The evidence overwhelmingly supports article of impeachment against Donald Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors.
There is no doubt that Trump is guilty of abuse of power and obstruction.
The facts are undisputed:
- Abuse of Power: Text messages, transcripts, and first-hand witness testimony prove that Trump demanded Ukraine interfere in the 2020 election on his behalf before he’d give them critical military aid or a White House meeting. In other words, the president demanded a personal pay off from a foreign government before he’d take official acts like sending them $400 million in military assistance.These corrupt actions that put Trump’s personal political interests ahead of the country endanger our national security, undermine the integrity of the next election, and violate his oath of office to uphold the constitution.
- Obstruction of Congress: Then Trump tried to cover it up by concealing the evidence and obstructing congress. He defied lawful subpoenas for information and blocked witnesses from testifying. These are not the actions of an innocent man.
It’s time for Congress to make clear that nobody is above the law—not even the president of the United States.
The American people understand the gravity of Trump’s behavior. Polls show that Trump is historically unpopular and at least half the country supports the impeachment AND removal of Donald Trump from office. That’s higher support for impeachment than for Nixon or Clinton.
Republicans will now need to make a choice. Will they put the American people and our country ahead of their party? Or will they continue tying themselves to a lawless and historically unpopular president that half the country wants to remove?
The choice should be easy.
Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: Why not wait until all the evidence can be obtained? Like John Bolton’s testimony?
ANSWER: There is more than enough evidence already proving that Donald Trump used military aid to pressure Ukraine to interfere in the 2020 election. Those calling for congress to wait are seeking nothing more than delay.
QUESTION: Why not just wait to remove Donald Trump in the 2020 election?
ANSWER: The impeachment articles are about Donald Trump trying to rig the 2020 election. In fact, Trump’s personal attorney is currently in Ukraine continuing his push to get them to interfere in the 2020 election. We can’t wait because we can’t be sure we’ll have a free and fair election.
Debunking GOP False Claims About Impeachment Evidence
GOP CLAIM: The summary of the July 25 call shows no “conditionality.”
THE FACTS: This is false. Trump asked Ukraine for “a favor though” to investigate the Bidens in response to a request for military assistance.
Additionally, two key witnesses also specifically said there was a quid pro quo.
- During a press conference, Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney admitted that Ukraine aid had been contingent on Ukraine launching political investigations. When asked by a reporter if there was a “quid pro quo,” Mulvaney said, “We do that all the time […] I have news for everybody: Get over it. There’s going to be political influence on foreign policy. That is going to happen. Elections have consequences, and foreign policy is going to change…”
- EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland said “the answer is yes”: There is a “quid pro quo.” He testified that “everyone was in the loop” and was working at the “express direction of the President.”
GOP CLAIM: The Ukrainians said there was no pressure from Trump.
THE FACTS: This is false. While President Zelensky may have been putting on a brave face for the cameras, evidence shows that the Ukrainians knew aid was being withheld and were in an absolute panic. Zelensky recently told TIME Magazine, “If you’re our strategic partner, then you can’t go blocking anything for us.”
Evidence shows that Zelensky and other Ukrainian officials were under enormous pressure:
- On May 7, 2019, Zelensky met with his advisors to discuss how to navigate the pressure from Trump and Rudy Giuliani to investigate the Bidens.
- WhatsApp messages show that Ukrainian officials were so concerned about the military aid being withheld that they nearly caved to Trump’s demand right before Congress became aware of the whistleblower complaint.
- Independent reporting shows that Ukraine nearly caved to Trump’s demand for a public statement on investigations.
- Additional reporting shows that Zelensky’s staff favored agreeing to Trump’s demands. The New York Times reported that “high-level Ukrainian officials ultimately decided to acquiesce to President Trump’s request—and, by a stroke of luck, never had to follow through.”
- Before the whistleblower complaint was announced, Zelensky had even planned a CNN interview on September 13, where he was set to make the public statement announcing investigations into Trump’s political opponents. The New York Times reported that, “finally bending to the White House request, Mr. Zelensky’s staff planned for him to make an announcement in an interview on Sept. 13 with Fareed Zakaria, the host of a weekly news show on CNN.”
GOP CLAIM: Ukraine did not know that military aid was withheld until after the Trump-Zelensky call.
THE FACTS: This is false. The Ukrainians absolutely knew that military aid was being withheld. During her testimony, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper testified that Ukrainian officials were aware of the hold on July 25—the very same day as the Trump-Zelensky call.
GOP CLAIM: Security assistance was released without Ukraine taking actions.
THE FACTS: This is false.
First, Trump is still withholding $35 million in military aid.
Second, Trump ordered the military aid withheld and only released it after learning a whistleblower was about to blow the lid off the extortion scheme.
- Trump Ordered Mulvaney To Hold Back The Military Aid For Ukraine A Week Before Calling President Zelensky To Press Him For Investigations. “President Trump told his acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, to hold back almost $400 million in military aid for Ukraine at least a week before a phone call in which Trump is said to have pressured the Ukrainian president to investigate the son of former vice president Joe Biden, according to three senior administration officials.” [The Washington Post, 9/23/19]
- September 9: Congress Became Aware Of The Whistleblower Complaint. “Sept. 9: Atkinson notifies the House and Senate intelligence committees that a whistleblower has filed a complaint, but he does not reveal its contents or substance.” [The Washington Post, 11/11/19]
- The White House Held The Money For 2 Months Until Releasing It The Night Of September 11. “Officials at the Office of Management and Budget relayed Trump’s order to the State Department and the Pentagon during an interagency meeting in mid-July, according to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. They explained that the president had “concerns” and wanted to analyze whether the money needed to be spent. Administration officials were instructed to tell lawmakers that the delays were part of an “interagency process” but to give them no additional information — a pattern that continued for nearly two months, until the White House released the funds on the night of Sept. 11.” [The Washington Post, 9/23/19]
GOP CLAIM: Trump was focused on fighting corruption in Ukraine.
THE FACTS: This is false. The evidence shows that Donald Trump was only ever interested in one thing: Ukraine announcing investigations into his political rival to help bolster his re-election campaign.
- Trump never uttered the word “corruption” in his July 25 phone call with President Zelensky. However, he did mention the Bidens multiple times.
- The Trump administration sought to cut millions of dollars to programs fighting corruption in Ukraine.
The Pentagon sent a letter to four congressional committees certifying that Ukraine “has taken substantial actions to make defense institutional reforms for the purposes of decreasing corruption.”
Originally posted on Impeachment HQ. Re-posted with permission.