Former President Donald Trump has all but killed the possibility of an impeachment of current President Joe Biden. You might chalk it up to yet another Republican defeat at the hands of Trump.
What Happenned?
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy slammed the brakes on the idea when he announced last week that he wouldn’t hold an impeachment inquiry without a full vote in the House. His predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, initially established an impeachment inquiry without buy-in from the full House during Trump’s first impeachment in 2019. Though she eventually held a vote for the inquiry under pressure.
This is unfortunate. Accumulating evidence shows that Joe Biden–also known as “The Big Guy,” clearly knew about his son’s business enterprises. There is yet to be an innocent explanation for why a family would have 20 shell companies offering no goods or services that rakes in more than $20 million from foreign individuals and entities.
We know in at least one instance, this almost certainly impacted a federal policy, in pushing the firing of a Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company that employed Hunter Biden. We also know that “The Big Guy,” while serving as vice president devoted the use of Air Force Two to advance his son’s business interest in China. An FBI whistleblower even presented an FBI form with a credible allegation of bribery of then-Vice President Biden.
Maybe there isn’t a smoking gun, but the target for defining a smoking gun keeps moving, so it’s kind of hard to say for sure. Either way, the circumstantial case for bribery, extortion, and influence peddling might make Biden the most impeachable president in history.
Even if there was a smoking gun, an impeachment wouldn’t get a two-thirds vote in the Senate to remove in our current polarized climate. But since impeachment currently exists as a form of censure, Biden certainly deserves the wear the Scarlet I as part of his already horrible legacy.
The strongest argument against impeachment articles is that the alleged offenses happened when he was vice president not president. It’s true Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton, and Trump were all impeached for conduct while serving as president. However, in 1912 and again in 2010, federal judges were impeached and removed for offenses committed before taking office. So, there is precedent.
It might well be better to allow the House Oversight and Accountability Committee to keep collecting evidence, rather than getting distracted by an impeachment inquiry. And given the razor-thin Republican House majority, it’s no certainty that McCarthy has the votes.
Blame Donald Trump
But we know the main cause of why that majority is so small: Donald Trump.
He wouldn’t go away and wouldn’t be quiet. The GOP would have a Senate majority now if not for Trump. Trump endorsed unelectable candidates in GOP primaries in 2022 based on their loyalty to him.
Not all were House candidates, but pushing unelectable candidates in senatorial and gubernatorial primaries over the finish line dragged down Republican turnout for down-ticket races.
It’s not the only reason, but a big reason why the red wave didn’t happen. Too many voters were turned off by election deniers.
Evidence against Biden is mounting. but it will be tougher for Republicans to pull the trigger because of the thin majority.
Trump is also taunting House Republicans over impeachment, and threatening to push primary opponents for any Republican that doesn’t vote for impeachment.
That isn’t helping.
Despite mounting evidence, this does nothing but give Biden apologists ammunition to claim the impeachment is a Trump-ordered circus from a man juggling four indictments.
Trump already led to Republican defeats in 2018, 2020 and effectively 2022 as far as expectations went.
In what could have been a clear-cut grounds for an impeachable case against a compromised president, Trump appears to have once again led Republicans into defeat.
As he would say, SAD.
Barbara Joanna Lucas is a writer and researcher in Northern Virginia. She has been a healthcare professional, political blogger, is a proud dog mom, and news junkie.
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