This Week Was a Preview of the 2020 Election

John Cassidy: “In any Presidential race featuring an incumbent, the contest is ultimately a referendum on the performance of the sitting President, and that person typically wins… But, of course, Trump isn’t a typical incumbent, and the Democrats are optimistic that they can deny him a second term. One way to turf him out would be for the special counsel, Robert Mueller, to submit a report to the Justice Department that is so damaging and probative it convinces enough Republicans to abandon him for an impeachment trial in the Senate to succeed. But the smart money in Washington is betting this isn’t going to happen, and the Democrats’ Plan B appears to be to torment Trump all the way to Election Day with congressional hearings of the sort we saw this week. Already, the Senate Intelligence Committee has announced plans to question Cohen again, on Wednesday, and, eight days later, to question his sidekick on the Trump Tower Moscow deal, Felix Sater, a convicted felon who once took part in a stock-fraud scheme orchestrated by mobsters.”

“That will only be the start. The House Intelligence Committee is planning to call many of the Trump associates whom Cohen mentioned in his testimony, including Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. The House Democrats are also gearing up to look into all aspects of Trump’s record, including his other business dealings, his tax affairs, and his now defunct charitable foundation.”

Said House Oversight Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings: “All you have to do is follow the transcript. If there were names that were mentioned, or records that were mentioned during the hearing, we want to take a look at all of that.”