A former Bush administration official predicted on January 1 that facing certain impeachment by the House of Representatives, President Trump would resign by the end of this year.
That, of course, seems ludicrous given the massive ego of this reality show president who repeatedly suggests that he should be given a third term in office. However, the Democratic controlled House Judiciary Committee has launched a formal impeachment investigation, which could lead to formal charges by year's end.
The prediction was made by Alan J. Steinberg, who served as a regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President George W. Bush, not exactly the highest level official in the Bush administration. Nevertheless, his prediction was published in an opinion column in an online publication of the Newark Star-Ledger, and has since been picked up by other media, including RAWSTORY.com.
Steinberg predicted that Trump would cut a deal that would protect himself, his children, and the Trump Organization from prosecution, and protect his assets through a pardon by then President Mike Pence.
All of that seems impossibly farfetched, despite what many Trump critics might wish. But, as with President Nixon in 1974, the pressure could continue to build as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler told CNN this week that his committee was not waiting for a green light from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has not supported impeachment. the committee will begin the impeachment process, said Nadler.
“This is formal impeachment proceedings,” Nadler said. “We are investigating all the evidence, we’re gathering the evidence and we will at the conclusion of this, hopefully by the end of the year, vote to, vote articles of impeachment to the House floor or we won’t. That’s a decision that we’ll have to make. But that—that’s exactly the process we’re in right now.”
Nadler’s CNN comments came after House Democrats filed a lawsuit in federal court aimed at forcing former White House counsel Don McGahn, a witness to Trump’s alleged attempts at obstructing Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, to testify before the House Judiciary Committee.
McGahn’s testimony is essential to continuing an impeachment inquiry, according to congressional lawyers.
“There are articles of impeachment introduced a number of months ago and referred to the committee,” Nadler said. “As the investigation proceeds, we may want to draft our own articles of impeachment that may more closely fit the evidence. We’ll see.”
So the drama continues in Washington. We'll see if Steinberg's prediction comes true -- and if anything comes of the House Judiciary Committee impeachment investigation.