No matter how you look at it, Trump is toast
It’s going to be an interesting week in Washington. The House is preparing to roll out its first set of witnesses in the impeachment probe, and the Republicans are busy stonewalling. That seems to be what they do best these days. They’re certainly not in the business of doing what’s best for this country. Anything to keep their seats and their fearless leader out of trouble, they seem perfectly willing to do.
Trump, continuing to claim his innocence in the face of overwhelming guilt, took to Twitter to rally his troops Sunday by repeating the same thing he’s said before: “The call to the Ukrainian President was PERFECT. Read the Transcript!” Obviously, Trump’s definition of “perfect” is very different from those who still have a grasp on reality. According to the Washington Post, 13 Republicans and Trump appointees disagree, saying that Trump’s call with Zelensky was “hardly perfect.” While none of Trump’s amen choir supports impeachment, Nikki Haley, John Kennedy (R-LA), Mac Thornberry (R-TX), and Will Hurd (R-TX) all said publicly that “asking for an investigation of a political opponent isn’t okay.” You think?
Even as they publicly admit that what Trump did wasn’t “okay,” they still try to make excuses for him, a clear case of talking out of both sides of one’s mouth. Kennedy claims that Trump didn’t “directly” ask for an investigation into Biden. If that works for you, cool, but it’s not the truth. The remaining people who seem to be trying to distance themselves are Rob Portman (R-OH), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Russian Ambassador nominee John Sullivan, Gordon Sondland, Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), Fred Upton (R-MI), Ben Sasse (R-NE), and Susan Collins (R-ME). The Post includes those who spoke out about his invitation for China to investigate Biden, but the sentiment is the same: Trump’s requests were inappropriate, period.
Meanwhile, Pompeo had the nerve to appear on “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos, a risky move in and of itself, especially when he didn’t come armed with the truth. Instead, he spent his time skirting George’s questions and as the Post said, spinning a story. George focused on McKinley’s testimony that he asked Pompeo to intercede on behalf of Marie Yovanovitch. Pompeo talked all around the issue and never really answered. All McKinley wanted was for Pompeo to support a career diplomat who had done nothing wrong, but Pompeo refused to offer that, let alone anything else, to Yovanovitch. That refusal made him part of the campaign to oust her, whether he admits it or not.
While the Republicans continue to scramble and look like fools, Giuliani’s partner in crime, Lev Parnas, has admitted that he told the incoming Ukrainian leadership to announce an investigation into the Bidens if they wanted the promised military aid, according to HuffPost. This information came to light from the New York Times, which spoke directly with Parnas’ counsel, Joseph Bondy. Once again, Trump denied knowing someone, and this time, it’s going to bite him in the ass. Parnas is ready to testify and should he follow through, he will certainly be a star witness in the ongoing investigation. At this point, no matter how you look at this, Trump is toast.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years