The President Goes to Trial

Before I get into the merits of the case, let me say that I am no fan of Donald Trump. Never have been and probably never will be. He is crass, rude and acts like an immature bully. He is everything that you would not want in a diplomat. I can understand why people don’t like him. On the other hand, I agree with him on many issues. For far too long, our friends and allies have taken advantage of our generosity. China uses trade as a weapon. Our national debt is growing out of control, and our lack of border security threatens our sovereignty. I can see where people like him. He has divided us as no other president before him, but he was lawfully elected according to our constitution.

Lets suppose for a minute that you have the opportunity to either prosecute or act as defense counsel in this trial. Which would you choose? Were I the prosecutor, I would begin my case by calling the most knowledgeable witness I can find. I would call the actual whistle blower. I realize he (or she) wants anonymity, but the time for that is over. The most powerful man in the world is on trial. It is time to get the testimony as close to the source as possible. As we can’t get the Ukrainian President, we will question the person who got the ball rolling in the first place. I would expect the questions to go much like this.

Prosecutor: “The President is charged with abuse of power by trying to influence the President of the Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden’s son by withholding military aid. Did you overhear the phone call in

question?”

Whistle Blower: “No. I heard it from someone in the CIA who heard it from somebody within the administration, so it must be true.”

Prosecutor: “Did the President influence the Ukraine for his own political gain.”

Whistle blower: “Absolutely. He is a politician, so his only possible motivation had to be his own political gain.”

If I were counsel for the defense I would cross examine like this.

Defense Counsel: “Did the Ukraine receive the military aid in question?”

Whistle Blower: “Yes, as far as I know they did.”

Defense Counsel: “Did the Ukraine investigate Joe Biden’s son?”

Whistle Blower: “No, not that I know of.”

Defense Counsel: “I rest my case.”

The actual trial will undoubtedly include days and days of pontification by both the prosecution and the defense, but the facts will remain about the same. I don’t know about you, but I would hate to be convicted on that evidence. I wouldn’t even want to get a traffic ticket because someone thought I was speeding and told a neighbor who told someone else who reported me to the police.

I understand why so many citizens don’t like our President. Rather than waste your energy on a fruitless quest to overturn the last election, concentrate on finding a candidate who will defeat him in the next election. I would rather not vote for Trump. Find me an alternative.

(Frank Watson is a retired Air Force Colonel and a long time resident of Eastern Washington. He has been a free lance columnist for over 18 years.)