Thread by @MesMitch

Trump talks about impeachment trial
Donald Trump, in the Oval Office, just told reporters he “wouldn’t mind a long, or short impeachment trial”.

That congressional trial is expected to take place in the Republican-dominated Senate early next year, after the

House almost certainly votes next week to impeach Trump over his dealings with Ukraine, which have been allegedly a threat to national security and the integrity of the US election process.

There’s been debate about whether Republicans in the

Senate should try to engineer a substantial trial, with witnesses and cross examination, etc, in order to lay out a fierce defense of Trump, or try to dismiss the whole impeachment thing without such drama.

The outcome either way is almost inevitable – the Senate

will not vote to oust Trump from office.

The reporters’ pool from the White House reports that Trump added: “It’s a very sad thing for our country but it seems to be very good for me politically.”

Republicans are banking on the impeachment decision backfiring on Democrats.

Trump also said: “It’s a witch-hunt. It’s a sham. It’s a hoax ... to be using this for a perfect phone call ... It’s a scam ... You’re trivializing impeachment. The people are disgusted.”

It should be noted that the country is almost evenly split but with the slight though clear majority being those who are so disgusted by the president’s actions in relation to Ukraine that they support impeachment. Fewer are more

disgusted by the fact of him being impeached (though all may be forgiven for feeling disturbed and depressed by the whole sorry state of affairs!).