President Donald Trump has already been indicted once, and did not even include all ten examples of obstruction of justice during the investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller. But in the last month, Washington Post Editorial page editor Fred Hiatt described many, many more.
Writing Sunday, Hiatt reviewed articles of the Constitution that Trump has violated in the past four weeks. He noted that in June, Trump decided that his ability to win in November depended on reopening the economy, even if it put Americans’ lives at risk. Meanwhile, the White House, Fox News, and Republicans elected in the House and Senate launched a “bizarre campaign to discredit the nation’s leading infectious disease doctor, Anthony S. Fauci.” Even if Trump is demanding that all companies reopen, Trump has belittled the evidence, saying that is why COVID-19 cases are so high.
“My one-month-old article 2, abuse of law enforcement, will have to be reinstated, because the crimes I listed a month ago pale alongside the recent reckless deployment of federal forces in US cities. for political purposes, “wrote Hiatt.
He cited Send Journalist Ruth Marcus, who explained that Trump’s actions attacking Portland, Oregon, is “unconstitutional.” Sending federal agents dressed as military members to dump protesters in unmarked vans so Trump can get images of the campaign is a charge.
“My article 3, abuse of appointment power, will also need to be updated, now that the valiant Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman has not only been expelled from the White House, but has also been expelled from the military,” Hiatt wrote.
“Article 4, abuse of power in foreign affairs, gets a new count,” he continued. “The original cited Trump’s acceptance of China’s concentration camps in western China in exchange for help from the campaign to promise to buy soybeans from farmers in the Midwest.”
Then there is the matter of Trump ignoring Russia by issuing a reward for the lives of American soldiers in Afghanistan.
In the past, Trump has been accused of violating the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, which prevents a president from earning money from his office. There is a whole new list of examples.
“We would also need some new items, starting with Item 5: Abuse of Power for Personal Enrichment,” Hiatt quoted. “The New York Times He reports that the U.S. Ambassador to Britain told several people in 2018 that Trump was pressuring him to have the British government run the lucrative British Open golf tournament at a Trump-owned resort in Scotland. The tournament has not yet landed. But the attempt at sordidness is still sordid. “
He noted that if there is a need for real earnings, Send Journalist David Fahrenthold has been working slowly to discover them during the three years that Trump has been in office. In this election cycle alone, Trump has raised more than $ 4 million from the Republican Party and his own campaign.
“Article 6 would be abuse of the power of pardon and forgiveness,” said Hiatt. “The Constitution allows the president to free criminals, including one who has been convicted of lying to Congress and the FBI to protect the president. That doesn’t make it right.”
Article 7 could be a charge against Trump for trying to tear down the United States electoral process.
“The president’s lies about the possibility of mail vote fraud, combined with his threats to ignore the election results, would not be recorded as violations of the United States penal code,” Hiatt concluded. “But could there be a higher crime and misdemeanor than deliberately trying to suppress the vote, wreak havoc, and lay the groundwork to obstruct a peaceful transfer of power?”
He noted that he is not suggesting that Congress act on these crimes. Still, if the Senate becomes a Democrat in November, it is entirely possible that Congress will vote to impeach in 2021 to show future presidents that they cannot get away with breaking the law like Trump did.
