Alan J. Steinberg, a former adviser to former President George W. Bush, predicted in a recent op-ed that President Trump Donald John TrumpBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Military leaders asked about using heat ray on protesters outside White House: report Powell warns failure to reach COVID-19 deal could 'scar and damage' economy MORE would not be removed, but would leave office by the end of 2019.

Steinberg writes that he thinks a "forthcoming recession" and "abysmal" approval ratings will lead to Trump making a deal to resign from office to avoid facing criminal charges.

“Trump will not be removed from office by the Constitutional impeachment and removal process,” Steinberg, who previously served as regional administrator of Region 2 of the Environmental Protection Agency in the Bush administration and executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission under former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman (R), wrote in an op-ed published by NJ.com released on Tuesday.

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“Instead, the self-professed supreme dealmaker will use his presidency as a bargaining chip with federal and state authorities in 2019, agreeing to leave office in exchange for the relevant authorities not pursuing criminal charges against him, his children or the Trump Organization,” he continued.

Steinberg predicted that the president would be impeached by the House, specifically over his alleged involvement in directing his former attorney Michael Cohen to make payments in the months leading up to the 2016 presidential election to two women to prevent them from speaking about affairs they said they had with Trump.

But Steinberg went on to write that he deems it “highly unlikely” that the Senate would also vote to remove Trump from office — a move he notes would require a defection against the president of at least 20 GOP senators.

“That is highly unlikely, regardless of how compelling the impeachment case may be. All but five of the 53 GOP senators represent solid Republican Red states,” he continued. “Their incumbency will not be threatened by their vote against removal of the president. Each such senator runs a serious risk, however, of a pro-Trump primary election challenge if he or she supports the removal of Trump from office.”

However, Steinberg wrote that as the legal danger to Trump develops more, specifically following Trump’s recent response to a lawsuit from the attorney general of New York to shut down the Trump Foundation, it appears “virtually impossible for Trump to be reelected in 2020.”

“There are only two years left in Trump’s presidential term. With his approval ratings in an abysmal state, and the forthcoming recession making it near impossible for Trump to stage a political recovery, it appears most likely that he will use the continuation of his presidency as a bargaining chip,” Steinberg wrote.

“Accordingly, before the end of 2019, Donald Trump will resign from the office of the presidency: He will do this pursuant to a deal with the U.S. Justice Department, the incoming President Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceGOP short of votes on Trump's controversial Fed pick Pence seeks to boost Daines in critical Montana Senate race The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump's rally risk | Biden ramps up legal team | Biden hits Trump over climate policy MORE, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the New York Attorney General’s Office, and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office,” he continued.

For what he called a possible Trump departure, Steinberg predicted Trump would resign to then be pardoned by Vice President Pence.

“In turn, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York State Attorney General will refrain from filing any charges against Trump and his family members and agree that there will be no forfeiture of Trump Organization assets,” he continued.

“We will know by this time in 2019 how accurate this scenario turns out to be,” he concluded.