Expert: Donald Trump may be trying to get himself impeached by targeting Robert Mueller
Amid the buzz this evening that Donald Trump is considering firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller in a last ditch attempt at derailing the investigation into his Russia scandal, observers on all sides tend to agree that the move would lead to Trump’s demise. Now at least one expert is putting forth the notion Trump may be doing this because he’s trying to get himself impeached.
Clint Watts, a counterintelligence expert who has risen to public prominence during the course of the Trump-Russia scandal, revealed this evening that he’s “not convinced” Donald Trump is truly thinking about firing Robert Mueller (link). But added “if he does, it will be his end, and maybe that’s what Trump wants, be forced out.” Logically, at this point, that may make sense.
Trump is, by all appearances, miserable on the job. His approval rating says that he’s the least popular president in U.S. history at this stage of a term. His cascading scandals have ensured that his remaining time in office will never be focused on anything other than his scandals. And the numerous parallel investigations into Trump’s campaign antics and personal finances are coming ever closer to exposing the kinds of illegal activities that could end up landing him not only out of office, but in prison.
So it’s a realistic possibility at this point that Donald Trump may be trying to get himself forced out of office. If he simply resigns now, he’s seen as a quitter. But if he ups the ante with an unprecedented new level of obstruction of justice by trying to fire Robert Mueller, he’ll prompt Congress to appoint Mueller as Independent Counsel (link). It could also help shift public opinion so fiercely against him the Republicans in Congress would feel compelled to force him out of office, just to avoid getting wiped out in the midterms. And so Clint Watts may be onto something.
