There is more than one way to get things done. And Democrats may be doing just that. And Trump may learn that the hard way.
Democrats will use the courts to force Trump to put out or shut up. Maxine Waters has already been on a get Trump crusade that’s working. While she prevents Trump’s Russian collusion from leaving the media daily news cycle, other Democrats are trying to prevent Trump’s desecration of the American presidency.
I read an interesting article on the Palmer Report that bears noting.
The plan, on its surface, is simple enough: sue Donald Trump. But the genius is in the details. This isn’t a plan to merely tie up Trump in court with some willy-nilly lawsuit. The effort is being crafted by Senator Richard Blumenthal, a former State Attorney General with detailed knowledge of how these things work. The idea is to sue Trump over his financial conflicts of interest in violation of the Emoluments Clause, forcing him to think twice about how far he’s willing to go to remain in office.
The plan is not a done deal, but it’s far enough along that Blumenthal is even arranging how the Senate Democrats can collectively cover the court costs (The Hill). What’s not been stated, but what seems self evident to me, is that this lawsuit could have the effect of forcing Trump to consider resigning. And why is that? Because the lawsuit would focus on Donald Trump’s financial conflicts, it would open the door for Senate Democrats to try to subpoena his tax returns and financial records. If the judge in the case orders Trump to turn over that evidence, he’ll have to do it. During the election we saw that Trump was willing to risk losing just to avoid forking over his tax returns, because they contain things just that awful.
This analysis is not far off. The past is prologue. We know Trump is a corrupt businessman. Forcing his hand would give him two options. The first risks that his illegal deeds would see the light. The latter, a resignation, would be his preferred option. After all, he has already profited personally from his presidency.