Jump to content

[Saints News] Commentary: Trump's Ukraine Dilemma Deepens


borhoi

Recommended Posts

YhJydCu.png

Obn34op.jpg

President Trump Addresses the Media Outside the Whitehouse on Thursday (Leah Mills/Reuters)

 

Commentary: Trump's Ukraine Dilemma Deepens
 

Ryan D. Price

 

Well, he's really gone and done it. On Thursday, President Donald Trump spoke to the media outside the White House and basically admitted to everything House Democrats hoped to prove in their impeachment inquiry.


"I would say that President Zelensky, if it were me, I would recommend that they start an investigation into the Bidens."


That quote came shortly after the President exclaimed, out of the blue, that China should also investigate the Bidens. It's important to note here that he at no time during his ever-familiar stream-of-consciousness ranting admitted that he himself had already put pressure on either Ukraine or China to investigate. He simply said he'd recommend they do so.


However, Trump's bold attitude about this whole thing isn't surprising. House Democrats can move to impeach and bring the case before the Republican-led Senate who will not convict. With the latest Gallup poll showing 87% job approval for Trump among GOP voters, it'd be political suicide for any GOP senator to vote to convict the President.


In the meantime, the entire impeachment process can be spun easily as a "witch hunt" by the Trump Administration - a tactic they're already putting to use. By spending the entirety of his first campaign and first term in office lashing out at the media, Trump's solidified among his base a complete distrust for basically any news story that doesn't come out of his mouth (or from his fingers on Twitter). What Democrats hope will shine a damaging light on alleged corruption and harm the President's reelection bid might just end up rallying the President's base more than ever.


But is any of this real? Did Trump use or attempt to use his office to pressure Ukranian President Zelensky into investigating his political rival's family? A round of text messages released by the House Intelligence Committee seems to at least add a bit of credence to the notion.

 

WvcSF44.png

 

npfZdsH.png


These texts between US diplomats aren't just bad optics. They're downright damning. Bill Taylor, the US's top diplomat in Ukraine, expressed his opinion that it was "crazy" to withhold military aid in an attempt to benefit Trump's reelection. Taylor has served under four administrations as US Ambassador to Ukraine. Gordon Sondland, who quickly replied to the text (shown in the picture above), is the US Ambassador to the European Union, and also a Trump megadonor. Sondland put more than one million dollars towards Trump's campaign in 2016 before being appointed to his current position. Particularly suspicious is his insistence that the conversation be taken offline, away from text messages.


As President Trump's public persona becomes more erratic than ever in the face of an impeachment inquiry it's hard to look at the mounting evidence and not see something unsettling. 


The oath the President took upon inauguration was this:


"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."


If Trump is indeed abusing the power of his office to pressure foreign leaders into helping his reelection bid, as the texts seem to show, it's hard to say he is faithfully executing the Office.

 

 

MORE FROM SAINTS

 

[Saints Radio] Missed Our Interview With Chief Hughes?

 

[Saints News] Opinion: Is "Medicare For All" A Good Idea?

 

[Saints News] DRESS TO IMPRESS (Night-Out Wear)

 

 

 

Saints News

 

saints-acc.png

Edited by borhoi
Link to comment
  • mj2002 locked this topic
  • Wuhtah unlocked this topic

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...