Abuse of Power

(Washington) --- Americans know an authentic hero when they see one. More than 316,006 people sent letters to the White House supporting Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and condemning the act of retribution by President Donald Trump. Fresh from his impeachment “show trial” acquittal, where Republicans refused to hear first-hand from witnesses and new evidence, Trump purged Vindman out of his post in the White House at the National Security Council in one of the first visible moves of what unchecked power looks like. Trump has continued  a combination of revenge and purity purges removing many long-serving and faithful government professionals who dares to stand in his way and stand up for the rule of law.

“Presidents and attorneys general cannot put their thumbs on the scales of justice for any reason — including to aid friends and associates — or we cease to be a nation of laws,” said Karen Hobert Flynn, president of Common Cause, a nonpartisan organization focused on preserving constitutional norms and safeguards.

“The Attorney General is and has always been the attorney for our nation—the United States—not the President’s attorney. But Attorney General Barr has made clear that, first and foremost, he serves President Donald Trump’s personal and political interests and not the interests of the United States. Barr has failed to faithfully execute the most basic duty of his office. This is not how justice works in the United States. The American people expect and deserve better."

Moments after the Senate ended its sham impeachment trial...
something extraordinary happened.

“While this is the conclusion of one particular process, this is also a moment where President Trump was, for one of the few times in his life, held accountable for his actions,” said Jesse Littlewood, vice president of campaigns at Common Cause and an organizer of the evening demonstration. Littlewood said having hundreds of people standing outside Congress moments after the impeachment vote will send a symbolic message to legislators about the disappointment many Americans feel.“This is our opportunity to say we’re not going to let Trump run roughshod over our democratic process, that even if the GOP gives [him] a pass, we’re not going to,” he said.

Americans deserved the truth, but they got a ham-handed coverup instead. The Republican majority in the United States Senate denied the American people the truth and violated their oaths of office in a fruitless attempt to sweep Donald Trump’s illegal acts under the rug. In a cowardly and disgraceful final act to their show trial, Senate Republicans – with the notable exception of Mitt Romney - buried their heads in the sand and voted to condone President Trump’s blatant abuse of the powers of the presidency. Make no mistake about it, this was nothing more than an attempted partisan coverup for the shameless and illegal conduct of Donald Trump.