Trump Remains Heavy Favorite for Republican Nominee in 2020

• Sportsbooks still maintains U.S. President Donald Trump will be the Republican Presidential nominee in 2020
• He’s listed as heavy favorite, even though the Democrat-controlled House is making noises about impeachment
• The last sitting President not to run for a second term was Lyndon Johnson in 1968

While new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was discussing the possibility of impeaching Republican Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States was doing what he enjoys most – punching back. Trump took to his favorite medium, Twitter, to blast any suggestion of impeachment.

How do you impeach a president who has won perhaps the greatest election of all time, done nothing wrong (no Collusion with Russia, it was the Dems that Colluded), had the most successful first two years of any president, and is the most popular Republican in party history 93%?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 4, 2019

Trump insists that he’s going nowhere, and sportsbooks seem to be on board with that theory. They’re offering odds that list Trump as the overwhelming favorite to be the Republican nominee for President again in 2020.

2020 Republican Presidential Nominee Odds

The last sitting President who opted not to seek a second term was Lyndon Johnson in 1968. The last sitting Republican President not to seek a second term was Calvin Coolidge in 1928.

Can Trump Be Toppled?

To paraphrase former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, it would appear that the only thing that can stop Trump is Trump himself. Thus far, he truly is the epitome of a Teflon Don. No matter how much corruption and criminal activity is unearthed within his administration, nothing seems to stick to him. His base refuses to erode.

President Donald Trump has a 41.4% approval rating. https://t.co/gFuJdJjGOg

— FiveThirtyEight (@FiveThirtyEight) January 4, 2019

According to data released Jan. 4 by fivethirtyeight.com, 41.4 percent of Americans approve of Trump. While that’s the lowest total of any sitting U.S. President at the two-year mark of their first term, it’s still an astonishingly high number considering all the wrongdoing that’s been discovered.

Will it Be Impeachment or Indictment?

While Democrats fire up the impeachment rhetoric and that might seem the logical course for them to pursue in a bid to oust Trump, the odds of getting it through the Republican-controlled Senate would look to be slim to none.

Rashida Tlaib on Trump: "We're going to impeach the Motherf***er" https://t.co/cCyKN4mzYk pic.twitter.com/hoFUOsxuQp

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) January 4, 2019

Republicans still fear Trump’s power among the masses of right-wing supporters. As has often been stated, it’s no longer the Republican Party – it’s Donald Trump’s party.

The nuclear option might be getting an indictment against Trump via special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. Fear of that is what finally convinced Richard Nixon to resign the Presidency in 1973 amidst the Watergate scandal.

Should You Like Mike?

Based on Trump’s history of fighting back, it’s unlikely he’ll go away quietly. That’s why it makes sense that unless Mueller unearths a smoking gun, Trump will head the Republican ticket in 2020.

With Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives as the 116th Congress convenes Thursday, incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leaving the door open to the possible impeachment and even indictment of Pres. Trump. https://t.co/6iJ7THp9Iw pic.twitter.com/CHYoImxeWb

— ABC News (@ABC) January 3, 2019

But if Mueller does uncover significant illegal activity tied directly to Trump and an indictment appears imminent, then the odds would be good that Vice-President Mike Pence could end up in the Oval Office.

Based on what is in the public arena today, Trump in 2020 is the best bet. Still, placing a small wager on Pence at +800 wouldn’t be a foolish move.