DID TRUMP OR DIDN’T HE?

The question of whether Trump committed high crimes and misdemeanors in his conversations with Comey is being debated between Republicans and Democrats

BarkGrowlBite
June 12, 2017

On Thursday fired FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that “I take the president at his word that I was fired because of the Russia investigation.”

Comey also testified that during a private dinner January 27 at the White House, President Trump said, "I need loyalty, I expect loyalty"

Then on February 14, according to his testimony, Trump told everyone to leave the Oval Office except Comey. He then said to Comey, "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go. He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go."

All three instances –the loyalty demand, the Flynn matter and the firing - have brought forth a heated debate between Republicans and Democrats as to whether Trump obstructed justice, an impeachable offense under high crimes and misdemeanors.

The President’s demand for loyalty was highly inappropriate, but there was nothing in that demand which would indicate Trump was trying to obstruct justice. Now had trump coupled the loyalty demand with a request to let the Flynn investigation go, that would come close to constituting obstruction of justice.

When Trump said he hoped Comey would let the Flynn investigation go, he was expressing a wish and not ordering the FBI Director to stop that investigation.

The firing of Comey has led House Democrats Maxine Waters, Al Green, Sheila Jackson Lee, Brad Sherman and others to call for the Impeachment of Trump, claiming that by firing the FBI Director, the President was trying to stop the investigation of Russia’s meddling in the election. And on Wednesday, Green and Sherman announced they were drafting articles of impeachment, citing that the president’s decision to fire Comey constitutes an obstruction of justice.

There is no doubt in my mind that Trump’ loyalty demand and wish for Comey to drop the Flynn investigation were highly inappropriate. But did they rise to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors? I’m not a lawyer, but I definitely do not think so. And neither did the firing of Comey.

Comey also testified that Trump is a habitual liar, but that would constitute a crime only if he lied under oath.

What we have here is a dumb-ass president, but being dumb is not an impeachable offense. And what we also have here is the ongoing obsession of the Democrats to destroy the Trump presidency.