Sorry, Donald Trump, that’s not how any of this works
Donald J. Trump, IMPOTUS the Third, is back after the New Year. New decade, but nothing has changed. Here’s what he tweeted:
A lot of very good people were taken down by a small group of Dirty (Filthy) Cops, politicians, government officials, and an investigation that was illegally started & that SPIED on my campaign. The Witch Hunt is sputtering badly, but still going on (Ukraine Hoax!). If this had happened to a Presidential candidate, or President, who was a Democrat, everybody involved would long ago be in jail for treason (and more), and it would be considered the CRIME OF THE CENTURY, far bigger and more sinister than Watergate!
Not sure who the “very good people” were, but several people in his immediate orbit have been convicted of various felonies. And once again, perhaps playing to Cult 45, he is repeating the tripe about how an investigation that was “illegally started” and that someone “SPIED on” his campaign. Sorry, but there’s no “Witch Hunt” here. Far from it. Just Security has released its analysis of unredacted documents involving Ukraine. There are no “Dirty (Filthy) Cops” involved, but instead real criminal behavior by IMPOTUS. The bombshell report states:
The documents reveal growing concern from Pentagon officials that the hold would violate the Impoundment Control Act, which requires the executive branch to spend money as appropriated by Congress, and that the necessary steps to avoid this result weren’t being taken. Those steps would include notifying Congress that the funding was being held or shifted elsewhere, a step that was never taken. The emails also show that no rationale was ever given for why the hold was put in place or why it was eventually lifted.
What is clear is that it all came down to the president and what he wanted; no one else appears to have supported his position. Although the pretext for the hold was that some sort of policy review was taking place, the emails make no mention of that actually happening. Instead, officials were anxiously waiting for the president to be convinced that the hold was a bad idea.
Trump, you are going down. Keep tweeting, but things are going to get very bumpy for not-good people such as you.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.