The best defense of President Donald Trump on the first day of the House’s public impeachment hearings came from Representative Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican. She cited “the two most important facts” for Americans trying to understand the inquiry into the president withholding military assistance to Ukraine unless it investigated former Vice President Joe Biden: “No. 1, Ukraine received the aid,” she said. “No. 2, there was in fact no investigation into Biden.”

Stefanik’s defense is shrewd because it sidesteps Trump’s hand-waving and gaslighting. It is also dangerous because it reveals Trump’s weakness as a leader…

Republicans should be wary, however. Stefanik’s defense is an effective rebuttal in the context of impeachment. In the context of a re-election campaign, it’s damning. The fact that his corrupt schemes were stymied will likely save Trump from being removed from office. The fact that he had them in the first place is a good argument for voting him out.