Democrats fear Trump will only get 'more extreme' after impeachment. Some Republicans agree.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Is President Trump only going to get "more extreme" after impeachment?
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) thinks so, predicting to Politico that Trump's "behavior will get more extreme going into the election" after he last week became only the third president in American history to be impeached by the House of Representatives.
"He will commit things that many Americans, including undecided independents, will find offensive," Kaine said. "Whether they’re impeachable offenses, I don't know. But I think in trying to jazz up his own base he's going to do some things that swing voters find offensive."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Several Republicans who spoke to Politico certainly didn't suggest Trump's behavior will get less extreme, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) saying, "A virtue of this president is he has been the same person yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and I expect that will continue."
But Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary under former President George W. Bush, voiced a similar concern to Kaine's, saying, "I worry the president will think he's got a lot more room to roam because he beat impeachment once, he can beat it anytime."
Similarly, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), asked if he worries Trump will be emboldened after being acquitted in his Senate trial, told Politico he isn't sure but that "I wish that he would drop his phone in a bucket of water."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Film reviews: ‘Send Help’ and ‘Private Life’Feature An office doormat is stranded alone with her awful boss and a frazzled therapist turns amateur murder investigator
-
Movies to watch in Februarythe week recommends Time travelers, multiverse hoppers and an Iraqi parable highlight this month’s offerings during the depths of winter
-
ICE’s facial scanning is the tip of the surveillance icebergIN THE SPOTLIGHT Federal troops are increasingly turning to high-tech tracking tools that push the boundaries of personal privacy
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
