US Capitol attack and impeachment trial could be deadly for the GOP

SINCE Donald Trump formally announced his run for the presidency on June 16, 2015, political pros and pundits have been predicting the demise of the New York billionaire, who was later elected as the 45th US president.

The list of the anticipated "game changers" that ended up changing nothing included Candidate Trump's bashing of Mexican immigrants ("rapists" and "murderers"); his attacks against prisoner of war and former presidential candidate John McCain ("I like people who weren't captured"); the "Access Hollywood" tape of his remarks ("Grab 'em by the p---y"); not to mention his use of profanity, racist and misogynist comments, and his conspiracy theories.

We were told that there was no way that he would be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate and, hey, forget about him getting elected as president. Then in the ensuing four years of his presidency, battered by accusations of corruption, policy failures and love affairs with foreign dictators, critics were forecasting his political downfall and his eventual ouster from the White House. It would happen any day - or so they thought.