Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller is moving ever closer to the end of his Russian investigation and issuing a report on his findings. What is contained in those findings will determine whether we will see the dawning of a great new day for America or if we will see a nightmare scenario unfold across this nation.
The question is; does Mueller hold the winning hand, does he have all the aces in this game of intrigue over what is going to happen? Or does he lack the solid evidence necessary to take down Trump? Will he bring an end to the Trump presidency or just throw in his cards, ending the investigation with no more than several convictions of former Trump associates?
If we have been watching CNN and/or MSNBC, forget about the Fox Twisted News channel, we have seen Muelle, together with the Southern District of New York (SDNY) prosecutors, submit findings to the court that clearly shows that Michael Cohen, apparently at the orders of Trump, paid hush money to two women who were involved with the Donald in sexual relationships. It’s being said that this payoff constituted a campaign finance violation, a felony committed by Trump.
Now the next question is, will Mueller conclude that this felony by Trump is enough to take him down or will he continue to dig and dig for more evidence? No one knows but there is a feeling that he is in the process of wrapping this entire matter up. And various close observers think that he has far more concrete evidence of Trump violations of the law than anyone may think.
Mueller is going through the methodical exercise of what a prosecutor does, gathering facts and evidence from those who have had close contact with the prime suspect in a case in order to bring that individual, in this case, Trump, to justice.
So let’s consider what options Mueller might have to force Trump out of the Oval Office.
Impeachment: right now this option is not very likely to be used but it could be if the Democratic House members, through their committee investigations, plus evidence that Mueller provides, build a solid case against Trump, based on loads of evidence that would be so strong that Republicans would have no choice but to join with Democrats and impeach him.
Indictment: we keep hearing that a sitting president can’t be indicted for a crime. That is a completely false notion and in this article Laurence Tribe, Harvard law professor, explains why; because the Constitution plainly says that no one is above the law.
And yet, in a misinterpretation of the Constitution, the Justice Dept. has an existing memo that proclaims that a sitting president cannot be indicted. And, for those who would side with the Justice Dept. in this matter, what if a president clearly arranged to have someone murdered? He could not be indicted??
In any event, trying to use an indictment could still pose a problem because if one is brought against Trump it might initiate a long legal process and much back and forth battling that would eventually take the matter to the Supreme Court; and, as we know, that court is, for the most part, closely aligned with the Republican Party.
Resignation: now this is most certainly the best option to get Trump out of Washington. It all depends on how much evidence Mueller has and how damning it is. If he has solid, irrefutable evidence then this option could work beautifully. In the Nixon Watergate affair when Republicans knew the evidence against that president was overwhelming, their leaders went to him and convinced him that he had no option but to resign, and he did.
In this case, it could be somewhat different. Someone from the Mueller team could meet with Trump in secret and let him know the extent of the evidence against him/and or his son and/or his son-in-law. And Trump, knowing that he could no longer carry on a losing battle, would resign from the presidency.
Now let’s look at those two scenarios that could materialize from this investigation, depending on how much evidence Mueller has and what he will do with it::
First: Mueller does not have sufficient evidence and Trump remains in office:
Trump, his rabid supporters, and his Republican lapdogs in Congress will be ecstatic and will know that they are now in total control of the government and the direction this country will take going into the future.
Trump would be free to continue his objective to tear down the rule of law and establish an authoritarian government.
He would be reelected in 2020 and America would become a living hell.
Nothing of real substance will happen in the Congress
The situation with incoming immigrants from Central America will turn into a disaster and, possibly, a bloodbath when things go out of control.
Trump will open the door even wider for Russian intrusion into our election system to assure his reelection in 2020, giving them further entrance into our internal affairs. Right now we know that there were up to 16 connections with Russian operatives and various members of the Trump team and we could see that number increase.
Under Trump America has been on a path to becoming a world pariah and that process would be accelerated.
Secondly: Mueller does have plenty of evidence and Trump resigns:
Most Americans, certainly not Trump supporters, will breathe a sigh of relief, they will feel like a massive load has been lifted off their shoulders.
They will be in a state of euphoria, realizing that a great threat to our democracy had been eliminated. The threat of an autocracy, an authoritarian government will be no more.
There will be hope for the future, a vision of a new direction for America.
Republicans who supported Trump, his twisted behavior, and his destructive policies and actions will become an endangered political species and the majority of them will be swept out of office.
The divisiveness that Trump had been planting in this country, spreading anger and hatred between various elements of our society, will come to an end and the healing process will begin.
The dark clouds that have been hanging over America since 2016 will disappear and the sun will be brighter than ever.
Which of these two totally different scenarios will materialize in America? As I watch Mueller zero in on Trump, and this president lapse into a state of panic and desperation, look for this to happen; forget about the long process of impeachment, forget about the massive legal battles involving indictment. Resignation by Trump is what is going to happen and it will be soon.
COMMENTS