By Brian C. Joondeph
Efforts to rid Washington, D.C., of the MAGA scourge continue. President Trump is an infectious disease, to be eradicated, completely and permanently, just as smallpox was years ago. Eliminating any remnants, avoiding any potential future reactivation, making Trump nothing more than a footnote in a politically correct history book.
The deep state tried to prevent his election. Having failed, they then weaponized the justice and intelligence agencies to spy on Trump, discredit him, cripple his presidency and drive him from office, all without success.
The last hope of eradicating the country of Trump-pox is to impeach him. Removing him from office would be much harder, requiring a two-thirds vote in the Senate, but impeachment would be enough to cripple his presidency – not based on any particular crime, rather using the nebulous “high crimes and misdemeanors,” which are in the eye of the beholder. Trump’s tweets, his name calling, the absence of a sharp crease in his slacks, or his overall crass and uncouth demeanor are enough for Maxine Waters or Adam Schiff to call for impeachment.
Unfortunately, while the Democrats are in the minority, that won’t happen. If Republicans sign on to impeachment as the majority party, expect a civil war in America. Instead Republicans want to quietly get out of the way, keeping their fingerprints off such a scheme.
How would this work? Very simple, just lose control of the House. Make the “blue wave” a reality. Republicans won’t lose due to Pelosi and Schumer’s far left agenda suddenly appealing to Americans, but instead by deliberately setting the stage for this blue wave.
I believe that the GOP may be deliberately trying to lose control of the House, leaving Democrats in control. Republicans will then have no choice but to passively go along with Democratic efforts to remove the president from office, claiming impotence to stop the process. Sure there would be electoral pushback if the Democrats did this, but they don’t care. They sacrificed their electoral majority in 2010 to push the country closer to socialized medicine. Getting rid of Trump would be another acceptable sacrifice.
Unfortunately, there are enough Republicans who also would be happy to see Trump go – NeverTrumpers like Sen. Jeff Flake saying, “My party might not deserve to lead.” He’s not alone. There are plenty of other NeverTrump Republicans, including the congressional leadership, who would be much happier giving up their majority status as a means of getting rid of Trump and keeping their paymasters at the Chamber of Commerce happy.
Don’t forget the media. The left-wing mainstream media want Trump gone. There are also the Bill Kristols and his ilk, supposed conservatives as long it’s one of their conservatives, preferably from Harvard or Yale, not some loudmouth from Queens.
One way they accomplish this is by actually supporting Democratic candidates. As Conservative Treehouse recently outlined, Paul Ryan’s super PAC actively campaigned for Democrat Conor Lamb in the recent Pennsylvania special election. How many other potential Republican victories were sabotaged by GOP leadership promoting losing candidates or supporting the opponent? It’s a backhanded way to cede control of Congress to the Democrats so they can do their dirty work, leaving Republicans with clean hands.
Resignations are another way to tip the balance. As of a month ago, CNN reported, “38 House Republicans have announced they are retiring, running for another office or resigning outright.” Only 24 seats are needed by the Democrats to take control of the House. Lots of excuses are offered, from being term-limited out of their committee chairmanships to wanting to spend more time with their families.
I suggest another reason: Resignations open the door for Democrats, inching them closer to a House majority. In exchange I’m sure they are being offered golden parachutes, well compensated jobs as lobbyists, commentators, or in think tanks – money happily supplied by the uni-party donor class. It’s basically a buy-out scheme to shift control of Congress to the Democrats as a means of the establishment getting rid of President Trump.
Newt Gingrich observed the consequences of the GOP ceding control of Congress, either through ineptitude or, as I believe, very deliberately. He warned:
This wake-up call is also for President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. Neither they, nor any other Republican, should underestimate how disastrous it would be for their policies and for the country to have a left-wing Democratic majority in the House.
Under Speaker Pelosi, there would be two years of investigations, fights over spending (to reduce defense and increase liberal dependency programs), efforts to undo President Trump’s deregulation achievements, and attempts to make new bureaucracies.
No kidding. If this is obvious to Newt and anyone reading this that a Democrat-controlled House would be a disaster, it surely is apparent to the congressional leadership and rank and file members of Congress.
As political creatures, they know and understand this, yet are hell bent on opposing President Trump whenever possible. Despite great economic news, from unemployment to consumer confidence, are any Republicans, aside from the president, talking about these accomplishments? Or taking credit? Republicans are silent, tossing aside a winning campaign issue.
They are not stupid, meaning that the only other explanation is that this is deliberate, a quiet distancing of themselves from President Trump, his agenda and accomplishments, in order to lose their congressional majorities in November.
Ryan and McConnell would then be in the minority, free to whine and complain, but not having to lead. No pressure on those Republicans, content to sit on the back bench, visiting the Sunday talk shows on occasion but doing little else. They keep most of their status without having to make tough decisions or take a stand. Like being the vice president.
Most of all, their donors and paymasters will be pleased that Trump is crippled or if they get very lucky, removed from office, allowing the uni-party establishment to get back to their own self-serving interests.
Think my theory is far-fetched? Then offer up another explanation as to why Republicans are so eager to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, squandering their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to cement a Republican congressional majority in place for a generation.
Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., MPS, is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
