The Congressmen defending the President are dedicated and talented but I marvel that nobody has addressed the primary issue in the two inquiries so far.
I refer to President Trump’s INTENT or MOTIVE. Why did he ask the favor?
The Democrat Congressmen and every witness so far were allowed to assert that the President was asking a favor of a foreign head of state in order to help him defeat a political rival, Joe Biden. Not once have I heard any Republican challenge this “BIG LIE.” Instead, they trot out the same weak arguments about whether there was a “quid pro quo” over and over and ignore the more relevant issue of intent.
To illustrate the point, consider the following two hypotheticals:
1. The President asks Ukraine’s President for help in defeating Joe Biden at the ballot box, there is no conditionality, arm twisting or “quid pro quo” associated with the request. Even though the President didn’t establish a “This for That” transaction to get the favor he requested, most would agree that the President would be guilty of something that might indeed be impeachable.
2. Conversely, envision that the President asks for the same favor using the same words but he also attaches all sorts of conditionality, whatever sort of arm-twisting he has at his disposal but the President’s motive was a reflection of his belief that US laws were broken in a fraudulent effort to reverse the 2016 election. Further, he felt that a former US official had behaved very corruptly and felt that justice needed to be done. In this scenario, the President’s motive remains the same whether his belief is accurate or not. His motives aren’t corrupt and there is no crime.
These two scenarios highlight that the presence or absence of a “quid pro quo” arrangement is irrelevant in determining the President’s guilt.
INTENT IS ULTIMATELY ALL THAT MATTERS!!
I’m waiting for Jordan to say “You clearly believe you can read the President’s mind. BUT isn’t it conceivable that the President is acting on his belief that he was the victim of a fraudulent and corrupt conspiracy and was keeping his promise to ‘Make sure that this doesn’t ever happen to another President?’ On the campaign trail, President Trump promised repeatedly to ‘Drain the swamp!’ When he sees a video of Joe Biden seems to be bragging about engaging in corrupt behavior, Weren’t the President’s motives possibly free of corrupt intent since ensuring that US laws are obeyed is part of his job description? Is Biden above the law now that he is a candidate? Is a person free to rob a bank as soon as he runs for Sherriff?”
In the first hearings before the Intelligence Committee, only Democrat Rep. Castro even touched on intent when he mentioned the 2016 Ukrainian/DNC rationale as a “debunked conspiracy theory.” Nobody picked up on Castro’s backhanded defense of the President there, Clearly, If President Trump believed a “debunked conspiracy theory” and wanted it investigated, then the President wasn’t asking for help fighting a political rival. Right or wrong, his motive was virtuous
https://www.oann.com/rep-schiff-exonerates-president-trump-in-his-impeachment-report/
Anyone read this?
It is challeneged in every hearing. It was challenged DIRECTLY, and called out as a big lie, in Monday's shamwow hearing.
Doesn't matter though. The press allows the lie to go on as a fair represntation of reality, and it becomes so in the mind of many people. People are easily misled, and the press is masterful at it. So are the politicians.