Trump’s Impeachment Odds Getting Better as Cohen Prepares to Testify
- Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and fixer, is testifying before Congress
- He gave testimony behind closed doors Tuesday and will be in a public forum Wednesday
- As a result, books have increased the odds that Trump will be impeached
Is Michael Cohen about to put the nails into Donald Trump’s impeachment coffin? He’s also known as Mikey The Fixer and the personal problem solver for the US President. As a result, Cohen is expected to reveal many skeletons that Trump has hidden away in the proverbial closet.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: "The American people deserve to know whether Donald Trump has been functioning as the President of the United States of America or as the equivalent of an organized crime boss. Michael Cohen can shed some light on that very important question." pic.twitter.com/ycFBVFzgdd
— The Hill (@thehill) February 26, 2019
But will it be enough to bring about the impeachment of Donald Trump? In answer to this question, books are leaning more toward yes. They currently list the odds of a Trump impeachment at +200.
Odds US President Donald Trump Will Be Impeached
| Will US President Donald Trump Be Impeached? | Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +200 |
| No | -300 |
*All odds taken 02/26/19
Trump’s overall odds of not being impeached at leading sportsbooks are down. They dropped from -370 on November 23rd to -270 by February 26th.
Can Mikey Dent Teflon Don?
Cohen sits down in front of Congress on Wednesday. It’s expected he will discuss in public for the first time Trump’s role in the crimes that Cohen pleaded guilty to last year. This figures to include behind the scenes detail of questionable business conduct involving Trump. It’s anticipated this testimony will be backed up by supporting documentation.
Cohen plans to use documents to back up his statements and memories of his former boss, including what a source called evidence of potential criminal activity by the president while he’s been in office. https://t.co/3fEqzJrx5N
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) February 26, 2019
This will likely include Trump’s involvement in a Trump Tower in Moscow. In other words, it may be determined how far into his Presidential campaign he maintained this negotiating process.
Reports were that Cohen was extensively grilled Tuesday behind closed doors by the Senate Intelligence Committee. As a result, it’s alleged he admitted that he’d lied to them during previous testimony in 2017.
Republicans Attack Cohen
Trump supporters in the Republican Party aren’t waiting. They are already on the offensive. Republicans were busying themselves Tuesday with efforts to discredit Cohen. For instance, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calls Cohen pathetic. Congress is listening to someone who is a proven liar, she insists. Evidently, she’s unfamiliar with the adage about throwing stones in glass houses,
“Disgraced felon Michael Cohen is going to prison for lying to Congress and making other false statements," said Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as if she'd forgotten why Cohen lied and for whom. But Trump's minions cheered. "Don't trust a liar!" they yelled, without a trace of irony.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) February 26, 2019
However, the Sanders rhetoric was nothing. Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz directed an apparent threat at Cohen.
Walter Schaub labels Gaetz’s attack as witness tampering. Schaub is the former director of the Office of Government Ethics.
Cohen Just Trump’s Latest Problem
Michael Flynn. Paul Manafort. Rick Gates. George Papadopoulos. Roger Stone. Cohen. The list of those indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller keeps on growing and diving deeper into Trump’s inner circle.
JUST IN: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump’s former personal attorney and long-time fixer, disbarred in New York. https://t.co/QNqfZ2R3Tu pic.twitter.com/MqavUwocK2
— ABC News (@ABC) February 26, 2019
Cohen is benefiting from a deal with Mueller. Therefore, he gets a lesser sentence in exchange for his testimony.
Michael Cohen tomorrow will show the Oversight Cmte a signed check he received as part of his reimbursement for the Stormy Daniels payment. *Trump* signed some of the checks reimbursing Cohen, which he began receiving after Trump took office, per source. https://t.co/iIaZ2P2V9r
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) February 26, 2019
Will Cohen’s testimony be the smoking gun that finishes Trump’s tenure as President? Probably not. However, it should advance that cause of those seeking to move closer to a Trump impeachment.
Or have you forgotten that other old saying, the one about where there’s smoke, there’s generally fire?
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
