Politicians won and the public lost in the impeachment of Donald Trump
By Jonathan Turley, opinion contributor — 02/08/20 10:00 AM EST
After the impeachment acquittal of President Trump, every network and newspaper rushed forth with “winners and losers†stories. Some said Trump was the ultimate winner while others said he won nothing in a trial that was fixed. Some said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi triumphed while others declared her utterly undone by a sham House investigation. It is all part of the same zero sum construct. For one to win, the other must lose to the same degree. Politics, however, is not a zero sum game. Not only did all political sides win, they seemingly all worked for the same result of acquittal.
For years, Pelosi openly opposed impeaching Trump. As I wrote previously, the last thing she wanted was to remove Trump and bring about a Pence administration. She wanted Trump wounded but alive in 2020. Pelosi had two additional goals.
First, Democratic voters grew increasingly impatient with Democratic lawmakers professing a desire to impeach Trump without actually doing so. This included a heavy pitch in the 2018 midterm elections that delivered the House to Democrats. The voters were beginning to see that they were being played, so a failed attempt was the best alternative. Bring an impeachment that was guaranteed to lose with the shortest investigation, thinnest record, and narrowest grounds.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/482148-politicians-won-and-the-public-lost-in-the-impeachment-of-donald-trump
