Donald Trump will use impeachment acquittal as 'badge of honor', may not run for president again in 2024: Report
Former president Donald Trump believes that he has had a great week after having exited the Oval Office because of the number of votes that had come in favor of passing the motion that declared it unconstitutional to impeach a former president. Only five Republicans opposed this motion while the Democrats need at least 17 votes to be able to impeach Trump. One of Trump's close friends who spends time with him at Mar-a-Lago told Newsweek, "He was gratified because that's certainly his view: that it's unfair and unconstitutional, and he knows it means there's no chance he'll be convicted."
The week has also given Trump the confidence that he can come out victorious in terms of the impeachment trial and politically as well. Two questions that Trump has been considering meanwhile was how to contest the forthcoming Senate trial and how to maintain his political relevance over the next four years.
Reportedly, there are different inputs that Trump is getting from his family and friends. His personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, former chief White House political strategist Steve Bannon, and a handful of others are reportedly pushing him not just to defend against the charge that he incited the January 6 Capitol insurrection but also use this opportunity to stress his claims of election fraud in key swing states. This is how Bannon has put it as he says, "Show everyone the receipts," in reference to his claims of voter fraud.
They also believe that hiring South Carolina lawyer Butch Bowers as recommended to Trump by Senator Lindsey Graham had given a boost to their side. Bowers had previously represented former GOP governors Mark Sanford and Nikki Haley in impeachment and ethics hearings in Columbia, the state capital. It must also be noted that Bowers is an election law specialist with particular attention given to legal tests over voter ID. This appointment also prompted speculation that Trump might try to make the case about the significant fraud which he claims affected the election outcome.
However, this is not the direction that Trump's daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner or his unofficial advisor Senator Lindsey Graham wants the former president to take. A source who is aware of the conversation between Trump and Graham revealed that Graham has spoken to Trump twice since President Joe Biden's inauguration and this is what he had to say to Trump, "You just don't want to go there." They are worried that further stressing election fraud may reinforce images of the mob of Trump supporters who had gathered in Washington for a "Stop the Steal" rally, which is not something that Trump would want if he plans to run in 2024.
It is not that they want Trump to let go of the voter fraud narrative completely. They believe that he should in fact pursue the issue of election law reform going forward, and they are urging Trump to lead a movement seeking that but just not the way he has planned to. For now, his family and friends want him to concentrate on contesting legally whether the Senate can in fact try a president who has already left office. One of the sources revealed that with the required votes to impeach Trump, he would wear his acquittal as a badge of honor. According to Newsweek, the source said, "He'll let Bowers handle the trial in a straightforward way, without litigating the election fraud stuff. The president will be acquitted again, and then he'll use his two acquittals as a badge of honor with his base."