GOP Congressman Chris Collins just pleaded guilty and resigned – and Donald Trump just got a look at his own dark future

Republican Congressman Chris Collins was the first member of the House to endorse Donald Trump, all the way back at the start of the 2016 election cycle. Now that Trump is being impeached, and more questions arise by the hour about whether he’ll be able to hang onto his office, it’s fitting that Collins just pleaded guilty to a felony and resigned.

When the news first broke earlier today that Chris Collins had decided to plead guilty to felony insider trading charges, this left a lot of people asking how he planned to remain in office while he was in prison. But just now, subsequent news broke that Collins is indeed resigning from Congress.

It’s not yet clear if Chris Collins managed to get any leniency out of his plea deal by agreeing to give up his office, but the whole thing is nonetheless a rough blueprint for Collins’ close ally in the Oval Office. Donald Trump finds himself in a situation where pro-impeachment poll numbers are surging by the day, and if the trend keeps up, Republican Senators will have to decide whether to selfishly throw Trump overboard in the hope of protecting their own chances of reelection. Trump is facing a ticking clock, and he’s got to choose wisely.

Donald Trump could try to negotiate a plea deal right now that includes reduced federal criminal charges, and thus less prison time – perhaps along with leniency for his kids – in exchange for his prompt resignation. But the would be the smart and rational move, and nothing about Trump’s behavior lately suggests that he’s handling this smartly or rationally. Still, the downfall of his pal Chris Collins today could just serve as a wakeup call. Trump is going to prison. It’s only a matter of how long he wants to stay there.