It is a sad spectacle in Washington these days: Democrats are consumed by the impeachment push, with their media allies keeping up the heat with breathless coverage even on days with no actual news on the topic. In return, President Trump is understandably focused on the drive to remove him from office.
Notably, President Bill Clinton took a hard left turn once he faced the prospect of impeachment, ending his centrist bargaining with the Republicans who ran Congress — who were, after all, gunning for him. Instead, he embraced left-leaning Dems such as Rep. Jerry Nadler.
But the truth is, Trump faces a different situation than Clinton, who was already in his second term when impeachment loomed. Trump needs to fight off this attack with the 2020 race in mind — which means he does need to show voters that he, unlike his opposition, is still thinking about them, not partisan campaigns.
As we’ve noted and Jonathan Tobin discussed at length in Monday’s Post, leading the way for moderate gun controls — bolstering background checks, and also boosting red-flag laws — is a big winner with the suburban voters who deserted the GOP in droves in 2018.
Trump should also push his own common-sense initiatives that themselves poll well, from getting control of the border to passing his new trade deals. Not only will it be good policy, it will show voters that the president is working. And if Democrats block him, well, they’re not being serious.