First, let’s acknowledge what really happened. Russia launched a massive cyber attack against the United States during the 2016 Presidential Election. They hacked the Democratic National Committee’s computers and John Podesta’s computers, stole emails and information, and distributed this information worldwide to harm a U.S. presidential candidate. They didn’t “meddle”. “Meddling” is something a nosy neighbor does. Meddling is something an overbearing parent does. Russia attacked us, and continues to attack us. They are also attacking other democracies across the globe and must be stopped.
What also must stop is using mild, benign terms that diminish crimes that are far graver than the weak words that are commonly being use used to describe them (likely framed and preferred by Republicans). Terms like meddle, collude and falsehood are not strong enough to accurately depict the scope and depth of the crimes involved.
The Trump campaign didn’t “collude” with Russia, they conspired with them. Conspiracy against the United States is a serious crime.
18 U.S. Code § 371 - Conspiracy to commit offense or to defraud United States
If two or more persons conspire either to commit any offense against the United States, or to defraud the United States, or any agency thereof in any manner or for any purpose, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
This is pretty simple stuff. I think it’s fair to say conspiring to change the outcome of a presidential election is an offense against the United States, and installing your preferred candidate via receipt of stolen goods is defrauding the United States. (Of course, fraud is what Trump is best at.)
Donald Trump, Jr., secretly met with Russians inside Trump Tower, (just one floor below his father’s suite) during the heart of the presidential election, to receive stolen information that would harm a U.S. presidential candidate — a candidate who was by all accounts in the lead and favored to win the presidency. So, the information sought by Junior was intended to change the outcome of the election and help elect a different President of the United States. It doesn’t get any more serious than that.
But Trump, Jr., claims he didn’t receive anything of value at the meeting and that it was a “waste of time”. Yeah, right. And my other leg plays Jingle Bells. That is an outright lie. His father began tweeting about the stolen information shortly after the meeting and the Russians subsequently dripped the stolen emails daily, up until election day. And yes, the Russians got what they wanted. They changed the outcome of the election and put their man in the Oval Office. Their attack was a success. And the Trumps worked with them to do it. Oh, and just for kicks, Trump’s son-in-law and campaign manager were also in the meeting with the Russians. But Trump didn’t know anything about it. Hahaha... All looking for stolen information from our number one enemy in the world, that they could use against their opponent.
This meeting alone is evidence of conspiracy, not collusion. If you have doubts, think about a drug buyer who meets with undercover police to do a drug buy. The buyer is arrested because his intent was to buy drugs. Even if there were no drugs being sold by the police. He or she is guilty. As are Trump, Jr., Kushner and Manafort. The only question some have is whether Trump himself was at the meeting or aware of the meeting. I have no doubt that he was aware of every detail of that meeting and circumstantial evidence certainly points to that conclusion:
- The false statement dictated by Trump that the meeting was about adoptions
- Trump Jr. not mentioning the meeting for over a year
- Trump Jr.’s repeated lies about the meeting
Other evidence of a conspiracy, not all-inclusive because there is so much, I’ve forgotten a bunch, but off the top of my head:
- The removal of arms to Ukraine from the GOP platform
- Trump’s incessant praise (ass-kissing) of Putin
- The mysterious flow of money to Trump following his six bankruptcies
- The tweeting by Trump and his associates foreshadowing things to come
- The multiple lies about meeting with Russians by almost every senior member of his campaign and his son
- The firing of James Comey
- Trump telling Lester Holt he was gonna fire Comey anyway because of ‘this Russia thing...”
- Trump telling the Russians that firing Comey took great pressure off the Russia thing.
- Trump begging the Russians for Clinton’s emails
Oh, and by the way…
- Trump Campaign Manger — Indicted for Conspiracy Against the United States
- Trump Deputy Campaign Manager — Indicted for Conspiracy Against the United States
- Trump National Security Advisor — Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI, Now a Cooperating Witness
- Trump Foreign Policy Advisor — Pleads Guilty to Lying to the FBI, Now a Cooperating Witness
Can you imagine what the blowhard would be saying if all of the above pertained to someone other than himself?!! Good Lord, we’d never hear the end of it. And in much stronger language than meddle, collude and falsehood, I guarantee you!
So finally, let’s stop calling lies falsehoods. They’re lies, plain and simple. And these aren’t white lies, they are malicious, deliberate lies with malice aforethought. So call them what they are. It’s the one thing Trump is good at — no great at — lying. It’s his gift. He does it as naturally as a bird sings.
So, let’s start using the proper terms for what has happened and what is still going on, and discard the feeble words the other side has chosen. Let’s be smarter than that.
- The United States was ATTACKED and is still under ATTACK.
- Trump & Co. CONSPIRED with Russia to steal the Presidency.
- Trump and Co. have been LYING from the beginning and continue to LIE every day.
After all is said and done it is my belief that the Trump brand will be tarnished forever (his and his family’s worst nightmare) and he will go down in history as President ASTERISK!