Donald Trump's China deal is his hedge against impeachment damage

The China accord doesn't eliminate the negative impact of the trade dispute because Trump is continuing his existing tariffs covering $360 billion a year worth of Chinese goods

Hours before the seven House Democrats managers marched articles of impeachment across the Capitol last week, US President Donald Trump secured what he’s relying on to counter any political damage — a cease-fire in the trade war with China.

With little chance the Republican-controlled Senate will convict him on two articles of impeachment, the greatest danger to Trump is that the proceedings present an unfavorable portrait of the president durable enough to sway Americans against his re-election 10 months later. 

His hedge is the phase-one trade deal with China he signed on Wednesday. By calling a truce in a trade war that