like D.C. cherry blossoms in the spring. They are everywhere!

Democrats now have a Trump card unimagined just days ago. They can leave Trump and the GOP dangling for as long as they wish. No need to be in a hurry to send the articles of impeachment to McConnell and the Senate.

Imagine Trump trying to run for president with the moniker “impeached” hanging around his neck. A debate against Joe Biden? It would be reported as “the impeached President Trump said so-and-so at last night’s debate.” A dinner speech in Wisconsin? The media would write something like, “At his fundraising speech in Milwaukee, impeached President Trump said such-and-such.”

My man, impeachment is permanent and indelible.

So, until the admittedly partial McConnell recuses himself and guarantees a fair trial, including witness testimony from John Bolton and Mick Mulvaney, Pelosi and House Dems should say, “No deal.”

Ho! Ho! Ho! See you next year! (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Originally, I was planning to take time off until the new year. However, yesterday was too consequential to put off until January 2. After today, The Weekly Opine will return with new blog content on January 2, 2020.

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Oh, and look for The Weekly Opine presidential endorsements sometime in January.