Donald Trump’s impeachment is an own goal by the Democrats

Impeaching Donald Trump is a strategic howler by the Democrats. Yes, Trump committed an impeachable offence in his communications with Ukraine. But impeachment is not a legal process, it is a political one. Congress has no obligation to impeach a president should they commit an impeachable offence; they are simply obligated to act in the ‘best interests’ of the country. As I will proceed to argue, by impeaching Trump they have handed him re-election on a silver platter.

Let’s begin by examining the reasons why Trump was impeached. The first Article of Impeachment concerned abuse of power, following revelations that Trump requested his Ukrainian counterpart to spy on the son of former Vice-President Joe Biden to aid his re-election campaign. The Second Article of Impeachment accused Trump of obstructing Congress, who instructed the White House to not cooperate with the House’s investigation.

These offences are underwhelming at best. Whilst being accused of adultery in the Oval Office may captivate the attention of the nation (see: Bill Clinton), Trump’s offences are the equivalent of misdemeanours in the handbook of impeachable offences. Most ordinary Americans don’t really seem to care. What’s more, the Democrats failed to make a firework display of the proceedings. In a political climate where pomp and grandeur get attention, the Democrats decided to do things by the book. Their star witness was Gordon Sondland. If you’re asking who that is, so was America.

Will Trump be the type to be humbled by this experience? Absolutely not

It didn’t have to be this way. Whilst the White House may have refused to cooperate with proceedings, resulting in a smaller pool of witnesses testifying to the House Intelligence Committee, the House of Representatives could’ve made use of its ‘inherent contempt’ powers which compels individuals to testify. Just think about the scenes if Rudy Giuliani was arrested by the Sergeant-at-Arms and dragged kicking and screaming into the House to be cross-examined. It doesn’t take many things to be more interesting than Gordon Sondland, but this is one of them.

Putting aside how poorly the Democrats presented the impeachment, it is also important to consider the limited impact these proceedings will have in the big picture. There’s little doubt that the Republican-controlled Senate will acquit Trump of all charges following his trial early next year. Will Trump be the type to be humbled by this experience? Absolutely not. He’ll likely be reinvigorated by this whole charade, claiming a victory of him and the ‘people’ against the Washington ‘swamp’, a platform he ran on in the 2016 election.

Not only will this strengthen his core support base, it may also attract others to his cause. Whilst Trump’s approval ratings hovered at a steady 45% as impeachment proceedings took place, they briefly increased when he was accused of obstructing Congress. Remember that Congress is an institution which has averaged an approval rating of around 15% in the last decade; it epitomises everything which the average citizen dislikes about the political system. Coming out on top of a battle with the ‘establishment’ is a good look for Trump. Importantly, support for impeachment is notably lower in swing states, which are crucial for the Democrats to win should they wish to stand a chance in 2020.

Nevertheless, the worst implication of this whole impeachment debacle is how it will be perceived in average communities. Yes, Trump committed impeachable offences. But starting impeachment proceedings during an election campaign gives the perception that the Democrats do not trust the people to make the ‘correct’ decision in 2020, instead favouring other means to achieve what they want.

Coming out on top of a battle with the ‘establishment’ is a good look for Trump

Trump is the response of communities who felt as though they’ve been neglected by the establishment. Insinuating that they are wrong and don’t know what they’re talking about will simply make these sentiments stronger in their resolve. The Democrats should learn from the annihilation of progressive and anti-Brexit parties in the 2019 British General Election. Distant issues such as the offences Trump was impeached for will be of little interest to these communities, who are more interested in strong economic prospects and a sense of renewed national identity.

Ultimately, politics is a game of gaining and retaining power. Without power, a political party or movement is nothing but a glorified protest group (see: Jeremy Corbyn). Whilst the Democrats may have believed that impeachment is the right thing to do, it will bring them little benefit, which is an irrational view considering how much the Democrats could achieve should they win the election in 2020. Instead of engaging in poorly perceived stunts, the Democrats should put all their efforts into fighting this election and condemning Trump to unemployment come next Christmas.