As the World Watched in Silence…
As the world watched in silence the Impeachment Trial of the 45th President of the United States of America Donald John Trump in the Senate, the trial proceedings have exposed the farce and hypocrisy of the American Constitution, Impeachment Oath, American Law and the Justice System in front of the whole world.
In the very beginning, the 53 Republican Senators showcased great character to brazenly tarnish the Supreme Court Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts own credibility, who administered them the oath to act as impartial jurors and judges, by voting against all the amendments requested by the Democrats for a fair trial. Under the US Constitution and Senate rules, the Chief Justice acts as the Presiding Officer. His job is to enforce procedures and maintaining the dignity of the session.
The ‘Article I, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution’ stipulates the Chief Justice shall preside over Impeachment Trials of the President of the United States in the U.S. Senate. The proceedings unfold in the form of a trial, with each side having the right to call witnesses and perform cross-examinations. However, in Trump’s Impeachment Trial, the Republicans blatantly voted against all the requested 11 amendments by the Democratic Party.
So the oath the 100 Senators, Republicans and Democrats, took to act with honesty and diligence to be impartial jurors and judges has totally no meaning whatsoever. In one word – Absurd! Trump’s Impeachment Trial has also exposed the Republican Senators failing their Constitutional Duties to safeguard the motherland from all the domestic and foreign threats.
Lawful Vs Unlawful
As the world watched in silence, it was very loud and clear from the onset that Trump’s Impeachment Trial is not between the Republicans and the Democrats, but it is between the ‘Lawful’ versus the ‘Unlawful’. The Democrats have formed their case against President Trump for ‘Abusing Power of the Office’ and ‘Obstructing the Congress’ to perform its Constitutional duties as the co-equal branch of the Republic.
The House Managers under the leadership of Adam Schiff formed their case with facts, evidences, testimonies by 17 White House career officials and witnesses, some of them were even part of the vicious Ukraine plot. They laid out brilliantly all the facts and evidences in a proper procedure to follow the Rule of the Land.
On the contrary, at the very onset, Trump’s defense lawyers Pat Cipollone, Jay Sekulow, Patrick Philbin and Michael Purpura started their defense presentations with blatant lies about (i) The underground Closed-door hearings; (ii) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holding the Articles of Impeachment for 33 days; (iii) The House Judiciary Committee denied the President the right to represent him at the hearings;
(iv) The $391 million military aid to Ukraine was delivered on time; (v) there was no quid pro quo and security assistance funds were not even mentioned on the infamous 25th July Call between Zelensky and Trump; and (vi) Jay Sekulow claimed the Mueller Report came up empty on Russian collusion and had no obstruction.
THE FACTS:
(i) Adam Schiff revealed to Trump’s defense lawyers that as many as 48 Republican members from the three committees, namely, the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and the Oversight Committees were allowed in the SCIF. The Republicans were given equal time to question the witnesses.
(ii) The House voted to impeach President Donald J Trump on the 18th of December 2019. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held the two Articles of Impeachment for 28 days and not 33 days as falsely emphasized by Trump’s defense lawyers. On the 15th of January 2020, the Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate.
(iii) Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler invited President Trump to have lawyer to participate in the proceedings. White House lawyer Pat Cipollone declined the offer in a letter stating ‘an invitation to an academic discussion with Law Professors does not begin to provide the President with any semblance of a fair process’.
It was so pathetic to watch Trump lawyers not knowing the basic facts of their own defense and realities. In reality, they all know the President committed a crime by abusing power of his office and obstructing the Congress. Hence they are lying shamelessly. Are these lawyers really educated lawyers at all, is the questions every layman are asking. Is Jay Sekulow blind that he couldn’t watch House Republican Lawyer Steve Castor questioning the witnesses at the House Intelligence Committee?
(iv) Pat Cipollone’s statement that Ukraine military aid was delivered on time is brazenly false. Trump had to release the aid on the 11th of September 2019 after the Whistleblower blew the whistle. $35 million out of the $391 million could not meet the September 30th legal deadline as testified by Mark Sandy, the Deputy Associate Director for National Security in the OMB.
The non-partisan watchdog agency the GAO – Government Accountability Office released their conclusion that Trump broke the law to freeze the military aid to Ukraine as per the Impoundment Control Act.
(v) Trump’s defense lawyers have no concrete defense against the facts and evidences laid in front of them by the House Managers, just like the Republican House members never had. They know it well, so they are laying their case with blatant lies, just like the President keeps repeating – ‘my call was perfect’.
As per the rough-released transcript of Trump’s call to Zelensky, the Ukraine President raised the desire to buy more Javelin anti-tank missiles and almost instantly Trump responded ‘I would like you to do us a favor though’. The President goes on to ask Zelensky to look into Crowdstrike, Burisma and the Bidens. This call is the main reason why Trump got impeached.
(vi) Mueller Report laid out 10 counts of potential Obstruction of Justice committed by President Trump and did not exonerate him. Mueller Report clearly stated, “If we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him."
GOP Senators RAND PAUL & MIKE LEE
Do you recall how the two GOP Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul felt insulted and humiliated during the 8th January Iran briefing? The Utah Senator Mike Lee exclaimed in anger and disgust, “The worst briefing I have seen, at least on a military issue in my nine years in the Senate.” Lee blasted the briefing official comprising of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Defense Secretary Mark Esper and CIA Director Hina Haspel, who warned Senators against debating legislation to restrict the President’s authority to assassinate Iranian military General Solemani.
The two GOP Senators blasted briefing officials warning as ‘Un-American’ and ‘Unconstitutional’ falling way too short. Where are these GOP Senators when the President broke the law to freeze the military aid to Ukraine? Why they are so quiet to see the unfair trial being conducted by the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell?
Why they are not speaking or feeling insulted or humiliated to see how low their President has acted to win the 2020 Presidential Election? The Impeachment Trial is to safeguard their own Motherland and they are quiet. It indicates the hypocrisy and farce of these Senators and American values.
SENATE DECORUM
Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts admonished the House Managers and Trump’s defense lawyers, when there was tense exchange between Jerry Nadler and Pat Cipollone. Roberts warned both the parties stating, “I think it is appropriate for me to admonish both the House Managers and the President's Counsel in equal terms to remember that they are addressing the world's greatest deliberative body. One reason, it has earned that title is because its members avoid speaking in a manner and using language that is not conducive to civil discourse.”
Interestingly, while the Chief Justice of the United States reprimanded both the parties to maintain the Senate decorum, he has silently allowed the so-called impartial jurors – the 53 Republican Senators to block witnesses, documents and evidences – to vote against the requested amendments in the brazen manner to approve the Rules for the Impeachment Trial. As the world watched in silence to watch the unfair trial begin, the farce and hypocrisy of American Justice System has been exposed.
Isn’t it the duty and responsibility of the Chief Justice of the United States to remind the 100 Senators as Jurors and Judges to follow the rules of justice being done in a fair manner as per the Law of the Land? Why John Roberts did not thought about the Senate decorum to maintain his silence to watch how the 53 Senators were voting as biased jurors in spite of their oath?
As the world watched in silence Trump’s Impeachment Trial, it became evident that all that America preaches to the world is totally farce and hypocrisy at its best. It also depicts that the President and his Republicans allies cares a damn about their own nation’s safety, security and reputation. They would stoop to the lowest level to remain in power come what may!
