Yup, the tee shirt is on order. The countdown has begun…not to impeachment but to Trump’s resignation and the end of this national nightmare. And the funny (as in weird) thing is the fall of Donald J. Trump has been instigated by the man himself.
It was his action in firing James Comey that led to the naming of Robert Mueller as Special Counsel. And it was his latest interview with the “failing” New York Times that led to the resignation of the spokesman for his legal team. Seems Trump neglected to tell him about the interview. Trump is either incredibly stupid or he has a death wish. Actually, never mind the word ‘or’ in the previous sentence.
So why is he going to resign instead of waiting for the inevitable impeachment trial? The answer is that such a trial could result in criminal charges. The Washington Post and the NY Times deserve the highest accolades for their fearless work in uncovering the facts that will lead to Trump’s resignation. It’s abundantly clear it is not they who are the real ‘enemy of the people.’
These newspapers report that Trump is trying to set up roadblocks to the investigation by trying to discredit members of the Mueller team. He’s also checking on his ability to pardon family members, staff and even himself. If he, his staff and family members were innocent, Trump would insist that the Mueller investigation, along with the committees in the House and Senate, continue unabated with the full cooperation of the administration. People who are innocent don’t ask about pardons.
What has put Trump’s fears in overdrive is that Mueller is going back in time to establish past business dealings, patterns and financial transactions. Purportedly included is the sale of property in Palm Beach to a Russian oligarch at a profit of millions of dollars even though Trump had only owned the property for a short period of time. Money laundering is a reasonable explanation for such willingness to pay an exorbitant price for property neither owner ever lived in and was actually torn down a short time following the transaction. Mueller et al are reported to be looking at financial records from foreign banks and, here’s the ultimate threat -subpoenaing years of Trump’s income tax returns. Then there’s his sycophantic response to Putin that can only be explained by a need to assure that whatever Putin has on Trump remains hidden. What possible explanation for his obsequious behavior can there be?
Trump’s ability to use the English language is limited, but he knows the meaning of the word ‘loser.’ If impeachment proceedings are initiated, he will be seen as the biggest loser on the planet. He cannot take that risk. He will resign, using the excuse of his health, his family, his business…and, as he does habitually, blame everyone else – the Press, Congress, Hillary, and of course, Obama for all his ills.
When this is all over, there needs to be some serious national introspection and at least two outcomes. The first is that all this originated as the result of Russian interference in our elections. That is an act of cyber warfare that must be dealt with by applying even stronger sanctions, among other things. The other is that those choosing to run for President must meet specific eligibility criteria – including release of all pertinent financial records including tax returns, a physical and mental health examination conducted by a qualified third party appointed by the Justice Department or other agency, and insistence that laws regarding nepotism and divestment of financial holdings be followed.
In the meantime, just Google “It’s Mueller Time” to order your tee. It’s likely to become a collector’s item.
Marsha Shearer is a Villager and frequent contributor to Villages-News.com
