U.S. President Donald Trump continues to face impeachment controversies, this time, with reports claiming that chances of him being ousted are growing.
In a recent report published by the Economist Intelligence Unit, it has been alleged that Trump’s chances of impeachment are increasing drastically . The group claims that the odds of him being kicked out of the office rose from “low” to “moderate.”
Published on Friday, May 26, the EIU’s report declared that Donald Trump’s “young presidency” is facing “serious trouble.”
EIU – a research group of the Economist that provides forecast and advisory of possible coming risks – pointed out that the reason for the increased chance of Trump’s impeachment is the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller.
It can be recalled that the Department of Justice appointed Mueller to spearhead the investigation into potential ties between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government.
Mueller was authorized to investigate “any links and/or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald Trump.”
According to EIU, Trump’s presidency is in a perilous position once it has proven that there was a major obstruction of justice.
“Should the special counsel uncover a major obstruction of justice or the Republicans lose the House of Representatives (the lower house) in the 2018 mid-term elections, Mr. Trump would be in a perilous position.”
Economist Intelligence Unit upgrades Trump impeachment risk from low to moderate https://t.co/e3uLbRf6YP pic.twitter.com/qR5ZvoH0V5
— ryan teague beckwith (@ryanbeckwith) May 26, 2017
Although EIU revealed that its “central forecast remains that Mr. Trump will see out his presidential term,” their report pointed out several major risks that might come along the way.
One of the major risks mentioned in the report was the firing of now-former FBI Director James Comey. To recall, Trump allegedly attempted to get Comey kill the investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.
The EIU also believes that Trump’s action of trying to stop the investigation into possible Russian ties increases the chance of Mueller to find evidence of obstruction of justice.
“Were this to occur, senior Republicans, such as Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell, would decide that the damage done to the Republican Party would be greater if it continued to support the president than if it decided to cut him loose.”
EIU also added that Donald Trump’s “failure to separate himself from his business empire and his careless handling of classified information” are risks factors as well.
Aside from that, the EIU revealed that Trump’s best bet to overcome impeachment is for Republicans to maintain their control of the House in November 2018. Since the House is where impeachment proceedings begin, the Republicans can “shield” the president from any impeachment, given that they keep their current majority, the report added.
Last week, Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas has called for the impeachment of Donald Trump, making him the first member of the Congress to officially do so.
“This is about my position. This is about what I believe. And this is where I stand. I will not be moved. The President must be impeached,” Green stated.
“For those who do not know, impeachment does not mean that the President would be found guilty. It simply means that the House of Representatives will bring charges against the President. It’s similar to an indictment but not quite the same thing.”
Others also voiced out their support in ousting the president including California Representative Maxine Waters. Meanwhile, Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard considered the possibility of Trump’s impeachment and admitted that she was studying the process.
On the other hand, others who have been pushing for the impeachment already launched an online petition, which aims to oust Donald Trump in the office.
The “ImpeachTrumpNow,” which was launched on Inauguration Day, already gathered 1,125,846 signatures as of May 27. It is expected to rake in more supporters in the next days to come.
[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/ Getty Images]
