The facts disclosed last week surrounding Trump and Ukraine are problematic if not earth-shattering and inimical to preserving our democracy, our constitution, the rule of law, and, yes, The Villages.
With the whistleblower’s complaint publicly disclosed, the summary transcript of Trump’s July 25 phone call with Ukraine President Zelensky put out by the White House itself, the Inspector General’s report finding this complaint’s contents “credible” and “urgent”, and then the sworn testimony before Congress of acting DNI, Joseph McGuire, the facts are clear and becoming clearer: as soon as the call between Trump and Zelensky concluded, the White House knew a wrong had been committed by the president. Read these documents and words as I have.
Those that support Trump argue that the call at issue did not show a quid pro quo despite Trump asking in plain English for a “favor” from Ukraine’s Zelensky in return for the $391 million in Congress-approved military aid to fight off Russia that Trump had put on hold.
As reported, this favor was supplying Trump with dirt on Biden. But as Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, testified before Congress, Trump speaks in code. Surely, we all remember the Godfather movies and the language Mario Puzo’s fictional mafia boss character, Vito Corleone, the don, used in order to get what he wanted. Always in code. Trump appeared to learn this lesson well, certainly at the knee of his mentor and disbarred lawyer of long ago, Roy Cohen.
And as if to add a punctuation mark here, don’t forget Trumps’ language at the U.S. Mission to the U.N. when he spoke of the whistleblower and those (s)he spoke to in term of being spies and what used to happen to them in another time. Only a mob boss might speak this way. Even this morning, Trump tells us a member of Congress is treasonous for leading an investigation of him.
The leaders of our community have invited Trump back to speak on Medicare on Thursday. Doesn’t Trump’s next budget slash funds for this program that retirees rely upon so readily?
Given the events of last week, and certainly the official impeachment inquiry now underway in the U.S. House, wouldn’t it be better for the Developer to cancel this visit? After all, isn’t preserving our democracy, the constitution, and the rule of law enough of a quid pro quo to do this?
Miles Zaremski is a resident of the Village of Dunedin.