Sen. Gardner’s silence on Trump impeachment trial speaks loudly to voters

Will he, or won't he?

Will Colorado Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner support witnesses testifying in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, as 66% of Americans do in the latest poll Friday?

Or will he oppose it? Gardner has not indicated which way he's leaning, preferring for now to focus on keeping the trial fair and unbiased.

That silence frustrates voters who want the senator to talk more publicly about the trial and where he stands.

Either way, however, Gardner risks harming his re-election bid this fall with voters who want to know how he'll decide.

Or does he?

"I don't think any of this impeachment stuff is going to hurt his campaign," said Josh Dunn, a political science professor at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. "Not unless something unexpected happens, or the president is impeached from office -- and I don't see that happening. People who say they won't vote for him if he doesn't want witnesses, they won't have an impact on the campaign."

Dunn said voters should understand that Gardner is walking a fine line as he considers the fate of his party's leader.

"I think he's been trying to thread that needle to maintain some of his own independence," Dunn said. "He's been supportive of the president when he thinks it's appropriate, but not so supportive that it ends up alienating some of these swing independent voters in suburban Denver."

Dunn said the bigger concern for Gardner is that Colorado, historically Republican red, has become more of a blue state -- more Democratic, especially in key areas -- since the 2016 presidential election.

"You have more people voting Democratic and you have more independent voters deciding the outcome of elections," he said. "If you alienate your Republican voters, then you invite a primary challenge -- which is never good -- but then those Republican voters might stay home on Election Day."

Dunn said he expects Gardner to continue his strategy, as well as try to retain his GOP support while appealing to more independent voters.

"Whatever the outcome of the trial, it doesn't indicate what will happen in November," Dunn said. "What may determine that, is who the Democrats run against Gardner. Someone like [former Colorado governor] Hickenlooper would be a strong candidate."

But Dunn also reminds us that Gardner won his first Senate race by narrowly upsetting Democratic incumbent Mark Udall in 2014.

"If any Republican can be re-elected given the current political trend in Colorado, Gardner can," Dunn said.