Trump’s defense lawyers for the Senate trial will have wide latitude to call witnesses and subpoena documents. That could lead to devastating blows damaging Democrats for years to come, which possibility they would be foolhardy not to ponder seriously, given Trump’s love of political fisticuffs.
Assessing the Most Dangerous ‘What Ifs’ of the Democrats’ Impeach Trump Frenzy
The impeachment trial will become a cross-examination of Democrats. The trial rules are the exclusive province of the Senate majority, including the
standards of evidence to be applied in determining the admissibility of evidence.
- Trump is the final arbiter of what remains classified and what is declassified.
The president has been saying for months that he is declassifying “everything” regarding the Russia hoax. He could do the same thing with regard to former Vice President Joe Biden’s dealings with China, and with Ukraine, and regarding his son, Hunter.
Trump can also declassify documents on as-yet-unexamined aspects of Hillary Clinton’s years as secretary of state, and Obama’s whereabouts during the Benghazi crisis, and what Obama knew and when on official surveillance of Trump. Each of these possibilities opens up countless additional “what ifs” with consequences nobody can know.
Everybody would be well-advised to heed John Jay’s observation in Federalist 64 in a discussion of Senate powers that has a particular application to the present controversy:
“They who have turned their attention to the affairs of men, must have perceived that there are tides in them; tides very irregular in their duration, strength, and direction, and seldom found to run twice exactly in the same manner or measure.”
I'm not sure the House ever takes a vote on impeachment articles as that vote ends their control of the process and turns it over to the Senate.
They may use the "inquiry" to give them more power to constantly badger Trump, making him disclose information in response to their never-ending conspiracy theories.