Soon after midnight on December 16th, the House Judiciary Committee released a 650-page report detailing the charges that accuse President Trump of betraying the United States. He is specifically accused of “abusing his high office to enlist a foreign power in corrupting democratic elections.” This refers to his alleged quid pro quo with the President of Ukraine, where he supposedly threatened to withhold aid if Ukraine did not investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. This led to two articles of impeachment: the first being the abuse of power, the second being the obstruction of Congress (this has connections all the way back to the 2016 Mueller investigation). At long last, the issue persisting since July–arguably, ever since Trump got the Republican nomination–is moving along.
With the House being majority Democrat, it is almost certain that Trump will be impeached on Wednesday. However, with the Senate being majority Republican, it is likely that he will be acquitted in January, barring more than two Republican senators turning against him. Trump has said he wants a lengthy and showy trial to not only clear him of all charges but also to improve his image in front of the American people in hopes of winning the 2020 election. Yet most Republicans want the trial to be over with quickly to avoid the very spectacle the President desires. The trial will begin on January 7th according to the plans of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. With opening arguments, rebuttals, witness testimony, questioning, and final arguments, there may be as many as 126 hours of trial.
Although it is more than likely that Trump will not be removed from office, the scenario in which he does get removed is interesting to think about. Mike Pence, easily more conservative than Trump, would assume the presidency. Pence, a self-described “Christian, conservative, and Republican, in that order,” would not go over well with basically all left-wingers and even some right-wingers. He has stated that the legalization of gay marriage marks the start of “societal collapse,” something that even President Trump disagrees with. Also, it would be wrong to assume that Trump would vanish off the face of the Earth. His Twitter, given he would have more time to tweet, would be crazier than ever; he would constantly be making appearances on news stations; he would probably write a few scathing books or start a YouTube channel. There is no situation in which Trump would accept a loss peacefully, but it doesn’t mean that Democrats will stop trying.