What Would Impeaching Trump Mean for Precious Metals?

Metals investors are wondering if political turmoil ratcheting several notches higher might have ramifications for gold and silver prices.

Bullion.Directory precious metals analysis 27 August, 2018
By Clint Siegner
Director of Money Metals Exchange

Tasked with investigating whether or not Donald Trump and people working for him colluded with the Russians during the presidential campaign, the special counsel finally got some traction last week.

The chances for impeachment did get a boost, although it would seem to hinge primarily on whether the Republicans lose the House and Senate in November.

Suddenly a number of people in Trump’s orbit have either fallen to prosecution or appear eager to cooperate with the investigation against him.

Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, was convicted of financial fraud and tax evasion early last week.

One of the president’s former attorneys, Michael Cohen, pled guilty to charges related to paying off two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump.

David Peck, who owns the National Enquirer and is considered to be a friend of the president, was given immunity for whatever testimony he can provide on the subject.

And finally, Allen Weisselberg, the CFO of the Trump Organization also got immunity for whatever he might have to share about his boss.

Some are now speculating on how an impeachment effort might play out in the metals markets. But we’ll get a much better idea of which way the political winds are blowing for the White House after the crucial November mid-term election.

Last week isn’t even the first-time investors have contemplated the possibility of impeachment. So far, the markets seem to be ignoring the possibility.

“With McCain dead and Corker & Flake retiring, there are fewer Republican senators around obsessed with sticking it to Trump.”

It’s a very daunting political task. Only two presidents have ever been impeached – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Neither were convicted in the Senate and removed from office, however. That can only be done with a ⅔ majority vote.

Even the most optimistic Democrats are not expecting to win a majority of that size in this Fall’s midterm elections.

To convict, Democrats will need some help from Republicans – and with John McCain now dead and Bob Corker and Jeff Flake retiring, there are fewer Republican senators around obsessed with sticking it to Trump.

It could certainly be said Trump doesn’t have too many true friends amongst the Republican leadership in Congress. However, the President has plenty of loyalty amongst his base. It seems unlikely Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is going to risk suiciding the party by collaborating with Trump’s enemies across the aisle.

Impeachment looks like a bad bet based on what we in the public know today.

If the threat of impeachment somehow becomes more credible based on the revelation of more serious crimes, then all bets are off. It will move markets. But, for now at least, it remains a longshot.

Major political turmoil is just one of many reasons to buy insurance in the form of gold and silver bullion. Investors can add upheaval in Washington to a longer list, which, at the moment, also includes:

• Precious metals looking oversold.
• Extremely bullish relative positioning of banks versus speculators in the Commitment of Traders data.
• Several potential catalysts which could reignite safe-haven buying – not the least of which is a major correction in the exuberant stock markets.

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