Historian who predicted Donald Trump would win presidency forecasts that he will be impeached

Allan Lichtman says Republicans will chose Mike Pence, who is trusted among the party's establishment

Allan Lichtman (Getty)

A professor who predicted Donald Trump’s presidency is now foreseeing his impeachment.

Using his Keys to the White House prediction system, Allan Lichtman forecasted a Trump Victory long before anyone else, with the formula based on the popularity of the party in control of the White House.

The history professor at the Washington-based American University, has correctly predicted all outcomes of US elections since 1984.

But Professor Lichtman is now predicting the Republican leader's downfall in his new book, The Case for Impeachment.

It will explain "how Trump threatens the institutions and traditions that have made America safe and free for 230 years", he told the Politico website, adding that it will "make clear why a Republican Congress might impeach a president of its own party".

Professor Lichtman predicted Mr Trump's election last September. But at the same time he forecast that the US leader would eventually be impeached by a Republican Congress, who would back Vice President Mike Pence to take over.

He argued that Mr Pence is someone who establishment Republicans know and trust.

At the time, he said this prediction was “not based on a system” but was “just my gut”.

Now he believes that charges of treason with Russia, abuse of power and emoluments violation could lead to his impeachment, he told Politico.

He also points out that Attorney General Jeff Sessions previously said that a president could be impeached for offences committed before he took office.

In Mr Trump's case, Mr Lichtman says this could include his housing violations, charity problems, potential violations of the Cuba embargo and Trump University, a real estate training programme which operated between 2005 and 2010 and was investigated for illegal business practices.

Mr Trump agreed a settlement of $25m last year possibly closing three lawsuits that claimed Trump University defrauded students.

The book is described as “a tour through Trump’s history - designed to be damning”.

Mr Lichtman concluded: “Trump’s disregard for lying in sworn testimony, examined in the context of the Bill Clinton precedent, shows how Trump’s opponents could set an impeachment trap for him through a civil lawsuit.

“Justice will be realised in today’s America not through revolution, but by the Constitution’s peaceful remedy of impeachment but only if the people demand it.”

Throughout the book, Mr Lichtman is critical of Mr Trump, setting out his unease about the US President’s opposition to the Paris Agreement, refers to the travel ban as “dimming the torch of liberty” and named one of the sections “Trump’s policies and appointments pose an existential threat to humanity”.

Giving Mr Trump a checklist of advise to avoid impeachment, Mr Lichtman calls on the US President to support the Paris Agreement, use a fact-checker and treat women with respect.