GOP strategist: Impeachment ‘closer’ than people think

Republican strategist Alex Castellanos said he believes “we’re closer to impeachment now than we think” during a discussion on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on Sunday.

Castellanos, who also serves as a CNN contributor, suggested that if Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore wins a special election next week, he could become the face of the party and hurt GOP candidates in next fall’s midterm elections.

Asked by Stephanopoulos if special council Robert Mueller “posed an existential threat” to the President Trump given former national security adviser Michael Flynn’s guilty plea on Friday, the veteran strategist said “I don’t see that yet.”

{mosads}”All we have seen is charges for tax evasion and lying to the FBI. You know, only in Washington is it an industry that people go to jail for covering up crimes they don’t commit as a standard procedure,” he said.

“But combined two converging currents, the Mueller investigation, looking for that obstruction of justice charge, and then Alabama,” he continued. “Roy Moore coming to the Senate possibly in a week. And he becomes the face of the Republican Party for the next year when we’re already in danger of losing the House. It’s likely we’ll do that without him, lose the House. Trump gets impeached.”

“We’re closer to impeachment now than we think,”  Castellanos concluded.

A majority in the House would have to vote for impeachment. In the Senate, a two-thirds vote is required for impeachment.

Democrats need to flip 24 seats to win back the House.

In the Senate, they would need to gain three seats — a tough proposition next year, when Republicans are defending just eight seats.

Trump has tweeted support for Flynn, whom he fired for misleading White House officials, including Vice President Pence, about his contacts with Russian officials.

“I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies,” Trump tweeted on Saturday.

“It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!”

I had to fire General Flynn because he lied to the Vice President and the FBI. He has pled guilty to those lies. It is a shame because his actions during the transition were lawful. There was nothing to hide!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2017

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the investigations into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election, including possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow, calling it “fake news” and “an excuse made up by the Democrats for losing the election.”