President Trump’s decision not to host the G7 Summit at his Doral golf resort was not only prudent, it also reflects an important lesson for his supporters in Congress and elsewhere. They can stand with him by opposing impeachment charges in the House and blocking a conviction in the Senate, or they can resist his problematic behavior in the first place and prevent him from creating grounds for impeachment.
According to news reports, Trump changed course on the Summit location because of objections from Republican members of Congress, as well as others among his usual supporters. In other words, when faced with sufficient opposition to his misconduct, Trump backed down. By seriously pushing back, Trump’s allies were able to stop him from committing a potentially impeachable offense.
And this is not the first time the President has responded to pressure. He backed down when pressed by a bipartisan group in Congress about his withholding of aid to the Ukraine and also when his aides refused to carry out his efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation. Similarly, State Department employees and other current or former officials have ignored his pledge not to cooperate with the congressional investigation of his dealings with the Ukraine.
Trump may not like being challenged by his supporters, but they do him a big favor when they resist his ill-advised inclinations.