Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley predicted public support for US President Trump will collapse entirely due to the hearings that have come amid claims of collusion with Ukraine to smear a political rival. Mr Brinkley told CNN: “It just tells you what deep trouble Donald Trump is in. “I mean, when you have 50 percent of the country wanting you, not just impeached, but removed from office, and the game hasn’t even gotten fast yet.
“I think once the vote is taken by Congress to impeach him and he’s wearing the ‘I’ on his chest, you’re going to see that movement grow even more.”
Referring to President Trump directly, he added: “It tells you he doesn’t have a lot of friends. He’s a base politician. He doesn’t know how to turn this around.”
He then noted past successful campaigns of politicians from opposing parties after a presidential fallout.
He said: “I think the Democrats might want to look at the way Jimmy Carter pulled off victory in 1976. He took the high road. He ran on saying, I will never tell a lie to you.
“He didn’t have to say Nixon’s lies or Lyndon Johnson’s lies, just that I am clean, good governance coming your way if you vote for me.”
Polls on presidential support has fluctuated in recent weeks since the Democrats launched their probe into Mr Trump.
A Quinnipiac University poll released this week found 45 percent in favour of the impeachment and removal, with 48 percent against it.
This was a several of polls the previous month.
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Unlike the House of Representatives, there was no ‘blue wave’ in the Senate, which is still Republican-dominated and not expected to convict their President.
John Owens, Professor of United States Government and Politics at the University of Westminster, said Senators would override any legal arguments with ideological alignment.
He said: “Given that most Republican senators are highly conservative, have previously strongly supported Trump, and are fearful of upsetting their pro-Trump party activists, especially those up for election next November, conviction is unlikely.
“So, even if every Democratic (and independent) senator and two less conservative Republicans vote to convict Trump, only 49 would support removal.”
Professor Owens said there was one way Republican senators could convict the President, with a secret ballot.
He continued: “There might be enough votes in the Senate, including a few Republican votes, to pass a simple majority resolution requiring the vote on conviction to be held in secret, thereby giving protection to any Republican senators who might be willing to remove Trump.”
President Trump is accused of colluding with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, asking him to gather information on Joe Biden and his son.