The John Crisp editorial in the Dec. 3 Tacoma News Tribune caught my attention: “Three Audacious Predictions for an Unpredictable Era.”
Prophecies almost always draw attention because we would like to know the future. Let’s examine Crisp’s predictions in the light of reality.
Prophecy #1: Crisp: “If Democrats win in 2026, Trump will not accept the result.”
The President is still claiming that his 2020 defeat was rigged against him. If he did this in 2020, he will repeat this tactic in the 2026 midterm elections. That’s in spite of Republicans resorting to mid-decade gerrymandering and voter suppression.
Department of Justice just sued Washington state for not handing over voter rolls with names, birth dates, and the last four digits of voters’ Social Security numbers. The D.O.J. likely wants to use this information to invalidate the 2026 election results by “proving voting fraud.” There was no D.O.J. explanation of why and how this information was going to be used. Lower courts have consistently ruled against these unconstitutional demands.
What will happen as a result of the president’s denial will be difficult to predict. It’s likely that House Speaker Michael Johnson may not be willing to give up his power and/or refuse to swear in victorious Democratic representatives. This was made obvious by his nearly 50-day delay in swearing in the Arizona Representative over the Epstein File discharge petition, using hypocritical excuses about the House not being in session, a decision based on Johnson’s whim and his willingness to let the President be the de facto Speaker.
Prophecy #2: Crisp: “Trump will be impeached for a third time.”
If Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives in 2026, the Democrats will without a doubt impeach the President for multiple abuses of power in breaking his oath of office: The President’s unconstitutional tariffs, his clear violations of the Congressional power of the purse by ignoring laws passed by Congress, the President’s vindictive prosecutions against his political enemies: Comey, James, and special prosecutor Smith, and his use of the presidency to financially benefit his family and himself.
All these examples are worthy of impeachment.
Prophecy #3: Crisp: “Trump will not complete the last three years of his term.”
There are three major arguments for this prediction.
1) His impeachment, if the Democrats gain a majority in the House and 2/3 of the Senate votes to convict. This is possible if the Democrats win a supermajority in the Senate, or if Republican senators free themselves from fears of presidential retribution.
The Epstein Files are likely to reveal that the president is guilty of some level of misconduct. This alone would cause many Republicans to vote to remove the president.
Senator Mark Kelly and five other Democratic senators were all threatened by M.A.G.A. faithful over simply reminding the military that they swore an oath not to obey an illegal order, part of the Code of Military Justice. The strikes on drug boats in the Caribbean, are clear constitutional violations on the use of force. Additionally, at least one strike likely constitutes the definition of a war crime. This abuse of the military angers not only Democrats but also Republicans.
2) J.D. Vance decides to invoke the 25th Amendment and with the help of the president’s cabinet have him removed from office for mental and physical decline. Vance is ambitious and not beyond plotting against his boss for his own political gain. At one time Vance publicly criticized the President for being incompetent, and then changed when the political winds shifted.
The President’s speech has become incoherent and rambling. He has pardoned at least one person he didn’t even remember pardoning. The President has accused former President Biden of using the autopen to write pardons and considers the pardons invalid. Past practice tells us that the President projects on others what he, or likely his staff, may be doing.
3) The president is now 79 and in very poor health. He could die. He has a terrible diet and doesn’t sleep well. He has fallen asleep in meetings with his cabinet and in the Oval Office. He has a bruised right hand and swollen ankles, is obese, and has had two annual physicals this year. The second physical required an M.R.I. for unknown reasons.
These three predictions all depend on whether the Democrats win in the 2026 midterms and whether Michael Johnson still has his job by the end of 2026, given early Republican retirements.
We are living in unpredictable times where every day brings news that none of us even considered a year ago. Crisp’s prophecies may all come to pass.
