Dear America,
Bolton: “I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up.”
Vindman: Quid pro quo. WH memo, whitewashed.
Taylor: Quid pro quo.
Sondland: Quid pro quo.
Yovanovitch: Quid pro quo.
Mulvaney: Quid pro quo.
In sum, abuse of power.
Bolton: “I am not part of whatever drug deal Sondland and Mulvaney are cooking up.”
Vindman: Quid pro quo. WH memo, whitewashed.
Taylor: Quid pro quo.
Sondland: Quid pro quo.
Yovanovitch: Quid pro quo.
Mulvaney: Quid pro quo.
In sum, abuse of power.
Trump tried to cover up his misconduct by instructing AG Barr to bury the complaint. When that failed, Trump further attempted to cover up his abuse of power by whitewashing the White House memorandum.
When public outrage still did not subside, Trump again tried to obstruct the Congressional investigation (which the Constitution authorizes as a check on executive power) by threatening witnesses and refusing to produce documents.
Trump, terrified that the situation was spiraling out of control, began to bribe senators (the jurors in his forthcoming trial) with SuperPAC funds for their re-election campaigns.
Whether a Republican or Democrat, the foregoing facts are horrifying. The viability of our experiment in self-government is directly in question.
Americans may -- in fact, must -- debate policies that will shape our country's future. But if you ignore Trump's unparalleled abuses of power, misconduct squarely in our founders' minds when the Constitution was drafted, the sacred flame of our republic will be extinguished.
Preserving our Constitution, the rule of law, and our institutions must be above politics. If Trump's abuses of power are immune from scrutiny, we, sadly, will live in a banana republic. One day a despot who is far more capable than Trump will take away your rights and liberties.
