Donald Trump cuts and runs

| 10:30 pm EST December 1, 2019
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With just about everything already going wrong for him that could go wrong for him, Donald Trump has suddenly found himself facing a whole new problem – and in fact a no-win situation. House Democrats gave him a choice that wasn’t going to go well for him no matter which way he went with it, and somewhat predictably, he’s taking the coward’s way out.

The impeachment process only allows a president to step in and formally defend himself if it reaches the Senate. But Donald Trump has loudly claimed that House Democrats are conspiring against him because they haven’t allowed him to participate in House impeachment hearings. So the Democrats invited him to send his attorneys to this week’s hearings, and ask the witnesses questions.

As Palmer Report explained, Trump wasn’t going to win no matter which way he went with this. If he sent his lawyers to participate, it would cost him his talking point about how he’s being shut out. If he refused to send his lawyers to participate, it would hand House Democrats a talking point about how he’s acting in bad faith. Sure enough, the White House Counsel announced tonight that Trump will not be sending anyone to participate.

In other words, faced with an opportunity to send someone to formally defend him during the televised House impeachment hearings, Donald Trump is cutting and running. Rather than try to steer the hearings in his direction, he’s taking the coward’s way out by simply crossing his fingers and hoping the hearings happen to go well for him.