Donald Trump remains bugaboo for GOP as Senate impeachment trial looms

With just days left in his controversial presidency, Donald Trump continues to be a bugaboo for the Republican Party and a divisive force in American politics.

Now that Trump has become the first president ever impeached twice, Republicans must decide whether to attempt to purge Trump from the party, or accept that the backing of his loyal supporters still makes the outgoing president a relevant political player.

That decision will likely be made in a Senate trial, where 17 Republicans will be needed to convict the president on inciting rioters who stormed and marauded the Capitol.

If convicted, the Senate could also vote to ban Trump from running for president again. That move could strike a lasting blow to Trumpism, though his supporters say the movement is just beginning. Even with 10 House Republicans voting with Democrats to impeach Trump, the vast majority of the party voted against sending Trump to a Senate trial.

All of the GOP lawmakers from Texas except for Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth, who was absent, voted against impeaching Trump. Trump in November had a comfortable victory over Biden in the Lone Star State, and some of Trump’s most ardent defenders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, hail from Texas.

Meanwhile, outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has said that Trump’s trial would begin after former Vice President Joe Biden is inaugurated president. He has not said how he will vote on the matter and is believed to be furious with Trump over the president’s role in the January 6th insurrection that left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer. McConnell could also be miffed that Trump is seen by many as the reason Republicans lost the Senate after GOP candidates this month lost two Senate runoffs in Georgia.

Removing the possibility of Trump being an electoral candidate could soothe some GOP heartburn, but it would also put a target on Republicans seeking reelection in 2022 and beyond. Trump and his supporters have already pledged to find primary opponents for Republicans who abandon him.

So the GOP, even as the president prepares to leave office, still has a Trump problem.

The ghost of Trump will also cause headaches for Biden, who will now be faced with juggling the impact of a divisive impeachment trial with healing the nation and pushing forward his agenda.

Biden would rather be dealing with bolstering the economy and leading the nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic than dealing with another Trump controversy. That’s why an impeachment trial has little upside for the incoming president, which is why he hasn’t put his political clout behind it.

Next week Biden becomes president, but Trump will remain the center of attention.