Donald Trump is so very screwed
Donald Trump’s worst nightmare came true today. No, the Pee Pee Tape wasn’t released. The other worst nightmare. The one that involves the American people finally seeing official confirmation that Russia really did spend years working to rig the election in his favor, that he really is a Russian puppet, that his presidency really is an illegitimate stunt manufactured by foreign enemies. This isn’t just humiliating for Trump. It’s the ballgame.
As always, I can’t tell you how much or little time Trump has remaining in the White House before he’s inevitably forced out. All along I’ve said that day will happen when his approval rating drops into the twenties, and I’m still standing by that. But as of today, here’s what I can tell you. Every single day remaining in his presidency will now be entirely about this. Trump will no longer be able to distract the media and the public from the Russia scandal for more than a fleeting moment here and there. Every press conference, every public appearance, every moment of his dying quail of a presidency will be about this.
This matters, because as we’ve seen in the past, taking down a president – even on criminal charges – is still a political process. Richard Nixon was forced to resign because most Americans concluded he was guilty of outrageous crimes and he had to go. Bill Clinton survived impeachment because most Americans concluded they didn’t give a damn that he lied about his sex life. Donald Trump’s fate will be decided along the same lines.
Keep an eye on Donald Trump’s approval rating going forward. Wait a week or two, as polls are often published on a delay. But let’s see how much of an impact this has on Trump’s numbers. They’ve dropped roughly ten points since he took office, which proves that he has lost people, and he can lose more. His core base is no more than around 15% to 20% of the country. The rest of his approval rating is made up of non-base supporters, and he can lose them. He’ll now lose the ones who have simply been waiting for real answers on the Russia thing. Now they have their answers. Trump is so very screwed.
