Few people believe the Republican led Senate will remove Donald Trump from office even though the emerging evidence clearly points toward his guilt. I feel like I’m watching a movie unfold that depicts the blatant corruption of powerful government officials. This week called into question the behavior of Attorney General William Barr, Congressman Devin Nunez, former governor Rick Perry, and even Vice President Mike Pence. And to think that these men were elected by Americans to protect and defend the Constitution. The members of Trump’s circle implicated in multiple corruption scandals since 2016 is nothing short of a betrayal of the public trust. But why is this happening? Can anyone do anything to stop this train wreck from happening in the next few weeks?
I believe the answer lies in the loud and determined demands of the American people. We the people are responsible for whether the Senate does its job in a fair and impartial way during this trial. Yeah, they took an oath, but it means nothing. Over the years, Republican lawmakers have repeatedly shown us who they are. It’s our good fortune that journalist have uncovered the fact that they are willing to lie and cheat and overlook sexual harassment and all manner of wrongdoing for the sake of remaining in power so that they can stack the courts. These Republicans know Trump has broken many laws and has violated the trust of his office and the American people, but none of that matters if they can remain in office. Can it really be that simple and that bad? Maybe.
Whether it is or isn’t that simple, I say we remind them that they will not be re-elected to office if they betray our country and the rule of law by denying us a legitimate trial that brings forth relevant witnesses and documents that either exonerate or convict the president. Let both sides expose the facts of the case. No covering up the truth. No withholding of facts. No distractions. No moves to dismiss the allegations just to make the whole thing go away because you have a majority.
This past week, I wrote to Mitch McConnell several times, demanding witnesses and documents and a legitimate trial. I’ve seen several news reports that polls show that 70% of Americans want to hear from witnesses. I’m grateful for the relentless journalist who keep digging for information, and for pollsters who keep polling, and for reporters who keep reporting the actual news. The legitimate news outlets (not Facebook; not Fox; not conservative talk radio) are helping to inform us during this crucial time in our nation’s history. We have to support them financially with subscriptions and by watching so that they can continue the important work. With the information they provide, we have a job to do, too.
We, the people have a voice. We must use it to demand a fair trial so that we are sending a clear message to our government that blatant corruption and criminal behavior will not be tolerated. Our voice is expressed in marches, letters, emails, phone calls, protests, blogs, and voting. Whichever way makes sense, each American should use her voice to demand what is right. Silence is a friend of the corrupt.
I don’t understand how a person like Donald Trump got elected. I only know that there are criminal and corrupt elements undergirding his presidency and working diligently to deceive the electorate every minute of every day. It is evident that he has surrounded himself with criminals. Even those who turn on him have credibility issues because of their own criminal behavior. But think about the role Trump himself gave to those people are who turned on him? These were people engaged in his schemes. This week Lev Parnas became the newest person to turn over evidence of Trump’s bribery scheme. We know that Trump lies, cheats, steals, bullies and kills innocents with his policies without morality. He has no regard for people who don’t swear loyalty to him. How is this man still president of the United States? I know the world is wondering the same thing.
It is time for we the people to demand that the Senate do the right thing and seriously consider the facts as to whether Trump truly deserves to be our president.