A little earlier today, Nancy Pelosi decided that more of the Schiff-show was not going to be helpful and she directed various House committees to proceed with drafting articles of impeachment against President Trump.
The White House issued its official response:
And President Trump had his own.
It is pretty obvious that this hurried decision to move straight on to drafting articles of impeachment is a direct result of the issue being a non-seller basically everywhere. While it is giving the left a thrill up their whatever, it is locking in Republican support for Trump and moderates are seeing it as a distraction and a political hit on the President. Support for impeachment hit the high tide mark weeks ago and is slowly receding. This is not to say that it will ever go away but it will only be popular among Bulwark contributors and others who have a pathological hatred of President Trump.
The Democrats should tread warily here. Mitch McConnell is not going to take the easy way out and simply call a vote to dismiss the charges…though he could. He’s said he will go through with a trial. And McConnell will set the rules (the Chief Justice presides but the rules are made by the majority). The odds of him refusing to let the President call witnesses to demonstrate that his request of Ukraine President Zelensky was valid approach zero. The odds of Adam Schiff not being called if the President’s defense team wants it also approaches zero. Biden has already said he will not testify:
That’s fine and that is what President Trump is hoping for.
As the left says, when they aren’t saying something completely different, this is a political, not a judicial process. The imagery of the President’s team claiming that this is all a sham and Democrats’ witnesses refusing to testify will make the case for dismissal in the most epic way possible.
If this goes to the Senate, neither McConnell or Trump has any interest in not discrediting the Democrats and the process. And it is difficult to see them passing up this opportunity.