An additional aspect of Trump’s gaslighting campaign has been to mislead Republican voters to believe the vast amount of Republicans who recognize the danger he poses to democracy are fake Republicans (RINO’s). Trump, the TV producer, keeps coming up with catchy phrases and labels that incite reality TV types to believe his BS. He pathetically delivers punchlines that espouse lies and conspiracy theories with cartoonish insincerity. The way he turns against Republicans who disagree with him is proof he dislikes Republicans as much as he dislikes democrats. If becoming a democrat would guarantee being elected president again, Trump would switch party affiliation.
Journalist Carl Berstein of Watergate fame proclaimed on national TV yesterday that Trump committed the crimes of obstruction of justice and election interference. Now the question is, will Attorney General Merritt Garland act to protect democracy and prove that in America, ” no one is above the law.” Today, the DOJ took action and indicted leadership figures in neo-fascist, anti-government militia groups. Taking this action is bold as proving the crime of sedition has historically failed. Justice being served seems more possible because the DOJ investigation has expanded to pursue those who collaborated and planned the effort to stop the peaceful transfer of a democratically elected US president.
The parallels between Nixon’s criminal instincts and Trump’s are astounding. Nixon was lacking in morality and had an insatiable hunger for power. He famously said about obstruction of justice, ” if a president does it, it’s not illegal.” Trump governed with the same grandiose disrespect for the rule of law. He felt entitled to try to steal votes to remain in power illegally. Both Nixon and Trump violated their oath of office. Patriotic Republicans turned on Nixon once they realized he participated in breaking into the Democratic Headquarters at the Watergate Hotel and assisted in covering the crime. Trump instructed his followers to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6th and stop VP Mike Pence from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral win. He conspired with crooked attorneys to plan to overturn the election by installing fake electors. The Republican party of 1972 chose the country over the party and forced Nixon to resign. Millions of democrats and republicans are hoping there is a Republican, like John Dean, who will speak the truth about what Trump knew and when he knew it.
