Trump Stumbles With Ukraine Into Impeachment

Okay, let's see if we can be clear with facts. No spinning or manipulation, something Trump does on a daily basis. While Trump,in his own mind, may think that strong arming or "heavily hinting and suggesting" is common place in real estate deals that he has made, it is not something a president of a country should do, especially when the U.S. Constitution forbids it.

It is actually a crime ethically, morally, and maybe criminally. Now, Republicans will follow the talking points about how there was no quid pro quo and hence, nothing to impeach about. They are wrong. There doesn't have to be. All that is needed is that POTUS simply needed to have leverage, ask a favor of a foreign government or entity to investigate a U.S. citizen, in this case, a political opponent in an upcoming election in order to get some "dirt".

President Trump did all three.

A week before Trump's phone call to the president of Ukraine, the military aid package of $400 million for Ukraine was stopped. The aid was already approved. When Ukraine found out it was was not coming, there was no reason given. They were mystified. Now, Trump makes the phone call and like a Godfather of some mafia organization, in polite terms, heavily insinuates that Ukraine owes Trump a favor. I would call this a soft strong arming. Using praise and hints, Trump sent his message to the Ukrainian president that the aid package was held up until some favor and reciprocity was agreed to by Ukraine. Trump alluded to what he expected without outright saying it. This was to CYA. The Ukrainian president clearly knew what it was Trump was conveying and he wanted that US aid package! Trump wanted an investigation into Joe Biden and his son dealings back in 2014-16 and claiming what happened there was corruption. The Ukrainians found nothing then. The case was closed long before Joe Biden, with the approval of Obama and many other EU nations, that the Ukrainian prosecutor should be fired for being corrupt and not doing his job, and if he was not, the US loan would not be forthcoming.

The difference here is that Biden was authorized by Obama to do this. Biden was not gaining any personal benefit from this and neither was his son. With Trump, he is gaining personal benefit from any dirt on Biden since Biden will be running against Trump in the 2020 election. Trump is just trying to smear Biden's name in a presidential election cycle. Worse, Trump continues to spin the Clinton server fantasy and that the emails may be in the Ukraine. The sad thing thing is that many of his nut cases who follow Trump really believe this devoutly. They believe Trump's gospel.

Even during his press conference, Trump simply lies. Take the comment about how only the US has given millions of dollars in aid to the Ukraine, all to use as leverage against them, and the EU countries have not. The real fact is that the EU have given the Ukraine BILLIONS of dollars. Specifically, Germany gave $1.1 billion, while the USA just $926 million. The total amount from all EU countries is $1.8 billion.

END GAME

With the whistle blower report and the testimony coming, the Democrats have a near smoking gun, in addition to the Mueller obstruction charges. Both sides are entrenched in their own universes as to how they interpret the facts of the case. They are light years apart. Why are the Republicans so dedicated to a president that is a disgrace, maybe it is just because of the party trying to save face. The Democrats have more authority to get the materials that Trump has been refusing to provide. Trump is daring them to impeach. There will be more investigations and how this impacts the coming election in 2020 is anyone's guess.

If more damaging information comes out on Trump, he should be worried. POTUS is in a high place (president) and he has committed crimes ethically, morally, wrong. The question remains what is the end result of all this.

Acquittal.

Unless, more Republicans turn against him in the Senate, Trump will claim victory as he did with Mueller.