Trump has committed 4 new impeachable offenses since Republicans let him walk after Senate trial: WaPo editor
29 June 2020
In a rare column for the Washington Post, editorial page editor Fred Hiatt claimed that Donald Trump has committed at least four more impeachable offenses since the Republican-dominated Senate refused to oust him in January after the House submitted articles of impeachment to them.
On February 5, the Senate allowed the president to walk after being presented with two articles of impeachment regarding Trump’s attempt to dig up dirt of potential presidential opponent Joe Biden from Ukraine authorities in return for aid.
At that time, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) explained away her “not guilty” vote by stating that she hoped the president “… has learned from this case,” before adding that the turmoil of the trial was undoubtedly “a pretty big lesson.”
As Hiatt notes, had Democrats waited a few more months, they would have had more ammo as well as a minimum of four more impeachment charges to levy against Trump.
At the top of his list is the president’s response to the coronavirus pandemic which Hiatt claims showed — and continues to show — “negligence.”
“What makes Trump’s response impeachable is the willful, knowing endangerment of the American people for selfish political ends. The president refused to acknowledge the danger because he did not want the stock market to tank,” Hiatt wrote before adding that Trump’s inaction has led to the U.S. suffering twice as many cases as any other country.
Next on Hiatt’s list was the president’s “abuse of power” as demonstrated by his demand that Attorney General Bill Barr fire the U.S. attorneys in D.C. and the Southern District of New York who were investigating the president and some of his associates.
In addition, Hiatt wrote, “Trump ordered federal law enforcement officers to violate the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters to enable a photo op near the White House. He deployed the Justice Department to seek prior restraint on publication of a book that displeased him. He sicced the antitrust division on disfavored companies.”
Number three of the list the president’s “abuse of his appointment power,” as evidenced by the president’s wave of retaliation against whistleblowers and administration officials who testified against him during his first impeachment trial, with Hiatt explaining, “Since February, Trump has embarked on a rampage of retribution against anyone who told the truth to House investigators last fall or, even before that, tried to prevent his original sin in Ukraine.”
Lastly, Hiatt accused the president of “abuse of power in foreign affairs.”
“Perhaps the most appalling violation of human rights in the world today is the cultural genocide China is waging against the Muslim people who live in its far west. China’s dictator Xi Jinping has locked away more than a million people in concentration camps,” he wrote, before noting that Trump was made aware of the camps and gave his approval to Xi according to John Bolton.
It should be noted that Hiatt didn’t include recent reports that Donald Trump has been accused of being aware that Russia has been offering bounties for killing U.S. military personnel which has infuriated Democrats and Republicans alike.
You can read Hiatt’s entire case here.