Trump faces a brutal impeachment era and needs a lawyer as press secretary

The inevitability of impeachment proceedings means President Trump would benefit from a superb young communicator who is also a smart lawyer as his next press secretary, especially if that person has Supreme Court clerk experience. The duels with the White House press corps triggered by Trump-hunting in Congress will likely focus on presidential powers, where knowledge of relevant case law and precedents is crucial.

President Trump learned valuable lessons from the first impeachment attempt against Secretary of War Pete Hegseth this week, led by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky. Massie lost his May Republican primary to Ed Gallrein by nearly 10%, ending his dozen-year congressional career.

Failed Impeachment Attempt

Massie's effort to impeach Hegseth failed, but attracted attention that demonstrated how any congressman can gain media coverage through impeachment moves. Democrats, particularly achievement-free members, took notice of this strategy. Hegseth responded to the ridiculous charges with a clear, detailed press conference, rejecting the attention-seeking antics and returning to work.

Massie is an attention addict, and he's been contemplating the awful process of sudden withdrawal from his source of fleeting endorphins: Beltway journalists asking him questions as though he mattered.

Political Consequences

Massie's only significant accomplishment was removing hemp from federal controlled substances in the 2018 Farm Bill. He later focused on the Epstein files, using a discharge petition with three other Republicans (Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Nancy Mace), all of whom will be gone by January 3. The stunt resulted in no evidence implicating President Trump but established a precedent for releasing raw investigation files.

Similar discharge petitions, like one by New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler on Obamacare subsidies, ended poorly for the signatories. All eight Republicans who turned on their caucus will leave office in January, joining others who kneecapped former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Lobbying firms are likely to avoid hiring these members who demonstrated disloyalty to their party.

Future Impeachment Battles

With their substantial majority, Democrats will repeatedly call for impeachment votes, likely passing some articles and consuming extensive Senate time on trials. These proceedings will generate media attention for champions of the effort to 'get Trump,' though they are unlikely to succeed as enough GOP senators won't vote for removal.

Hewitt recommends Trump interview Supreme Court law clerks from the past six years who believe in Article II powers and can effectively battle the press corps. Such a press secretary would help defend presidential powers against the legacy media's focus on scandal during their ongoing campaign against Trump.