Donald Trump may very well be impeached.
I never thought it ever had much chance of happening because of Republican control of the Congress, nor was I convinced it would help the country.
But his words and actions of late have changed the situation, along with the news that his efforts to obstruct the Mueller investigation may actually become the basis for his impeachment.
A sitting president cannot be charged with a felony crime, but he or she can be impeached for “high crimes and misdemeanors,” of which obstruction of justice is one.
If he should try to fire Mueller it would only add to the obstruction charges since he would be in violation of the Code of Federal Regulations which states such an action must be taken by the Attorney General (in this case Rod Rosenstein since Sessions recused himself): “The Attorney General may remove a Special Counsel for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause, including violation of Departmental policies.”
Trump challenged the rule of law openly when he described the FBI’s confiscation of documents and computers from the office of his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, as “disgraceful” and “an attack on our country.”
He made that statement in spite of the fact that everything that was done was legal, several steps to that end having been approved by Trump’s own appointees.
In other words, Trump doesn’t want us to believe that the rule of law makes us the kind of nation we are, or that no one, including the president, is above the law.
This was just another attempt on his part to erode public trust in our democratic institutions just as he had previously done in attacking the main stream media and judicial decisions.
Washington Post writer Jennifer Rubin said of Trump’s statements about the FBI raid on Cohen’s office, “There is no better formulation of his authoritarian, anti-democratic mindset than this.”
Let that statement sink in for a minute. She is talking about the President of the United States.
Regardless of whether or not Trump is impeached, though, the national mood certainly suggests he will be a one term president.
That will become more evident when he faces a primary challenge for the Republican nomination from more than one person, a challenge he is likely to lose given the fact that more than a few Republicans are already alarmed by his behavior – McCain, Flake, Will, Brooks, the Bushes, Corker, Gerson, Smith, Wallace – to name only a few.
What is more, some leading Republicans outside of government including ultra-conservative Bill Kristol have formed a new group called, “Republicans for the Rule of Law,” to help shield other Republicans office holders from Trump’s toxicity.
All of this suggests that Trump’s days as leader of the Republican Party are numbered.
Should he somehow survive a primary challenge, he will lose the general election by a landslide. I do not believe the American people are going to put ourselves through another four years of chaos as we are having now in his first term.
I think one of the reasons Trump is bringing all of this on himself and on the nation is that he thought he was going to run the country the way he ran his business, which, by the way, was very badly.
But America is not a Trump company, and he is not our boss.
Yet, we know his supporters are remaining loyal, but the crisis we now face means it is time to tell them the truth. They also shoulder the blame for what the country is now going through along with Trump himself.
They wanted a Washington outsider, a non-politician, but what the country got was a president who was not only an outsider, but someone who knows nothing about being President, doesn’t believe he doesn’t know anything, is impetuous, childish, ego driven, and engages in regular temper tantrums via tweeter.
Again, we are talking about the President of the United States here.
Trump voters and supporters are aiding and abetting someone who because of a volatile temperament is now a clear and present danger to our nation.
So it comes down to this. You simply cannot care about this country and support Donald Trump. You just can’t.
The only thing they can do that might make up for some of the damage they have done to the country is to step up to the plate and admit that their gamble didn’t pay off and their anger led them to make a very bad decision.
Then they will be able to join the rest of us in putting the country back together after Trump is gone.
None of us could have imagined less than two years ago that the country would find itself under siege by its own president.
Yet, here we are, and how each of us responds individually and how we respond as a nation will show who we really are (or are not) as a people.
linnposts.com 
Recently, I was shocked when, following the killing of a terrorist leader by a drone bomb, Donald Trump demanded to be told why the man’s family hadn’t been killed as well. Truly, absolute power corrupts absolutely, as Lord Atkin, one of England’s most eminent Jurists, once said.
(p.s. Dear Jan, No matter how hard I try, my e-mails aren’t getting through to you – they all come back to me!)
I certainly hope the FBI doesn’t raid my lawyer to confiscate documents & computers in an attempt to find dirt on me. The conversations that I have with my lawyer should be protected by lawyer-client privilege & for the FBI to violate that relationship is reckless & violates my rights as a citizen. What the FBI did with that raid was on the level of KGB & Third Reich stuff in my opinion.
You cannot be serious. There is no lawyer-client privilege when there is evidence that both are involved in a crime. To refer to this raid as on the level with the KGB or worse, the Third Reich, is irresponsible, if not reprehensible. Supporting a president’s claim that he is above the law qualifies for that far more than anything the FBI did. The truth is, you and I don’t know why they did what they did, but they had to prove it was justified to a Republican Assistant Attorney jail appointed by Trump, the US Attorney’s office in NY, and a judge. Obviously you trust a liar and known cheat like Trump over them. I don’t and I hope to God most Americans don’t.
Mr Anthony, Your relationships ARE protected under lawyer/ client privilege unless they are involved in commiting a crime. I sincerely hope your lawyers knowledge of your computer files& documents doesn’t keep you awake at night.
And what is the alleged crime? I’m a little confused with that part of it.
other than being a narcissistic bafoon
Trump’s personal attorney Cohen is now pleading the 5th amendment in the Stormy case, on all matters related …
In attempt to not incriminate himself …
ONE of the crimes is using campaign funds ($130,000) to bribe Stormy Daniels to not talk, but the biggest crime is cooperating with the Russians to influence the election, which they did.
Why hasn’t Mueller charged Trump with a crime of cooperation with the Russians yet?
He’s actually indicated recently that Trump is no longer being investigated for wrongful connections with Russia. No question that Russia influenced the election but it wasn’t Trump’s doing according to the evidence
Can you please tell me what you mean: “…join the rest of us in putting this country back together after Trump is gone.” First, who is “us” ? And what do you want returned to its former self? Additionally, what form of nation would we be living in if H. Clinton had gotten elected? Then “their anger led them to make a very bad decision” — I didn’t see anger from middle America; I saw ridicule of middle Americans, until voting time when they went to vote and quietly “responded” to that ridicule. As far as anger goes: the widespread anger on election night was all Clinton voters and it has lasted quite a while, until fairly recently. Please tell me your vision of what would have been the state of the nation if Trump had not won. Thank you.
If you believe Trump is trustworthy, understands issues, studies policies, represents our country to the world in a way that has gained respect, can be trusted to make good decisions after listening to the counsel of others, has made the economy stronger, united our nation, works well with others, is not petty or childish in his tweet rants, is a moral person who is an example for others, then there is nothing else I can say to help you understand why I believe your vote was a big mistake for which our country is paying a terrible price.
What you just said is patently false. What you are referring to is a report from Fix News that Trump is not the “subject” of the investigation, a report that first appeared in the Washington Post. What Fix didn’t say is that the Post report contained the phrase. “as of now.” Moreover, the report was from last December.
You have apparently decided Mueller is finished with his work and should bring charges or not. My question is how you think you are in a position to know anything about this. The problem with Trump defenders and government haters like you is that you made wild claims without a shred of evidence to support them. That by definition is an opinion being offered as a fact. That is what is wrong with public debate today. People make unsubstantiated claims and then expect to be take seriously. They never will be, nor should they.
You are correct: I’m NOT in a position to know anything about this, but I AM in a position to see that after a year of working full time to try to find criminal activity in the Trump campaign, the Special Council has not revealed anything remotely criminal.
Your assumption that I am a Trump “defender” is false. But, for better or for worse, Trump IS the President of the country I live in & as a Christian I feel like I have a huge responsibility to pray that God will use him for His (God’s) purposes in the world inspite of all the faults, imperfections & major flaws he possesses.
Everyone of the leaders that God used in the Bible had major flaws- starting with Jacob who was a scoundrel who cheated his brother out of his birthrite with the help of his mother & yet God used him & his name was changed to Israel. You know the faults of all the leaders God raised up throughout The Old Tesatament. But God was able to use them inspite of all their faults & imperfections.
I don’t like Trump any more than you do. I don’t like his ways, his morals or his lifestyle.
I probably wouldn’t have liked the majority of the Hebrew leaders in the Bible either.
But, just like He always does, I really believe God will use Trump, as disgusting as he is, for His purposes.
You can resist & bash & bully Trump all you want, & predict & justify impeachment- but where does that get us? Only Fills us with alot of hate & anger & other negative emotions.
But where’s the love of Christ in all of that; where’s the hope that our faith is built upon.
I have to learn to love Trump & pray that God will use whatever Trump brings to the table at this time in our country’s (& world’s) history.
Just because Mueller has not made a report on criminal activity regarding Trump doesn’t mean he won’t. He is being professional in not leaking anything until the investigation is done. If he had, I suspect you would argue that was being inappropriate – and you would have been right, which is why he hasn’t done it.
Regarding your views on supporting the President and God using him no matter what, I have to wonder of you would have told the Jews of Europe the same thing as Hitler came to power. Some leaders do great harm and when they do they should be exposed, criticized, and defeated one way or the other. Here that would be via voting and that cannot come too soon for me.
But enough of this. You have made your point. No need to keep at it.
During the Primaries, Trump was not my choice out of 16 candidates. I liked 4 or 5 others. Ended up Trump in the finals, so did not get any of my 5 choices. Bernie S. “voters” didn’t get their choice either. Yet, despite his ideosyncracies, Trump gets results (reduce regulations, job growth, stock market jumped out of slow growth, etc) that I do like. My question to you was What Would The Country Be Like if H. Clinton Had Been Elected? What do you see as the state of the nation, in regard to Korea, Syria, Iran, Russia, etc. Where would she get jobs from for the many who had none? Things that matter. By the way, i don’t think that comparing Trump to Hitler is appropriate: Hitler took all the guns away so the people could not fight back. Trump wants to preserve the 2nd Amendment–only criminals and sick people abuse a priviledge.
Well said Jan, I certainly share the perspective that President Trump is petty, vile, incompetent and dangerous to our democracy. What I’m not as confident in is that any Republican voters really care. Some of the people you mentioned were critical but voted in support of the President and his agenda anyway. I wish I could share your optimism that an electoral college system will yield a defeat. (There’s little doubt that a popular vote would.) I also think it’s a bit odd that critics of Mueller like to say he hasn’t found anything on the President. As you pointed out we don’t know that, but there was enough concern to look into it. That’s why there is an investigation. It’s important that it be completed.
Wilbur, remember that the Electoral College normally reflects the popular vote in each state. Trump won because Hillary lost Ohio and Michigan both of which she had a good chance of winning had her campaign done a better job. Re the Mueller investigation, what is curious about its critics is that all of them assume it will yield bad results for Trump. Why do they think that? Perhaps because they know deep down that he is a dishonest man who may well have colluded with the Russians to win. They never seem to think Mueller will not find anything to impugn Trump. Really curious, especially since Trump himself is just like them. There was a time when conservatives would say that if you don’t have anything to hide, don’t worry about an investigation. Changed their tune now that the shoe is on the other foot.
Hilary and the DNC certainly share much of the blame. RE Mueller critics, not so long ago “family values” and the national debt were also important. Not so much anymore.
Amen.
Cheerz!
Tested OK. It’s taken a few decades but the oligarchs are now in control and constitutional democracy has been sidelined. There should be no surprises that this arrogant, privileged class who stratify the citizenry according to their definitions of worthiness (a family inheritance from 20th century capitalists for many) feel above the law and therefore “liberty and justice for all” is a myth today. True greatness is forever tied to goodness. The American powers-that-be have lost sight of or concern for that transcendent value, actually believe they and their US is indispensable to the world, and act as loose canons across the globe and at home where divisions run rampant. History testifies such empires do not stand. If there is any good lesson to come from it it will be that our savvy youth will work with revolutionary zeal to right the wayward ship of state over the coming decades. However, It’s a very large ship and will require all available “tugs” guiding it to port; and, its crew, including those in the engine room, must be replaced!
Bob, the ship is, indeed, large, but I’m with you. It can be turned and I think our nation’s youth will be the ones assuring it does.