Tag: GOP now the party of corruption

Trump’s GOP support hardens despite damning impeachment testimony

Washington Post logoAfter two weeks of extraordinary open hearings that Democrats envisioned as their best opportunity to shape public opinion on impeachment, President Trump claims to be impervious to the cascade of damaging revelations because of hardening Republican opposition to his removal from office.

So far, the historic proceedings have exacerbated the political divide. Some moderate Republican lawmakers once seen as the most likely to break with Trump condemned his conduct but signaled in recent days that they would probably vote against his impeachment because they do not believe the president’s actions meet that threshold.

This phase of the inquiry was particularly damning for Trump, simply because of the fact pattern that emerged. A series of government witnesses, testifying under oath and at risk of perjury, implicated the president in a scheme to pressure Ukraine to influence the 2020 election.

View the complete November 23 article by Philip Rucker on The Washington Post website here.

The 22 defenses Trump’s allies have floated on Ukraine and impeachment

Washington Post logoAs House Democrats have investigated President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine over the past two months, Republican lawmakers and Trump allies have floated no fewer than 22 defenses of the president, according to a Fix analysis.

Let’s run through them:

1. Trump’s July 25 call with Ukraine’s president was appropriate

Who: Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio)

What he said: “I think it’s perfectly appropriate to ask a foreign leader to look into potential corruption,” Wenstrup said Oct. 1.

Context: On Sept. 20, Trump tweeted that his call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was “pitch perfect.” Since then, Trump has called his call “perfect” more than 150 times, according to a Fix review of Factba.se transcripts.

View the complete November 18 article by JM Rieger on The Washington Post website here.

In run-up to crucial impeachment hearings, president hits a rough patch

Despite Trump’s troubles, has impeachment ‘moved the needle?’ One Dem strategist says no

An embattled Donald Trump enters one of the most consequential weeks of his presidency on defense, reeling from self-inflicted wounds, political setbacks and a surprise hospital visit the White House is struggling to explain.

This week will keep the focus on the president as nine administration witnesses head to Capitol Hill to testify in the House impeachment inquiry. Several told lawmakers behind closed doors they understood Trump ordered military aid to Ukraine frozen until its new president agreed to publicly state he would investigate U.S. Democrats.

They will testify in televised hearings after a new ABC News/Ipsos poll found 70 percent of Americans believe Trump’s actions were wrong. The same survey also found a razor-thin majority, 51 percent, want the president impeached and removed from office.

View the complete November 19 article by John T. Bennett on The Roll Call website here.