Trump has been defying laws and breaking norms that represent American values since he was elected president. There is no aspect of our government that he hasn’t attacked or disparaged. The disregard he shows for the co-equal branches of government is unpatriotic. His concept of democracy is aligned with Russia’s idea of a republic, which is the President controls everything with no checks and balances. As Trump has said, “read Article II of the Constitution. It says I can do anything I want.”
When Trump is opposed, he reacts with anger, paranoia, cries of fake news, and vulgarity. His ignorance about the Constitution, foreign policy, how the military operates, and how to defend our national security is astounding. Countless government officials have resigned in opposition to how unethically and impulsively he executes his duties.
A small minority of his supporters believe that he never lies. However, having told over 13,000 well-documented lies since elected makes the majority of Americans believe he is a pathological liar. There is a method to his pattern of dishonesty. He falsely accuses others of what he is guilty of doing. During the 2016 campaign, when he accused the Clinton campaign of colluding with Christopher Steele over the dossier, he was welcoming Russian interference in the election. When he accused Democrats of fiscally abandoning the middle class, he was giving a tax cut to the rich and ignoring the financial concerns of the middle class. This lying tactic deflects attention away from the wrong he is doing and creates a false criminal narrative about his opponent.
Americans need to understand the relationship between lying and the potential breakdown of the American form of democracy. We are a country based on the rule of law. It is obvious when a bill is being obeyed and when it is being broken. When it becomes acceptable for Congress or the President to lie about what a specific law really means, the power of all three branches of government is weakened. If every fair court ruling is challenged based on lies or disinformation, then the democratic process is at risk. When a president lies to dispute truths that expose his wrongdoing, the executive branch becomes corrupted. If corruption is accepted in the executive branch, then it is impossible to trust that the government is working in the country’s best interest.
The impeachment inquiry is about fact-finding. Trump and the Republicans are denying factual information because it would expose his corrupt actions. If releasing documents and allowing Giuliani, Mulvaney, and Bolton to testify would exonerate him, why won’t he let it?” The most disturbing aspect of watching Trump and Republicans deny facts is hearing the lies and conspiracy theories they put forth as a replacement for the truth. If not stopped, this deadly political game will transform an honest, the rule of law government into a state of chaotic, third world country lawlessness. #impeach and remove.
