Just the impeachment of Trump in the House of Representatives produced an amazingly effective result-- a massive loss of support.
With the looming threat of a Senate trial, Trump was forced to resist what must have been an incredible urge to pardon all of his supporters who invaded the Capitol.
His tens of millions of QAnon believing supporters expected him to pardon them. They delusionally thought that he was going to declare martial law then arrest Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and the Democratic leadership, to either jail or kill them. And they thought that, having been encouraged by him to assault the Capitol, that he would have their backs.
But Trump, knowing that pardoning them would make him irretrievably guilty of fomenting sedition and insurrection, was surely advised that he couldn't do the pardons, and he went further, making a video saying that such violence was illegal and he never would support it.
That cost Trump massively. Throughout the looney world of Qanon and right wing militias there is much outrage against Trump. Trump has lost much support.
The New York Times reported in an article, 'A Total Failure': The Proud Boys Now Mock Trump, saying,
"But by this week, the group's attitude toward Mr. Trump had changed. "Trump will go down as a total failure," the Proud Boys said in the same Telegram channel on Monday.As Mr. Trump departed the White House on Wednesday, the Proud Boys, once among his staunchest supporters, have also started leaving his side. In dozens of conversations on social media sites like Gab and Telegram, members of the group have begun calling Mr. Trump a "shill" and "extraordinarily weak," according to messages reviewed by The New York Times. They have also urged supporters to stop attending rallies and protests held for Mr. Trump or the Republican Party.
And CNN reports how Trump supporters are now confused and giving up on Trump.
CNN reporter talks to Trump conspiracy theorist at Biden's inauguration The moment of reckoning promised by the QAnon conspiracy theory never came. Now, many believers feel confused, duped, and uncertain of what comes next.
(Image by YouTube, Channel: CNN) Details DMCA
Of course, the reality that the predictions of QAnon and the fantasies of Trump's militarist supporters never happened is also dashing Trump's support. His supporters actually believed that Trump would declare martial and stop the inauguration. Trump encouraged those beliefs. They believed him. Now they are crushed.
It was the impeachment that stopped the pardons. The failure to pardon was the tipping point that set Trump's support into a tailspin.
Republican Senators are not really struggling with how to vote in the impeachment. They don't want Trump. Clearing him from the scene will help them in 2022 and open up the field in the 2024 election. But they fear those who are loyal to Trump.
That's why the longer the impeachment is delayed, the better. Trump's support will continue to drop and that will make it easier for Republican senators to do what they really want to do anyway. I wrote about why impeachment is important here: Reasons to Impeach Trump Post-presidency
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