*45th POTUS Donald Trump – Page 59

House Democrats have launched a sweeping probe into Donald Trump, related to alleged corruption, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. Jerrold Nadler, House Judiciary Committee Chair, has requested documents from 81 sources, including the Trump family, the Trump Organization, Trump business associates, and current and former White House staff members. The Democrats’ probe could be an important step toward impeachment proceedings against Trump.

Nadler is head of the panel that would be responsible for any impeachment efforts against the president. Nadler cautioned, however, that now is not the time to consider impeachment. Instead, he said, Congress should focus on Trump’s abuses of power.

Among Trump’s actions that will be investigated for abuse of power are his attacks on federal judges and on the media, as well as his hints at offering pardons for people who might be witnesses against him. Some of the allegations against Trump, including campaign finance violations, are supported by the testimony of Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer.

Nadler told ABC’s This Week that the Democrats’ probe into Trump is an effort to “lay out for the American people” the extent of Trump’s malfeasance. “We have sent these document requests in order to begin building the public record,” Nadler said.

He also pointed out that, though Robert Mueller has been investigating Trump, Mueller’s investigation is focused on the Trump’s purported collusion with Russia during the 2016 presidential campaign and does not address Trump’s other alleged offenses and gross abuses of power. “We have to focus much more broadly on abuses of power,” Nadler said.

Trump responded to news of the Democrats’ probe in his classic mode: “So now they go and morph into, let’s inspect every deal he’s ever done,” “These people are sick. They’re sick.” He went on to call House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) “Little Shifty Schiff.”

Trump went on: “You put the wrong people in a couple of positions…And they leave people for a long time that shouldn’t be there and all of a sudden they are trying to take you out with bullshit, okay?”

Even if the Democrats’ probe into Donald Trump uncovers and establishes a pattern of criminal behavior and power abuse, will it make a difference, or will it simply make Trump more of a victimized hero to his base?

Democrats announce a broad probe into President Trump | CNN [2019-03-04]

House Democrats expand corruption probe into President Trump |
Fox News [2019-03-04]

Donald Trump has vowed to “protect” his declaration of a national emergency to get funding for his border wall. Congress recently approved an amount that was considerably lower than Trump’s requested $5.7 billion to fund tighter security along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump, however, is determined to build a physical wall and to secure as much as $8 billion to fund its construction. In order to do so, he has declared a state of national emergency with the goal of securing military funds for his wall.

House Democrats are calling the declaration unlawful. According to White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, however, if Congress passes a resolution of disapproval to overturn Trump’s national emergency declaration, Trump will veto their decision.

“He’s going to protect his national emergency declaration, guaranteed,” said Miller.

During his Rose Garden speech, Trump presented the declaration of a national emergency as a routine action, framing it as nothing out of the ordinary when a president needed to reroute funding for a project.

Though it’s true that other presidents have declared states of national emergency, the ability to do so by the executive branch is to be used carefully, seen as a last resort, and only to be declared in times of true crisis, such as with a terrorist attack or natural disaster. An example would be when the U.S. became vulnerable in 2009 to the fast-moving H1N1 virus and healthcare resources were overwhelmed. Most presidential declarations of a national emergency have been uncontroversial, until now.

“I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this,” Trump told reporters gathered in the White House Rose Garden on Friday, shortly before he signed a proclamation declaring the emergency. “But I’d rather do it much faster.”

Trump’s open admission that he “didn’t need to do this” casts legal scrutiny on his declaration, as many are concerned that Trump has overstepped his authority, and will continue to do so by vetoing a resolution of disapproval by Congress.

“This is authority given to the president in law already,” said acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, in all seriousness. “It’s not as if he just didn’t get what he wanted so he’s waving a magic wand and taking a bunch of money.”

Donald Trump didn’t get what he wanted when Congress voted against his request to fully fund a border wall. Despite Mulvaney’s comments, it seems all too true that Donald Trump does indeed see a declaration of a national emergency as his magic wand that will allow him to “take a bunch of money.”

Trump Goes Off Script While Declaring National Emergency for Border Wall | NowThis News [2019-02-15]

The politics of Trump’s national emergency | Fox News [2019-02-15]

Category: *45th POTUS Donald Trump

Democrats Probe into Trump Focuses on Abuse of Power

Trump Vows to “Protect” His State of National Emergency