Trump conviction not likely

Mixed emotions are running rampant in the nation over the question of whether to convict Donald Trump for his mischievous behavior in early January.

Without doubt former President Trump incited the sacking of the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The riotous crowds that invaded the nation’s legislative center that day were strongly encouraged in their mischief by Trump’s comments posted on Twitter.

The impeachment, Trump’s second, was approved by the U.S. House and will be tried by the Senate. If convicted he will become ineligible to hold national public office again. Since Trump would otherwise be eligible to run for his old White House office in the 2024 election, the Democrats’ interest in blocking him from that race is obviously strong.

Of course, some Republicans would like to see Trump retire from politics and skip the 2024 run. He is a mischievous man and having him in charge or our government can be problematic, to say the least. Not all members of the GOP enjoy reminding people that Trump is a member of their party.

But President Donald Trump has high entertainment value for many voters. His mischief could actually get the country into a lot of trouble. It has that potential certainly. Many of the nations that are not big fans of the United States don’t have the kind of sense of humor needed to appreciate the behavior favored by Mr. Trump.

During his recently completed first term the country was run pretty well, largely by the quality team he appointed to the various cabinet offices. Most did their jobs quite well and kept both the economy and our political machinery running efficiently while the President concentrated on infuriating opponents with his Twitter feed. The results were generally very positive for the nation and for the many nations dependent on the welfare of the United States.

Having a sense of humor is not generally an important requirement for the government of a sovereign nation. For that reason having the President of the United States cheering on rioters who are tearing apart the nation’s Capitol Building is not much admired in the community of nations.

President Trump is unlikely to be convicted on the impeachment charges, a decision that will be made by the U.S. Senate. He was impeached for inciting insurrection by a vote of 232 to 197. Those voting for impeachment included only 10 Republicans.

When the Senate votes the week of February 8 it will require a two-thirds vote in favor to convict. Such a vote would fail unless a sizable number of Republicans decided to vote against Trump. Though he is disliked by quite a few members of his own party, it is extremely unlikely that such a vote could occur. That would be widely viewed as the Republicans shooting themselves in their own foot.

President Donald Trump’s four-year term in office has been one of the most colorful periods in the modern history of American politics.

I will reluctantly admit that I have enjoyed some of his antics, especially when his barbs were aimed at political opponents whom I don’t admire.

The prospect of Trump’s running for president again in 2024 doesn’t fill me with delight. But if he does I will simply revive my sense of humor and see what comes.

And keep in mind that Twitter has canceled Trump’s account forever.

Tom Brennan is an Anchorage columnist and author of six books. He was a reporter/columnist for The Anchorage Times and an editor and columnist at The Voice of The Times.