Polling suggests support for impeaching Donald Trump has returned to levels seen during Watergate and Trump’s first presidency, even as the US political system still makes removal from office highly unlikely.
The US system makes it unlikely that, even if the House of Representatives impeaches Trump, the Senate would do so unless the swing against the Republicans also impacts the Senate in an truly extraordinary way.
And House impeachment won’t happen unless the Democrats win a majority in the November election – a fact which seems highly probable despite The Supreme Court’s gerrymandering efforts.
Unlikely as it is the US public is firmly in favour of it happening. According to G. Elliott Morris an April poll showed 55 per cent support for impeachment with levels of support being as high as the levels during Donald Trump’s first presidency, when he was impeached twice, and Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal.
Some 45 per cent of all adults strongly support Trump impeachment while only 30 per cent strongly oppose it.
In the Nixon case 58 per cent wanted Nixon removed according to Gallup. He resigned before that could happen.
Democrats are 88 per cent in favour of impeachment, Independents 50 per cent. Non 2024 voters 53 per cent, women 56 per cent, men 54 per cent. Among 18-29 year olds there is a 71 per cent support for impeachment, African Americans 77 per cent, Hispanics 58 per cents and those with post-grad or some college education support impeachment by 62 per cent and 56 per cent.
G.Elliott Morris also finds that 21 per cent of Trump’s own voters think he should be impeached – that’s one out of five of the people who put him back in office.
Congressman John Larson has introduced 13 articles of impeachment against Trump currently backed by 85 House members. Trump described that as “pathetic”.
If it goes ahead, it will be the third time Trump will have been impeached.
Meanwhile another development threatens Trump’s rule.
The 25th Amendment establishes procedures for presidential succession and handling presidential disability, allowing the vice president to assume powers temporarily or permanently if the president is unable to perform duties.
The Amendment, ratified on 10 February, 1967, clarifies presidential succession and addresses situations where the president is incapacitated or unable to perform duties. It was proposed after President John F Kennedy’s assassination.
It is unlikely to be used against Trump – if not just yet – but there is little doubt that his health, cognitive decline and erratic behaviour are serious problems. His acolytes continue to praise his unique brilliance and if they don’t they get shunted from their jobs – but even a casual observer would find it difficult to deny that he had serious problems.
What an insurance assessment doctor would say about his health regime and his insurability is another thing altogether. Choosing your own doctor is a big help in such situations.
Meanwhile the mystery of Trump’s late night posting has been exposed. Most nights between 6 pm and 8am a tidal wave of Trump’s manic thoughts appear on Truth Social and get reported by mainstream media and other social media.
The author is Natalie Harp, a young staffer. She writes them up – captures Trump’s unique style and then posts them during the night. Trump reads them all apparently – how closely we don’t know.
How this came to be revealed we don’t know. After all, incoherent unhinged comments are quintessential Trump style and probably can be copied easily. Perhaps the real author just got more and more and more unhinged the longer she had responsibility for the job.
Indeed, she seems to have turned the concept of Trump Derangement Syndrome on its head and instead of being aimed at Trump critics has, ironically, become a description of his behaviour and thought processes.
Noel Turnbull has had a 50-year-plus career in public relations, politics, journalism and academia. He blogs at http://noelturnbull.com/blog/