Thread by @DLeonhardt

1. The unrelenting chaos that President Trump creates can sometimes obscure the big picture. But the big picture is simple: The United States has never had a president as demonstrably unfit for the office. nytimes.com/2019/01/05/opi…

2. Trump's high crimes and misdemeanors can be separated into four categories. And this list is conservative. It does not include the possibility that his campaign coordinated strategy with Russia, nor his lazy approach to the job, like his refusal to read briefing books.

3. This list instead focuses on demonstrable ways that Trump has broken the law or violated his oath.

ONE: Trump has used the presidency for personal enrichment.
TWO: He has violated campaign finance law.
THREE: He has obstructed justice.
FOUR: He has subverted democracy.

4. For the country’s sake, there is only one acceptable outcome, just as there was after Americans realized in 1974 that a criminal was occupying the Oval Office. The president must go.

5. Achieving this outcome won't be easy. And it should not involve a Democratic House quickly impeaching him -- which would actually be a favor to Trump. But achieving his removal from office is more plausible than many people seem to realize.
nytimes.com/2019/01/05/opi…