Thread by @PuestoLoco

.@SpeakerPelosi is peddling 3 MYTHS:
• Impeachment will make Trump more popular
• Impeachment is worthwhile only if it ends with removing him from office
• Trump will lose in 2020 so voters, rather than Congress, can deliver the consequences he deserves
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/…

2• “If Trump weren’t president, he’d probably be in jail. That’s the view of a group of hundreds of former federal prosecutors who signed an open letter stating his conduct would warrant criminal obstruction of justice charges if he lived anywhere except in the White House.”

3• “Few Americans have actually read the Mueller report, and walking the country through all the damning material in high-profile public hearings has the potential to hurt Trump far more than the Democrats in Congress.”

4• “Impeachment isn’t just a tool to remove a president — it’s also a way to mark a presidency with historic disapproval, thereby deterring similar conduct for future presidents.”

5• “Though his poll numbers are abysmal now, it’s possible that he could get reelected in 2020. If so & without even enduring so much as an impeachment hearing, that will encourage future presidents to commit corrupt or criminal acts. He will have gotten away with it scott free”

6• “The brightest dividing line between democratic republics & authoritarian regimes is the rule of law. Just about every tinpot despot holds sham elections, so what separates dictatorship from democracy isn’t just voting. It’s the rule of law.”

7• “In functioning democracies, the idea that “nobody is above the law” isn’t just a slogan. And yet, Trump has almost certainly committed serious crimes without any consequences.”

8•“The NY Times published convincing evidence that Trump engaged in widespread criminal tax fraud over decades that would land anyone else in jail. There’s also convincing evidence that he committed crimes to try to protect himself, a direct & dangerous challenge to rule of law”

9• “Mueller outlined 10 instances of obstruction of justice, several of which would normally lead to indictments. And that Trump tried to fire Mueller, shut down the investigation & tried to abuse his authority to wield the law as a weapon against his political adversaries.”

10• “So here’s a question for congressional leaders: Precisely how many crimes does someone have to commit before impeachment hearings are warranted? Does the person in question get a pass if it’s three or fewer?”

11• “To oppose impeachment hearings now, you have to believe that the president allegedly engaging in three separate categories of criminal acts isn’t serious enough to even consider impeachment. Really? Is that the precedent we want to set?”

12• “If Trump does not face impeachment hearings, then what are the consequences for his alleged criminal behavior and his blatant attempts to subvert rule of law? The answer, unfortunately, is that there would be none.”

13• “And beyond the alleged crimes, it’s also not a bad idea to set a new precedent: that presidents get impeached if they actively encourage foreign attacks on U.S. elections or refuse to protect future elections from those attacks.”

14• “When the Kremlin attacked our democratic process, Trump welcomed the assault, promoted it, tried to cover it up by blaming it on others and then attempted to subvert an investigation aimed at exposing the culprits.”

15• “Last week, Trump even called it a “hoax” in a conversation with the chief perpetrator of the attack, Vladimir Putin. Are Republicans comfortable with setting the precedent that such behavior is acceptable?”

16• “Congress has a duty to act. To at least consider removing a president who threatens rule of law, violates it himself & actually encourages foreign attacks on our democratic process.”

17• “Even if House Dems decide not to impeach or Senate Republicans vote to keep him in office, there’ll be a clear marker for future presidents…”

18• “...Committing crimes, subverting rule of law & welcoming foreign attacks on democracy are all unacceptable & will result in your presidency forever being marked by a shameful asterisk.”

– An assistant professor of global politics at University College London, Brian Klaas focuses on democracy, authoritarianism & American politics & foreign policy. He co-authored "How to Rig an Election" & authored "The Despot's Apprentice: Donald Trump's Attack on Democracy"