2018 will be all about Trump’s departure

2018 is on its way to being the most important year of the century. Yet politically, it's an "off year," no direct presidential election.

Neither of Alaska's senators, Murkowski or Sullivan, will be on the ballot, at least directly. But the election of Alaska's lone Rep. Don Young and the larger national election picture will be sensational for one reason. In 2018, the ability of the electorate to return a Congress able to force President Donald Trump out of office, determines much of the nation's and the world's future.

The daily repetitions of our presidential fools' game should not ease the public into accepting the proposition that no harm is being done. Last week, another major step took place in removing our country from its critical, global, moral and practical leadership role as the G-20 became the G-19.

New trade deals and diplomatic negotiations around the world ignore the United States. Important appearances of international power are shifting.

Internationally, approval of Trump is below 20 percent and his name evokes a justifiable global snicker. His government is in administrative shambles. Incompetent Cabinet officers and top staff are always on the run to correct the misstatements, which so frequently demonstrate the president's childish personality.

Maybe your vote for Trump was intended as a wake-up call. It has worked; let's move on. We can no longer suffer the consequences of a profoundly incompetent and embarrassing president.

[Don't rush to impeachment]

Virtually every U.S. senator has at some time or other made a remark recognizing the error in our presidential pick, as well as dozens of Congress members.  Trump is an embarrassment to the Republican Party.

The question is, is it more of an embarrassment to impeach a Republican president or to let him go on damaging the country until 2020? Incumbents must also ask themselves, "what about his base?"

That group is now a core of around 20 percent of the public who are so angry about social changes in the society, and about government in general, that they will stick by their deranged candidate to the end, and not give a damn? They need to go after their representatives on particular issues and forget Trump.

The time for change is "now," but the opportunity for change only arises and strengthens as we move further toward the 2018 election. Several investigations are underway which have already offered good grounds for impeachment.

Trump's removal of FBI Director James Comey was, as both parties say, a deliberate obstruction of the justice process. Nearly every day we get leaks demonstrating not only his ties to the Russian government, but exposing a fabric of lies designed to hide the facts.

Remember —  it's the cover-up that brings the downfall. The intelligence community is unanimous and without reservation in its finding that the Russian leadership made a deliberate and prolonged effort to hurt Hillary Clinton and help Trump get elected with Trump's knowledge, and use of Putin's material.

Don't forget Trump's income tax returns. Why do you think he has fought so hard to hide them? They will eventually be disclosed via a Senate subpoena, fought for in the courts, the ultimate coup de grace.

Like the Watergate investigation of President Richard Nixon, the several investigations will drag on but will eventually reveal an overabundance of damaging truths. He is going down for sure. But when?

Another correct answer is: "the sooner the better," but fidgeting over congressional election prospects is slowing the process. How will Trump's base respond?

[How the impeachment process works]

As with Nixon's removal, an impeachment is not likely. At some time, the Senate and House leaders will visit the White House and tell Trump the votes are there and it's time to leave.

The president can then announce that political harassment has gone beyond all bounds and is threatening not only his own personal resources, but is damaging the welfare of his family. He cannot tolerate this and accordingly, after issuing pardons for his family, he is resigning.

Getting to this final step, if the torrent of revelations does not bring him down earlier, will require pick-up of some Democratic seats, but also a shift in the stance of Republicans standing for re-election.

Young's re-election will not be about giving dear old lovable, cranky Don a pass to the House for his last few years but about getting rid of Trump. If Young is not ready to commit and Democrats and independents get together behind a young, smart, experienced opponent, Don may well find himself enjoying his retirement with only a gallery pass.

OK, we could throw the bum out in 2020. But two more years of angry child leadership playing with nuclear weapons could end in horror.

John Havelock is a former White House Fellow and Alaska attorney general. He lives in Anchorage.

The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com.