Pence won’t be a problem. He will be presiding over a disgraced presidency that taints his own legacy as much as anyone else’s. He will have no choice but to equally renounce Trump and anything to do with Trump. Consider the dance macabre that will ensue once Mueller indicts Trump. There will be a whole long reveal of the evidence—then a lengthy debate over the strength of the evidence—and likely a lot of noise from the deplorables (perhaps even riots).
But the evidence can’t be denied by those in power once it’s finally revealed. It won’t matter what the nazis do in east bumfuckistan. Which means the Republicans that have been blowing Trump’s horn will likewise have little choice but to join in the fray. Not all of them, of course. There will be a few cowards (and a few bought and paid for) that will defend him to the death, but that will all be primarily for their constituents, which will mean deeply red states and no blue fringe (which is the concern).
Iow, the already tiny 15-20% of Americans that are still diehard Trump supporters will be significantly reduced once the full extent of the evidence against him is presented. Maybe 10-15% will simply never let their fuhrer die, but that represents the normal every day radical right wing no matter what. The concern in regard to Trump supporters is really the “independents” and/or the turncoat Dems that swung toward him. But most of them have already swung back (or at least away) and the rest are simply remaining silent until Mueller's investigation is completed.
Iow, the noise we are hearing from the right does not equal the number of mouths keeping shut. By the time those mouths open--assuming, of course, that Mueller has put all the pieces together and can fully evidence them all--there will no longer be any concern about massive numbers of Trump supporters that Republicans need to appease or else lose their seats.
Speaking of which, in the meantime, we will have likely regained control over at least the House by the time all of this plays out, but even if not, it will be too easy to shut Pence down. All anyone would have to say is, “That seems like something Trump wanted” or the like.
Just think in terms of the sea-change when Nixon left office and the enormous impact the event itself--the cowardly resignation of a corrupt President to avoid impeachment--had on the American "psyche." The difference between wanting something to happen and then seeing it happen is tremendous. For a better example, think of how we were all so sure we would be seeing the first female President and then the change that occurred—the shockwave that went through the American zeitgeist—the day after when we all woke up to a living nightmare.
It isn't just one guy leaves and another takes his place. There has been a mounting sense of criminality--the crowds forming with pitchforks, only this time it's not nazis--and a belief that a great wrong is about to be corrected. If that happens, the event itself will have its own momentum that will simply crush anyone still trying to hold on to any element of pre-impeachment Trump.
The majority of Americans do not like or want Trump in office right now. That won’t change. What will change is more will come over to our side once the full extent of criminality is revealed. Again, not all, but more than enough to make it very clear that America as a whole wants nothing to do with any vestiges of Trump's Presidency, so if Pence thinks he’ll be able to just keep that up in any way—to become Trump II—that just won’t happen.
Well, let me hedge that since we’re still in the upside down. That will likely not happen. No mandate; no support; no power over Congress; tainted by his association with the first President to have been impeached over treasonous activity, if not money laundering/criminal acts; etc. And with Trump it will be a bare knuckle boot to the balls fight, no doubt; but a fight he can't win and no matter what, (most) everyone abandons the loser of such a fight.
ETA: The REAL horror (of course) would be if Mueller can't get to Trump. Anything short of indicting Trump will be a victory for Trump and we'll be in tremendous trouble in the midterms, if not 2020. Though I don't see 2020 as too much of a problem even if Trump is vindicated. He can't seem to help but shoot himself in the foot.
