Trump Is About to Be Acquitted. Experts and Activists Predict What Will Happen Next (It’s Not Pretty) – and What Democrats Must Do

It was never in doubt. President Donald Trump was going to be acquitted on both articles of impeachment. But many are feeling stunned today – not because he will “get off” – but because of the craven disregard by Sen. Lamar Alexander, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the entire GOP caucus for a fair trial. Not calling witnesses – actually blocking witnesses – will come back to hurt them.

But what happens next?

Riding what he will say is a victory for the U.S., Trump will be interviewed during Sunday’s Super Bowl. He will declare well before that, and repeatedly after, that he has been exonerated (he will not have been.)

On Tuesday Trump will deliver his State of the Union address. He will again declare victory and exoneration, however false.

Legal and political experts and activists have some predictions about what else is about to happen and it’s not pretty. They’re also offering suggestions on what Democrats should do as soon as the trial is over, which likely will be Friday afternoon.

Take a look:

Former federal prosecutor, CNN Legal Analyst:

As I wrote before the impeachment trial began, Congress must continue to investigate Trump’s Ukraine scheme because the impeachment trial won’t get to the bottom of what happened and new facts will continue to emerge. https://t.co/TcAFEzCfuT

— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) January 31, 2020

Activist and artist:

If Dems go back to cutting deals w/ this admin, attending the State of Union & going thru all the motions of normal governance, it’s a total wrap. You can’t (correctly) argue that this admin is overthrowing Constitutional democracy & then act like it’s all normal til November.

— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 31, 2020

I’m going to keep saying this many different ways. The Nov election will at best be an opportunity for us to mass mobilize and demonstrate our opposition to this dictatorship via a ballot count. The election alone won’t settle it b/c they will rig it and/or refuse to leave.

— Bree Newsome Bass (@BreeNewsome) January 31, 2020

Editor in Chief of Lawfare and NBC/MSNBC law analyst:

I have a suggestion for @RepAdamSchiff: Within five minutes of the Senate acquittal vote, in his capacity as House Intelligence Committee Chairman, he should (a) notice a hearing scheduled for next week and (b) present @AmbJohnBolton with a subpoena to testify at it.

— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) January 31, 2020

Editor in Chief, Crooked Media:

It will be key for Dems to subpoena Bolton immediately, get him in front of a hearing as soon as possible, while the cover-up is still fresh. Cement the impression before Republicans can gaslight the country about how the case was too weak and illegitimate to warrant witnesses.

— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) January 31, 2020

Law professor, former US Attorney, MSNBC contributor:

What comes next? Expect massive efforts to keep Democrats from voting or prevent their votes from counting. The focus will be minority communities. I’ve spent years fighting suppression. I expect the worst election cycle we’ve ever experienced. We all have to fight for fairness.

— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) January 31, 2020

National security lawyer:

I hope the next Democrat in the Oval Office on Day One starts demanding foreign governments investigate every single Republican Member of Congress.

Let’s see how they like it then. https://t.co/CVYlSLV2ZE

— Bradley P. Moss (@BradMossEsq) January 26, 2020

Professor of international relations, political scientist, journalist, CEO:

They must be defeated and the damage done must be reversed…and then we must take steps to ensure it can never be done again. That means new laws. That means holding the guilty accountable. It means a more engaged electorate. It means a new generation of leaders.

— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) January 30, 2020

Law professor at UC Berkeley Law:

If history is any guide, Trump will react to his acquittal later today by advancing a new corrupt scheme to abuse his powers to help his 2020 campaign. Any guesses about what the new scheme will be?

— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) January 31, 2020

Lawyer and researcher:

Here’s how you make Alexander and all the rest of them pay dearly: if they want to acquit on the basis that Ukraine wasn’t enough, spend the next year pulling into the public eye the countless other instances of deep Trump corruption, and crush them with their own cowardice

— Will Stancil (@whstancil) January 31, 2020

GOP media strategist and Never-Trumper:

The minute Trump is exonerated in Senate, the White House and the Justice Department are going to come down on John Bolton lole 20,000,000 tons of bricks. To choke out his manuscript, prosecute him for some imaginary security violation, and generally do what they do: destroy.

— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) January 31, 2020

Clinton 2016 campaign press secretary:

Mitch wants us to be mad at Lamar.
Instead, be mad at McSally, Tillis, Ernst, and Gardner, who are from purple states and bet their reelection on standing with Trump
And be mad at Collins, who only supported witnesses after Mitch gave her a hall pass
Be mad and beat them in 2020

— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) January 31, 2020

Law and justice writer-in-residence at Columbia University’s Knight First Amendment Institute:

With or without John Bolton, there will be more Freedom of Information Act disclosures. More leaks. More evidence of lawlessness.

Americans will learn more about Donald Trump’s abuse of power and coverup in the lead-up to the election.

And his Senate enablers will pay a price.

— Cristian Farias (@cristianafarias) January 31, 2020

Final thought, conservative Bill Kristol:

Maybe it’s just as well the Senate didn’t save us, and we will have to depend on ourselves to do so in November.
“What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly…it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.”
—Thomas Paine

— Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) January 31, 2020

EARLIER: READ Lamar Alexander’s Statement: Trump Did It, He Said He Did It on TV, but Removing Him Would Be ‘Frivolous’

Image by The White House via Flickr