Clear Trump strategy to me, and I met some of these folk in Ohio last week. Trump is actively speaking out against FBI, Justice Dept and CIA; all who are viewed with fear and loathing by Trumps core base of voter.
So the more they do legally to get Trump into court or more grounds for impeached, the more strengthens his support. Any other President since Washington would have been impeached and in jail, but Trump is better Teflon coated than Andy D.
Many people here and in Texas strongly feel that there is a mood for armed rebellion. Yep I know that sounds just ridiculous but this is the United States of America where polarisation is just endemic, and guns are everywhere and everyone can legally buy bullets.
If the rule of law is put on hold for certain political figures because of the fear that the supporters of those political figures will get violent, you don’t have the rule of law at all.
Prosecute him for anything he’s done that’s legitimately prosecutable. If the ‘armed uprising’ comes, what will it look like? A handful of dudes doing … what exactly? Shooting a couple of judges? That ain’t gonna inspire righteous rebellion among the majority of texans, that’s going to (rightly) be seen as naked terrorism, and treated accordingly.
Look I totally get this view. I’m not saying an uprising is going to be successful, or prolonged, but I just want to avoid anything that might make a martyr of Trump. Being impeached opens the door for the argument that he was screwed over and is more likely to result in the next republican candidate being just as extreme or worse. Him being defeated at a general election doesn’t have these effects IMO
I certainly get where you’re coming from. But him not being impeached opens a whole lot of unpleasant (and I’d argue much worse) doors too.
I’ve thought for a long time that Ford’s pardon of Nixon was one of the worst things that happened to the US. It made presidents believe that they were above the law. Letting Trump skate in the interests of not upsetting the crazy people would be just as bad. It basically gifts the country to the crazy people, they learn that all they need to do to effectively rule the country in perpetuity is threaten violence.
It’s pretty unlikely he’s impeached anyway. You need 2/3 majority in the senate. If 20 odd Republican senators vote to impeach it would only be if it was very serious and evidence was crystal clear. Which probably takes care of an uprising.
An armed uprising would be encouraged by Trump if it gets to that stage. We have been in ‘cult’ behavior territory for quite some time. Many studies showing that when confronted with evidence that their beliefs are false, most Teump supporters double down (this holds true for lost firm held beliefs not just trump people).
Trump will dragged everyone down before going quietly.
Sadly, the US needs a reset on many things. It often takes extreme events to see this happen. It certainly looks like it might in this case.
Another option is Trump is presented with the option of ‘retiring’ to Florida, deleting Twitter and never speaking publicly again. In return they don’t charge him after his presidency is over.
The US is in such unprecedented territory that every option would be looked at
While I get that, their role is not to seek to remove a sitting president or provide different ways of doing it. They can investigate and provide the evidence required for congress/senate (whoever it is) to look towards impeachment.
IT may be complaining about a few retired/fired agents who have made public comments, but they’re private actors now. Hardly blame the organisations for that.
I think IT’s complaint is that DT is complaining about the things he keeps making public being made public.
How this is the FBI’s fault is anyone’s guess.
But… Hillary’s emails.
I’d be very concerned if credible accusations of foreign tampering in an election was not investigated.
If a half arsed on no investigation was performed, it would permanently stain Trump’s legacy. As is, there’s potential that he is exonerated and the fbi becomes the credible agency that says he didn’t collude.
My admittedly vague and confused rambling about “beige” earlier was in large part about the idea or hope that when it is their time Dems will not extend on or utilize precedents like the one Trump will set here. Tempting as it may be, justified as they may feel.
So their meant to let the Republicans rip up the rule book and appoint Obama supreme court judges and use these rules to do an end pass around the two houses, but then when its their go just sit on their hands and do nothing with their agenda? Especially when the Republicans have shown under Obama they’re not willing to do anything bipartisan if a Dem is in charge?
Nice that only one team has to tie a hand behind their backs.
Life is not fair, but the idea is to be better is it not? Better, in particular, than a President on course to make the ghost of Nixon give you a nudge and say “Hey, at least I wasn’t that guy”. A guy destined to be a series of case studies on what not to do in a course titled “Ethics in Leadership”. If you think Trump is doing the wrong thing, you probably shouldn’t do it yourself.
It doesn’t mean doing nothing. On the contrary, it will mean work and it will be hard. If the Republicans rip up the rule book, then it will be the Dems’ job to put it back together again with paper that is much harder to tear.