Donald Trump publicly admitted that he pressured the president of Ukraine to find evidence of corruption about Joe Biden during his tenure as vice president. Such a request is clearly illegal, unethical and unpatriotic.
Even Richard Nixon did not ask a foreign power to help him with the Watergate burglary. Congressional Republicans fell in line and advised Nixon to resign before he would have been impeached. Trumpian Republicans probably won’t hold him accountable.
Trump’s knavish deceptions to deflect blame and turn the truth into falsehoods are his way of doing business. In legal terms, prior bad acts can be used against him if it shows a modus operandi. Trump deals in many ambiguities, but nothing is insoluble.
He admitted to Lester Holt that he fired FBI Director James Comey because of the Russia investigation. He obstructed justice, as evidenced in the Mueller report. He openly asked Russia to help find the Clinton emails. He refuses to release his tax returns as required by Congress. He takes in foreign money through his hotels. He has obstructed the whistleblower complaint being sent to Congress. He is using Attorney General William Barr as his personal protector when Barr is supposed to be the people’s top lawyer.
The pressure to impeach Trump is at a tipping point. If Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House majority do not write up articles of impeachment and put it to a vote, the gross corruption of this president will become routine in our government. That will lead to the moment the Founding Fathers feared most, unrestrained presidential imperium.
Don Hiddleson, Millcreek
Donate to the newsroom now. The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax deductible