On Saturday, CNN host S.E. Cupp shared her thoughts about the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump , Mediaite reports.
Cupp did not focus on the substance of the allegations made against Trump, choosing instead to discuss the politics of impeachment.
“Impeachment is both a practical and a political process,” she said, arguing that “the conclusion is fairly straightforward and looks inevitable.”
According to Cupp, it is clear that the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives will vote to impeach Trump, but it is impossible to tell how the process will affect American politics in general.
Democrats and Republicans in the United States Congress, Democrats running for president, and even Trump himself will be politically affected by the process, she suggested, posing a number of pressing questions.
“Will impeachment help Trump? Will it damage him? If this drags on through to 2020, will it hurt Democratic presidential candidates? Will it hurt swing state candidates in districts Trump won?”
Cupp also warned that there are already some “early warning sings.”
The host pointed out that two House Democrats agreed with Republican lawmakers, breaking away from their party and voting against formalizing the impeachment inquiry. Both Congressmen, she noted, are from swing districts Trump by double digits in 2016.
Furthermore, Cupp reminded her viewers, Americans remain divided along partisan lines, with a majority of Democrats supporting the inquiry, and a majority of Republicans opposing it.
Noting that there could soon be another government shutdown — which could further delay the whole process — the anchor concluded the segment by suggesting that it is impossible to tell how impeachment will play out politically.
“There’s no way to tell yet how the politics of impeachment will shake out,” she said.
The question on many peoples’ minds is if Trump isn’t removed from office, will the impeachment process be worth it? The co-chair of President Bill Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign, @TerryMcAuliffe says “absolutely.” pic.twitter.com/zCY9qLDqIQ
— SE Cupp Unfiltered (@UnfilteredSE) November 2, 2019
In a September column, much like Cupp, Bloomberg ‘s Jonathan Bernstein discussed the political uncertainties of impeachment. The columnist argued that the process will not affect Trump’s popularity in a negative way, suggesting that it could actually galvanize his base.
According to Bernstein, impeachment will likely not be a major factor come 2020, and Americans will not cast their votes based on a candidate’s opinion on the issue.
Furthermore, according to the journalist, potential Democratic attempts to use impeachment against vulnerable Republican incumbents such as Susan Collins of Maine and Cory Gardner of Colorado would likely be ineffective.
Trump, who is being accused of using the power of his office to damage Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, has fought against Democratic impeachment efforts by suggesting that the inquiry is a “scam,” and by alleging that the Democratic Party is looking to undo the 2016 presidential election.
