Top Republican Publicly Rebukes Trump Over Ukraine Scandal

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The number of moderate Republicans in Congress is fast dwindling into nonexistence. A senator who left and has had time to step back to evaluate the situation has tough words for his former colleagues. His plea to impeach Donald Trump hits home powerfully in a new op-ed.

While former Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) was still in office he said on the Senate floor. according to The Washington Post.

‘There are times when we must risk our careers in favor of our principles.’

Flake wanted to check Trump’s ‘worst impulses,” but he saw that was not what his constituents wanted:

‘In my case, I had not supported the president’s election. One year into his presidency, I knew that I could not support his reelection. While I had hoped that I could still run for reelection to the Senate in 2018 as someone who would help to provide a check on the president’s worst impulses, it soon became apparent that this was not what Republican primary voters in my state were looking for. Whatever reservations they might have had when they voted for Donald Trump, one year into his presidency they wanted a senator who was all in.’

e00c9373-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-10.48.54-am Top Republican Publicly Rebukes Trump Over Ukraine Scandal Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2016 Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation Politics Top Stories He urged his former colleagues to risk their careers “in favor of our principles” and to save their souls:

‘My fellow Republicans, it is time to risk your careers in favor of your principles. Whether you believe the president deserves impeachment, you know he does not deserve reelection.

‘Our country will have more presidents. But principles, well, we get just one crack at those. For those who want to put America first, it is critically important at this moment in the life of our country that we all, here and now, do just that.

‘Trust me when I say that you can go elsewhere for a job. But you cannot go elsewhere for a soul.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOTVWuUDggM

While in office, Flake had observed Donald Trump’s “fondness for authoritarians and scorn for allies.” He said the president’s “hostility” had risked our nation’s “long-term security and our economy.”

The former senator pointed out that the president’s “adoption of the tyrant’s phrase ‘enemy of the people” endangered journalists around the globe. The sitting commander-in-chief was “destroying generations of goodwill” with how he treated refugees and his “profane description of certain countries:”

‘At home, I was convinced that his repeated disparagement of the judiciary, antagonism toward Congress and casual disregard for the truth were damaging our democratic institutions, and his persistent crudeness to his political opponents and cruelty toward vanquished foes were degrading our political culture. I knew that to have a chance of winning reelection, I would need to support policies I could not support and condone behavior I could not condone.’

e3b26547-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-10.49.28-am Top Republican Publicly Rebukes Trump Over Ukraine Scandal Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2016 Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation Politics Top Stories

He added Republicans have been faced with two decisions:

‘Now, two years later, it is my former Republican Senate colleagues who have a decision to make. Or, as I see it, two decisions to make. The first is difficult; the second is easy.’

Flake continued building his case:

‘We have learned from a whistleblower that the president has abused the power of his office to pressure a foreign government to go after a political opponent. A rough transcript of the telephone call has removed all ambiguity about the president’s intent. In light of these revelations, the House of Representatives has launched an impeachment inquiry and will likely be forwarding to the Senate at least one article of impeachment.’

e57617db-screen-shot-2019-09-30-at-10.50.02-am Top Republican Publicly Rebukes Trump Over Ukraine Scandal Corruption Crime Domestic Policy Donald Trump Election 2016 Election 2020 Featured Foreign Policy Impeachment Investigation Politics Top Stories

Flake came to the conclusion that “the president’s actions warrant impeachment” and gave his argument:

‘Compelling arguments will be made on both sides of the impeachment question. With what we now know, the president’s actions warrant impeachment. The Constitution of course does not require it, and although Article II, Section 4 is clear about remedies for abuse of office, I have grave reservations about impeachment.

He continued:

I fear that, given the profound division in the country, an impeachment proceeding at such a toxic moment might actually benefit a president who thrives on chaos. Disunion is the oxygen of this presidency. He is the maestro of a brand of discord that benefits only him and ravages everything else. So although impeachment now seems inevitable, I fear it all the same. I understand others who might have similar reservations. The decision to impeach or not is a difficult one indeed.’

The former senator said Republicans had an “easy decision:”

‘Now for the easy decision. If the House decides against filing articles of impeachment, or the Senate fails to convict, Senate Republicans will have to decide whether, given what we now know about the president’s actions and behavior, to support his reelection. Obviously, the answer is no.’

Flake said he could not run again if it meant supporting Trump:

‘A man who has, now more than ever, proved to be so manifestly undeserving of the highest office that we have.’

He pointed out:

‘…truly devastating has been our tolerance of that conduct. Our embrace of it. From the ordeal of this presidency, perhaps the most horrible — and lasting — effect on our democracy will be that at some point we simply stopped being shocked.’

Flake said Republican, including him, “failed each other, and we have failed ourselves.”

The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.