US President Donald Trump has been acquitted of his two impeachment charges. That will have surprised absolutely no-one. But the drama and dust has settled on the whole proceedings in what is an election year in the US.
Trump became just the third President in history to face an impeachment trial. That hasn’t stopped him strengthening as the outright favourite to win the forthcoming election, however.
2020 US Election Winner Odds*
Donal Trump 4/6
Bernie Sander 5/1
Michael Bloomberg 8/1
Joe Biden 10/1
Pete Buttigieg 16/1
Elizabeth Warren 33/1
50/1 bar
* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 5th, 2020 at 23:21)
Democrats at least hope impeachment hits Trump in the polls
Even though the Democratic Party knew that there was little chance of Trump being charged and removed from office, the belief is that they went ahead anyway to try and at least discredit him in the eyes of the public.
But now, following this week’s acquittal in the Senate, which in turn followed the President’s State of the Union address, Trump is now as short as 4/6 to win reelection later in the year* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 5th, 2020 at 23:21)
So it’s not as if the whole impeachment thing and negative publicity have done him a lot of harm. Certainly not in terms of the bookmakers pricing up his chances of a second term in office. At the turn of the new year, Trump was around the even money mark to win the 2020 election.
Democratic Candidate
The first step for the Democrats of naming a challenger to Trump happened this week with the Iowa caucus. Technical glitches under a new system through the whole thing into chaos, giving Republican Trump plenty to laugh and gloat about.
2020 US Election Democrat Candidate Odds*
Bernie Sanders 6/5
Michael Bloomberg 9/2
Joe Biden 4/1
Pete Buttigieg 5/1
Elizabeth Warren 10/1
Bar 16/1
* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 5th, 2020 at 23:21)
With massively delayed results filtering through from the voting, it was a close thing between Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg. The Iowa caucus is the start of a series of state-by-state votes in which candidates try and earn the required amount of nominations to go forward as presidential candidates.
It is not until towards the middle of the year that the Democratic nomination will be officially known. It is expected in the long run that it will be Bernie Sanders who is 5/1 second-favourite currently to win the 2020 Presidential Election* (betting odds taken from Ladbrokes on February 5th, 2020 at 23:21).
When the Presidential field is chopped down to a two-horse race, then naturally, the odds are going to shift in the market.
The other main contenders for the Democratic nomination are Pete Buttigieg, who had a good showing in Iowa; former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg; Joe Biden whose campaign suffered a huge knock in Iowa because of results and Elizabeth Warren.
