Hmm. We read the news. Here’s what we learned from Nikki Haley on Face the Nation: “If the allegations are true, it’s incredibly dangerous to our national security … Transparency cures all things. That’s what people want from the Department of Justice.“
Haley is correct, and Haley is wrong – right because of the incredible danger to our national security and right about DOJ’s responsibilities, but wrong that she and others are so slow – so afraid! – to admit the danger to all of us, our country, and our responsibility as the premier democracy in the world. It’s time … past time … but better late than never, for Republicans to find their spines and tell the truth — to themselves, the general public, and very specifically to their constituencies.
Here’s the reality: Three new counts have been filed against Donald Trump. The charges accused Trump of attempting to:
- “Alter, destroy, mutilate, or conceal evidence,”
- “Conceal” video footage of the attempt to hide or destroy the evidence. Trump allegedly schemed with his valet Walt Nauta and his property manager Carlos De Oliveira to destroy Trump’s plans to conceal.
- “Willfully retain national defense information related to a presentation about military activity in another country.”
In summary, Trump is the first president in 234 years of U.S. history to be indicted: 37 felony counts of mishandling classified documents, 34 felony counts about hush money payments to a porn star, and two other criminal cases about interfering with an election – “Georgia Election Interference” investigation and “January 6th Interference” investigation.
All too many so-called leaders, elected officials, and opinion writers have drug their feet about the truth — the truth that should have smacked them in the face. Instead, they ran and hid. They ignored the situation in Georgia, where Trump made a personal call to Georgia’s Governor asking him to find (change?) just enough more votes that Trump would declare victory with only one “found” vote.
On January 6th, these so-called “leaders” pretended all was well. One Congressman – Andrew Clyde (R – GA), called the attack an “ordinary tourist visit.” But five people died! Police were assaulted! January 6th was an attempt to overthrow a legitimate election. Millions of dollars of damage were done to the U.S. Capitol. Vice President Pence was trapped in an underground parking lot, and staff feared for his life. The list goes on – not a tourist event, not ordinary constituency visits. Rather, it was a deliberate attack on our democracy, a specifically planned effort to overthrow our government.
Now, we must hold these so-called “leaders,” i.e., elected Members of Congress and others, feet to the fire.