Republicans Are Caving As Sen. Lisa Murkowski Is Open To A Trump Special Prosecutor

Trump’s firewall within the Republican congressional majority is crumbling as Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has released a statement saying that she is open to appointing a special prosecutor to investigate the President.

Here is Murkowski’s statement:

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) are gambling that they can hold off the demands for an independent investigation into Trump long enough to get their agenda passed, but with the scandal mushrooming on a daily basis, this is a bet that the Republican leadership is likely to lose.

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Politico reported that Republicans are beginning to speak in hushed tones about the possibility of impeachment, “It’s hushed right now, and almost all off the record — but it’s there, and it’s Republicans who are beginning to grapple with the real — but far off — possibility that the president might’ve gone too far this time. That’s not to say President Donald Trump will be impeached, but the prospect is beginning to creep into Republicans’ minds, and it’s noteworthy that they are not ruling it out.”

Many people are impatient, and they want action now to remove Trump, but in our system of government, the process takes time. A special prosecutor or an independent investigation will be the first step. If the investigation finds evidence that the president committed an impeachable offense, then impeachment becomes a real possibility.

Without being in the congressional majority, Democrats are going to have to wait until enough of their Republican colleagues come around to supporting a special prosecutor or an independent investigation. Everything would move faster if Democrats were in charge of Congress, which is why electing a Democratic majority in 2018 is vital.

If McConnell and Ryan see their majorities going up in smoke, they will move to support an independent investigation, but until that time, the pressure is going to have to come from Democrats and Republican members like Sen. Murkowski who won’t defend Trump.

The cave of the Republican defense of Trump has begun. The only question remaining is will Republicans collapse in an avalanche or will Trump’s support slowly chip away until there is nothing left? The answer to this question will determine how much longer Trump will be able to remain in the White House.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association