Image: montage: watson / material: shutterstock, keystone
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analysis
The impeachment farce in the US Senate: “May God help us!”
The senators will acquit the president, perhaps today. Even the Republicans know that Donald Trump has misused his power. You have given Trump a license to do more crimes.
Lamar Alexander has given up the last spark of hope. He said that he would not vote for further witnesses to be summoned. Although the Republican senator from the state of Tennessee is no longer standing for re-election and would have been free to escape the enormous pressure of the Grand Old Party (GOP), he has decided against it.
This is more or less certain: The Democrats will not get the necessary 51 votes for further witnesses. Even if it’s enough for a tie of 50 to 50, that’s no use.
Is strictly neutral: Judge John Roberts. Image: AP
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The highest federal judge John Roberts could theoretically tip the scales, but will not. Therefore, former security advisor John Bolton will not appear on the witness stand.
It is also almost certain that Trump can celebrate his acquittal in his presidential Super Bowl interview on Sunday. Next Tuesday, he will once again savor his triumph at his state-of-the-Union speech before the congress. Game, set and match for the president? Not quite.
Lamar doesn’t want any more witnesses. But he has also made it clear that he considers the allegations to the President’s address to be justified. He expressly praised the prosecutors’ work and stated in his reasoning:
“It was inconceivable for the President to ask a foreign head of government to investigate his political rival and to withhold United States aid to force this investigation. If elected government officials inappropriately interfere in such investigations, they are undermining the principle that all people are equal before justice. But the constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove a president from office just because of an improper act one year before the elections. »
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Lamar thereby confirms what everyone who still has a functioning brain cell in the head has long recognized: Trump blackmailed the Ukrainian president. There was a quid pro quo, he withheld military aid and then tried to cover everything up.
This finally unmasked the story of the “perfect telephone conversation” and made the stereotypical repeated request to “read the transcript” superfluous.
Not only Lamar, even Trump’s lawyers have taken up this position. At the beginning of the impeachment process, they went to great lengths to defend the there was no quidproquo thesis. In the meantime they shrug their shoulders and say: May be, but WTF.
Harvard lawyer Alan Dershowitz provided the legal fig leaf for this attitude. His reasoning is: If the president believes that he is acting in the public interest, then he can allow himself everything. This is strongly reminiscent of Richard Nixon, who said in a legendary interview with David Frost in 1977: “If the president does something, it can’t be illegal.”
Trump also takes this stance – supported by his Attorney General William Barr. Again and again he emphasizes a variation of the sentence: As president I can do anything. He wrongly invokes Article 2 of the Constitution.
The refusal of the senators to carry out a fair trial will reinforce Trump’s stance. He has now received a de facto license for all crimes committed for the upcoming election campaign.
Did the impeachment benefit Trump? This question cannot be answered so clearly.
Nancy Pelosi and Adam Schiff have succeeded in exposing his lie about the “perfect telephone conversation”. In addition, they have shown that the process of a shabby cover-up has deteriorated. This could harm Trump and the GOP, especially among the all-important independent voters. Let us not forget: three quarters of Americans would have liked witnesses.
Likewise, further revelations harmful to Trump are expected to follow. This is true even if the White House succeeds in preventing the publication of John Bolton’s book with flimsy reasons.
Nevertheless, the outcome of the impeachment process is a major setback for American democracy and the rule of law. “The consequences of this farce are not funny,” writes Dana Milbank, columnist at the Washington Post, and adds the anxious question: “What will Trump do next, now that he knows he will not be charged or impeached?” can, regardless of whether his actions are legal? »
There is now plenty of reason for pessimism and fear: “May God help us,” says Democratic Senator Mark Warner.
Adam Schiff, the prosecutor’s brilliant leader, rightly warned: “Right is important, truth is important. Otherwise we are lost. »
That’s how Bernie Sanders scolds Donald Trump
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