Sunday, September 8, 2019

RESIGNATION FOR DONALD TRUMP IS HIS SAFEST OPTION TO STAY OUT OF PRISON

After reading this editorial, please express your own thoughts.  At the bottom, please click on the word "Comments" below the copyright and type your remarks in the box.  When finished,  please click on the word "Publish."  Please also share a link to this column with others in your e-mail directory and on social media.

This copyrighted column - in part or in its entirety - may be freely shared among individuals, and it may be reprinted, republished, or quoted in any medium, including broadcast, cable, satellite, print, Internet, and other forms of media, but only when crediting Gary B. Duglin and The Controversy.
 The Controv     

     Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump led chants of "Lock her up" at his political rallies.  He pledged, if he became President, to put Hillary Clinton behind bars. But of course Trump had no honest reason, no logical or legitimate grounds, to throw the former Secretary of State and his Democratic

opponent in jail because she did absolutely nothing illegal.  Mrs. Clinton committed no crimes and, unlike Trump, Secretary Clinton was, in fact, fully exonerated by the FBI, by numerous prosecutors, and by Congress.  All that being said, Trump has spent the better part of his term in The White House attacking other Democrats, yet he continues to verbally abuse Mrs. Clinton and former President Barack Obama, neither of whom is currently running for

any political office.  Trump has also threatened journalists with the words "Lock them up."  There will be a day, however - and I believe it is coming sooner rather than later - when the guy wearing handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit will be Donald Trump.

     I have written for nearly three years that Trump's Oval Office occupancy would end similar to Richard Nixon's presidency. Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's 22-month investigation of Russia's interference in to America's 2016 election, and allegations of obstruction of justice by Trump - along with accusations for an assortment of other criminal charges against him - have convinced, to date, according to a count from Politico, 137 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives who want to move forward with some form of impeachment.  Of those congressmen and congresswomen, they are all Democrats except for one Republican turned Independent.  The group represents more than half of the Democratic caucus.  But neither Speaker of the House Nancy

Pelosi, Democrat of California, nor her two top deputies - House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina - are in support of going ahead with such proceedings right now.  "We will proceed when we have what we need to proceed, not one day sooner," Pelosi told reporters before the summer recess.  And since returning to Capitol Hill on Wednesday, September 4th, 2019, there is no verification that Pelosi has changed her mind about launching a formal impeachment of Trump.  Nevertheless, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Democratic

Congressman Jerry Nadler of New York, has different thoughts and is rapidly engaged towards moving forward with an impeachment inquiry.  Congressman John Yarmuth, Democrat of Kentucky, says, "I would bet that before mid-October, there will be actual articles of impeachment drafted by the committee. I don't think there's much doubt about that.  I think
Jerry's committed to doing that, and I think a significant majority of the committee is there." Yarmuth was interviewed recently by Politico.  


     Thanks to The Mueller Report, Congress has much more of a head start today than our legislators had 45 years ago when President Nixon was under investigation.  In late July 1974, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against Mr. Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.  But before the full House could vote on the impeachment resolutions, the United States Supreme Court ordered the President to make public certain recorded conversations.  It was that tape - known as "The Smoking Gun" - which ultimately buried the Nixon presidency. It became obvious to our country that Mr. Nixon was not only involved in the Watergate cover-up, but that he led it.  As support from House and U.S. Senate

Republicans disappeared, America's 37th President resigned on August 9th, 1974.  It is widely believed that if Mr. Nixon had not taken that final step on his own, even though he was somewhat pushed by Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, who was the 1964 Republican nominee for President, along with the Republican leadership including Senate Minority
Leader Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania and House Minority Leader John Rhodes Jr. of Arizona, Mr. Nixon's impeachment by the House was inevitable, with conviction and removal from office a foregone conclusion as he simply did not have the votes to survive a trial in the Senate.


     It makes no sense to me that with all the evidence, which Mueller and his team gathered over their nearly 2-year probe, that none of the documentation is sufficient enough to be Trump's "smoking gun."  What more will it take?  What else is there?  Whatever it may be, I am confident that a Trump "smoking gun" will be unveiled in the not too distant future, and it's likely to come from former White House Counsel Don McGahn.  Although Donald Trump has pulled his strings to prevent McGahn from cooperating with the House, The Mueller Report clearly states that McGahn refused to follow orders issued by Trump, which McGahn described - by definition - as anywhere from "totally unsound" to "mentally deranged" and "insane."  I will explain and elaborate later in this column.

     Over the summer, Congressman Nadler's Judiciary Committee filed two lawsuits in federal court; one of which is to enforce a subpoena for McGahn to testify before Congress.  McGahn was instructed by Trump earlier this year to ignore the subpoena; actually to defy it.  Therefore, McGahn has not yet testified.  That's more fuel on the fire because Trump continues to obstruct justice by witness tampering.  This time, even though he no longer works for The White House, McGahn listened to Trump.  Nadler says McGahn's refusal to comply with the subpoena is "unlawful." White House lawyers, however, argue that McGahn - as a former senior aide to the President of the United States - can't be compelled to testify because his communications with Trump are of a confidential nature.  But Democrats want McGahn's testimony in an effort to put the icing on the cake that Trump obstructed justice, especially when he tried to fire Mueller as special counsel.  On Monday, August 27th, 2019, the House Judiciary Committee filed a motion to expedite the panel's lawsuit.  Mueller - who is also the former director of the FBI - did not, in any way, clear Trump of obstruction of justice.  Instead, Mueller hinted - basically suggested - that the matter be addressed by Congress.  Chairman Nadler also wants to receive - with the second lawsuit - all grand jury material from Mueller's investigation in to Russian meddling in the 2016 election.  Mueller did not hold back during his congressional testimony when he plainly noted that Trump was elected with the unquestionable assistance of Vladimir Putin's agents.  

     To consider impeachment, Nadler's lawsuit seeking the grand jury material specifies, "Because Department of Justice policies will not allow prosecution of a sitting President, the United States House of Representatives is the only institution of the Federal Government that can now hold (Donald) Trump accountable for these actions.  To do so, the House must have access to all the relevant facts and consider whether to exercise its full Article I powers, including a constitutional power of the utmost gravity --- approval of articles of impeachment."  As for the McGahn filing, it also discusses that for the Judiciary Committee to "recommend articles of impeachment against (Trump), based on the obstructive conduct described by the Special Counsel," it is imperative to receive McGahn's sworn testimony in order to proceed.  Even though Speaker Pelosi has not given a green light to go full speed ahead with impeachment, Time magazine says, according to aides, that she did sign-off on the strong language that was used in Nadler's legal action.  It's quite possible that the grand jury material and/or McGahn's testimony might provide the definitive

"smoking gun" that is necessary for Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to make like Barry Goldwater did with Richard Nixon and pressure Trump to resign, as concrete evidence against Trump - including the possibility of anything tangible such as recordings, emails, or other written notes - would seal the deal for impeachment, conviction and removal from office. 


     When he testified on Wednesday, July 24th, 2019 before two congressional committees - the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee - I wanted to see Robert Mueller - in plain English - blow a cork.  But should that have been necessary? Absolutely not. However, the people of our country are so angry - we are all so...pissed off - on both sides, that the impression is that if Americans in the year 2019 don't witness a dramatic performance - no matter who it is that's on the political stage - then it doesn't seem to sink into their psyche that a problem exists.

     For the most part, Mueller gave yes or no answers, or he completely declined to answer questions, throughout the 7-hour marathon session that was broadcast live on national television.  To hear Mueller merely provide us with responses in the form of "true," or "correct," wasn't going to give him the "Academy Award" for this movie version of his 448-page book.  Despite the fact that the official policy of the Office of Legal Counsel in the U.S. Department of Justice does not allow for the President

of the United States to be indicted, Mueller's script (The Mueller Report) does deserve the statue.  But the late Siskel & Ebert would never have given Mueller's performance "two thumbs up," as his "acting" - along with the "film" itself - lacked four stars.

     At both congressional hearings, Mueller did not defend his work, his investigation, and his report the way I wanted him to defend it.  Don't get me wrong. I don't think the former FBI director's strategy had to include an explosive presentation, but Americans needed to hear Mueller speak, under oath, that if Donald Trump was not sitting behind The Oval Office desk, he would be indicted.  As I described in my column of June 13th, 2019, "Oh I realize that he wants his report to 'speak for itself' and, therefore, speak for him, but as the idiom indicates, human beings need to hear something 'straight from the horse's mouth,' not from a redacted, typewritten report."  Plus, as others throughout the media have also expressed, not everyone has read The Mueller Report cover to cover - or even one word of it - and I, among others had hoped that by "watching the  

movie," although they didn't "read the book," those Americans who are swaying in the breeze, uncertain whether Trump has broken laws or not, would be convinced by an Oscar-worthy performance by Mueller that Trump is indeed a crook.  Unfortunately, the film version needed either Tom Hanks to sit in and portray Mueller, or Steven Spielberg to direct him.  It was President Nixon who infamously denied his involvement in the Watergate cover-up when, on November 17th, 1973, he shouted in a nationally televised press conference, "I am not a crook."  But of course...he was.   

     Democrats, Independents, and yes, even some Republicans who are on the fence, wobbling and wondering if they should continue to endorse Donald Trump, needed to hear Robert Mueller - under sworn testimony - vocalize what he wrote in his report that Trump, a subject in the investigation, attempted to put a stop to the Justice Department's probe by firing Mueller.  "On June 17th, (2017) the president called (White House Counsel Don) McGahn at home and directed him to call the acting attorney general (Rod Rosenstein)" and that because of "conflicts of interest" the special counsel "must be removed.  McGahn did not carry out the direction, however, he decided that he would resign rather than trigger what he regarded as a potential Saturday Night Massacre."  That name is popularly tagged to a series of events - including the termination of prosecutors - that took place on October 20th, 1973 during the Richard Nixon presidency and the Watergate scandal.  
    
     The Mueller Report goes on to tell us that instead of confronting Rosenstein - who was the only person, by law, who could actually fire Mueller - McGahn approached then-White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and told him that Trump had instructed him to "do crazy shit."  "Crazy" is defined by the Random House Unabridged Dictionary as "totally unsound," "mentally deranged," and "insane." Thus my remark earlier in this editorial is appropriate.  The Mueller Report continues to state, "In early 2018, the press (specifically The New York Times) reported that the president had directed McGahn to have the special counsel removed in June 2017 and that McGahn had threatened to resign rather than carry out the order.  The president reacted to the news stories by directing White House officials to tell McGahn to dispute the story and create a record stating he had not been ordered to have the special counsel removed.  McGahn told those officials that the media reports were accurate in stating that the president had directed McGahn to have the special counsel removed.  The president then met with McGahn in The Oval Office and again pressured him to deny the reports.  In the same meeting, the president also asked McGahn why he had told the special counsel about the president's effort to remove the special counsel and why McGahn took notes of his conversations with the president.  McGahn refused to back away from what he remembered happening and perceived the president to be testing his mettle."  McGahn didn't leave the Trump administration until October 17th, 2018, but according to The Mueller Report, at one point, Trump referred to McGahn as a "lying bastard."  The Mueller Report 

says, after Rosenstein appointed Mueller as special counsel, Trump - from The Oval Office on May 17th, 2017 - told then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who had recused himself from the probe, "Oh my God.  This is terrible.  This is the end of my presidency.  I'm fucked.  How could you let this happen, Jeff?  You were supposed to protect me. This is the worst thing that ever happened to me." 

     It's always about you, isn't it, Donald?  Well you have no clue what it means to be President of the United States.  Although you may think so, Donald, you are not above the law, and the attorney general is to protect the American people, not you alone.  He is not your personal lawyer.  The attorney general's job is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.  He's not in business to save your butt when you screw up.  One doesn't need to have a law degree to realize that Trump's orders to McGahn, and his comments to Sessions, are tantamount to obstruction of justice.

     It was essential for voters to hear Robert Mueller - in his own voice - tell us that Trump intimidated people to lie for him, and that obstructing justice and witness tampering are federal crimes whereby a person can be shuttled off to prison for a very long time.  I still believe that Americans are desperate to give their full attention to Mueller's words, but only when - for instance - each syllable flows off his tongue

with distinct clarity.  Another example would be for Mueller to eloquently articulate that Donald Trump Jr. conspired with Russians to get dirt on his father's Democratic challenger, Hillary Clinton. This was the meeting that was arranged following a June 3rd, 2016 email that was sent to Trump Jr. by British publicist and family friend Rob Goldstone, who

wrote, "The crown prosecutor of Russia...offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father.  This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump." Seventeen minutes later, Trump Jr. replied to Goldstone.  "(I)f it's what you say I love it especially in the summer."  

     The Mueller Report explains that Donald Trump "directed aides not to publicly disclose the emails setting up the June 9th meeting, suggesting that the emails would not leak and that the number of lawyers with access to them should be limited.  Before the emails became public, (Trump) edited a press statement for Trump Jr. by deleting a line that acknowledged that the meeting was with 'an individual who (Trump Jr.) was told might have information helpful to the campaign' and instead said only that the meeting was about adoptions of Russian children. When the press asked questions about (Trump's) involvement in Trump Jr.'s statement, (Trump's) personal lawyer repeatedly denied (Trump) had played any role."  As I wrote in my column of July 14th, 2017, "Donald Trump Jr. says his dad knew nothing about the e-mails or the subsequent meeting with the Russian attorney.  Therefore, he and Trump Sr. want me - as well as the rest of our country - to believe that the Trump patriarch had no knowledge of that meeting, which happened to be held at Trump Tower in New York City, one floor below Trump Sr.'s office.  If you think that Trump Jr. didn't tell his father about the meeting - either sometime before or immediately after it - then you believe that monkeys can fly." Meeting with a foreign adversary - and creating a cover-up - should have been all the conspiracy ("collusion" is not a legal term) that Congress needed to be made aware of, to impeach, convict, and remove Trump from office.

     Donald Trump is the supreme megalomaniac who wants the whole world to wrap around him.  He is synonymous to a domestic terrorist who feels that because he has a gun, he's able to do whatever he wants to do.  Trump uses the power of the presidency - or what he thinks is the power of the presidency - in an attempt to escalate an agenda that is reckless and irrational.  Trump's narcissistic manner is beyond troubling, extremely disturbing, and terribly dangerous.  As I have written for many years, Trump is mentally and morally unbalanced.  His instability is destructive and he is unfit to serve as President of the United States.

     Will one or more of the many people who worked for Donald Trump in his administration and who either resigned, was forced to quit, or was fired, have the integrity and the courage to advise - nay warn - the American people before the 2020 primary season gets underway that they want the public to know the absolute truth about Trump's lack of fitness, and that he should not be on the ballot for the general election?  Who - with credibility - has the balls to do that?

     In late August of this year, Donald Trump further demonstrated that he is out of control and is the worst President in U.S. history when he humiliated our country - actually disgraced us - by refusing to participate in a global panel on climate change at the G7 summit in France.  Furthermore, Trump put a bulls eye on immigrant families when he threatened to abolish birthright citizenship; despite the fact that 

it's outlined in the U.S. Constitution as a basic right. Trump's bromance with Vladimir Putin leaped to a higher platform when "The Donald" lobbied for Russia and his Moscow spy buddy to be readmitted to the G7.  The largest country in the world (by area) was booted out of the G7 for invading its neighboring nation, Ukraine.  And, believe it or not, Trump recently floated the idea for America to drop nuclear bombs on hurricanes.  Axios first reported that "Trump suggested multiple times to senior Homeland Security and national security officials that they explore using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from hitting the United States, according to sources who have heard (Trump's) private remarks and been briefed on a National Security Council memorandum that recorded those comments.  During one hurricane briefing at The White House, Trump said, 'I got it.  I got it.  Why don't we nuke them?' according to one source who was there.  'They start forming off the coast of Africa, as they're moving across the Atlantic, we drop a bomb inside the eye of the hurricane and it disrupts it.  Why can't we do that?' the source added, paraphrasing (Trump's) 

remarks."  Trump wants to take credit for an idea that dates back to when President Dwight D. Eisenhower was sitting behind The Oval Office desk and the notion was thought of by a U.S. government scientist.  However, meteorologists and other weather science experts worldwide have for decades maintained that such a plan would not be successful.

     As with everything Trump, Republicans on Capitol Hill remain his cheerleaders, and even if they publicly - or privately - disagree with Trump, GOP members - and Republicans across the United States - no matter what, will defend Trump.  Let's remember that on January 23rd, 2016, at a campaign rally in Iowa, Trump boasted about his loyal supporters.  "I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."  I sometimes ask myself, what would his base do if Trump actually did fire a bullet at someone on a Manhattan street?  They probably would claim that he had a good and justifiable reason for pulling the trigger. It's a sickening thought that is tragically, but probably, true. 

     If the vast majority of Americans want Trump to take a hike, the Republican-controlled Senate would have to agree with the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives in order to perform the ultimate; to evict Trump from the presidential mansion.  One would expect that to happen in a sane, sensible world.  But we don't live in a sane, sensible world.  We live in a disgusting, vengeful world, and while Donald Trump represents the United States of America, he is unfortunately guiding that vengeance and spearheading a movement of hostility. 

     Trump continues to lie through his teeth.  He is compulsive, deceptive, and delusive.  All he wants is revenge because honesty and trust are not words in his vocabulary.  If you want the truth about The Mueller Report, I encourage you to read it.  Take heed to the evidence and the facts, not the anger of a defiant Donald Trump.

     Trump misled the Mueller investigation and contradicted the special counsel.  He was relentless with his rhetoric that the Mueller probe was a "hoax" and a "witch hunt."  Trump has incorrectly bragged that Special Counsel Mueller exonerated him. More accurately, Trump lied.  But for the truth, read the following exchange from the video transcript of the House Judiciary Committee hearing.

     Chairman Jerry Nadler:  "Director Mueller, the president has repeatedly claimed that your report found there was no obstruction, and that it completely and totally exonerated him.  But that is not what your report said, is it?"

     Mueller:  "Correct, that is not what the report said."

     Nadler:  "Did you actually, totally exonerate the president?"

     Mueller:  "No."   

     At the House Intelligence Committee hearing that followed on that same day, it's chairman, Congressman Adam Schiff of California, presented other questions to Mueller, which blasts Trump for lying.

     Schiff:  "Your investigation is not a 'witch hunt,' is it, Director Mueller?"

     Mueller:  "It is not a witch hunt."

     Schiff:  "When the president said the Russian interference was a 'hoax,' that was false, wasn't it?"

     Mueller:  "True."  

     Every time Donald Trump lies he goes against his presidential oath of office.  The Washington Post says that since Inauguration Day on January 20th, 2017, Trump has made "more than 12,000 false or misleading claims."  One of Trump's biggest lies is denying that he was in the thick of it when he and his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen discussed paying "hush money" to two women who Trump allegedly had sexual, extra-marital affairs with between 2006 and 2007, shortly after 

his current wife, Melania Trump, gave birth to their son, Barron Trump.  Trump Republicans call Cohen the liar, even though he was under oath when he testified that Trump ordered him to commit crimes. But federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York - along with a federal district court judge - came to the conclusion, as a result of Cohen's testimony and other evidence, that Trump "coordinated and directed" Cohen to pay $130,000 

to porn star Stormy Daniels, and that in concert with David Pecker - the chief executive officer of American Media Inc. - Trump arranged for AMI to pay $150,000 to Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal. Cohen testified that Trump was "in the room" when the AMI/Pecker deal was made.  AMI publishes the National Enquirer.  The bottom line is that both women - Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, and McDougal - could have hurt, damaged, or completely destroyed the Trump campaign, thus 

the reason for the covert currency. And Cohen, testifying before Congress, showed our country and the world the proof - in the form of at least one check signed by Donald Trump - that Trump, in fact, reimbursed Cohen for the money he laid out to pay Daniels.  Cohen is currently incarcerated for campaign finance violations and other criminal offenses.  His 3-year prison sentence is, in part, related to his involvement in the "hush money" payments to Daniels and McDougal. 

     The law is very clear.  Therefore, it is indisputable that Trump is blatantly guilty of campaign finance violations for being a party to - with his own money and others - payoffs for more than one-quarter of a million dollars, in order to keep the lips zipped of the aforementioned females, so that their alleged sexual encounters with Trump would stay hidden from voters.

     I am convinced that Trump's planned schemes about the Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal matters were designed to specifically deceive voters so they would not know of Trump's immoral infidelity, which - if discovered before the 2016 election - would have influenced certain voters' decisions and, therefore, enough Americans in specific states would have not pulled the lever for Trump, which would have affected the outcome in the Electoral College vote in those states, thus causing Trump to lose the election and Hillary Clinton to win.  Americans needed to hear Robert Mueller call Trump the name he is identified as in federal court documents - "Individual 1" - and we needed to hear Mueller echo what he wrote in his report that Trump paid "hush money" to the women.  Legal experts and constitutional scholars say Trump broke the law because paying Daniels and McDougal was premeditated betrayal intended to trick voters.  In other words...it was fraud.  And that's a felony, which is an impeachable offense. 

     Donald Trump's brainwashed base of nationwide Republicans, who have worshiped him on his pedestal of profanity for more than four years (including, for some, the early days of his campaign) are thinking - wrong as they are - that the investigation in to Trump is done and over.  To believe such nonsense is illogical and downright foolish.  Democrats will not stop until Americans are provided the entire truth. Accordingly, House Democrats are determined to unravel any mystery.  All questions need to be answered, including - but not limited to - Trump's pre-election payments to Daniels and McDougal.  Meanwhile, on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019, Daniels tweeted that she is prepared to testify before Congress and that she will tell the truth.  "I have no fear of being under oath because I have been and will be honest. Bring it!"

     To this day, I am still baffled that after the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood video was released on October 7th, 2016, about a month before the election, how any woman - and for that matter, any man who respects women - could cast their ballot for Donald Trump.  It was on that tape when Trump grandstanded about his sexcapades - allegedly with television personality Nancy O'Dell, among others - and blew his own horn to Access Hollywood's then-host, Billy Bush.

     "I moved on her, actually.  You know she was down on Palm Beach.  I moved on her...and I failed.  I'll admit it.  I did try and fuck her.  She was married.  No, no, Nancy.  No this was...and I moved on her very heavily.  In fact, I took her furniture shopping.  She wanted to get some furniture.  I said, 'I'll show you where they have some nice furniture.'  I took her out furniture...  I moved on her like a bitch.  But I couldn't get there.  And she was married.  Then all of a sudden, I see her.  She's now got the big phony tits and everything.  She's totally changed her look."

    
     The conversation continued as the Access Hollywood bus arrived at NBC studios in Burbank, California and Trump noticed actress Arianne Zucker who he was meeting that day to videotape a scene with her on Days Of Our Lives.
 
     "Yeah, that's her...with the gold.  I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her.  You know, I'm automatically attracted to beautiful...  I just start kissing them.  It's like a magnet.  Just kiss. I don't even wait.  And when you're a star, they let you do it.  You can do anything." Billy Bush replied..."Whatever you want."  And Trump uttered the line that nobody should forget.  "Grab 'em by the pussy.  You can do anything."


     I don't believe Donald Trump cares about anything but himself and money. However, that said, if Trump does at all care about the United States of America, as he insists he does, then Donald...here's my personal message to you.  Get the hell out of The White House.  Vacate the premises.  Go away!  You're an embarrassment to our country.  RESIGN!  

     If Trump was as "smart" as he claims to be - which he is not - he would leave the presidency and hope that Mike Pence, as the new President, pardons him for all federal crimes.  Otherwise, if Trump doesn't quit, and he continues his 2020 campaign and loses to a Democrat - which I hope and think he would - federal prosecutors can and will indict Trump on felony charges.  If convicted - which I believe he more than likely would be - Trump would go to prison.  Americans will see a then-former President of the United States locked up behind bars.  Trump's base should think about these facts and the added embarrassment to our nation on the world stage.  Trump himself should certainly put such thoughts in the forefront of his mind.

     It should be also known that if Trump doesn't resign, or he's not impeached, convicted and removed from office, but is re-elected next year, by the time his second term would be completed, the statute of limitations would prevent him from being prosecuted.  Therefore, if Trump escapes resignation or any constitutional congressional process, if justice is to be served, it is crucial for Americans to vote for the Democratic nominee on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020.  As I did months ago, I continue to endorse and embrace - "hug" if you will - former Vice President Joe Biden.

     So will voters hand Donald Trump a second term as president?  Or will Americans someday witness Trump in a pair of handcuffs...after being sentenced...to a prison term?

     And that's The Controversy for today.

     I'm Gary B. Duglin.

     "We'll talk again." 


The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions.  Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.

Please express your personal opinions by following the instructions printed at the top of this column.  And thank you for reading The Controversy.

Photo credits:

1 - Joe Raedle/Getty Images (Donald Trump)
2 - Justin Sullivan/Getty Images (Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton)
3 - Streeter Lecka/Getty Images (Former President Barack Obama)
4 - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images (Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi)
5 - The Associated Press (House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn)d 
6 - CNN Screenshot (House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler)
7 - Jeff Faughender/The Courier-Journal (Congressman John Yarmuth)
8 - The Associated Press (Former President Richard Nixon)
9 - The Republic (Former Senator Barry Goldwater, Former Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott and Former House Minority Leader John Rhodes Jr.)
10 - Leah Millis/Reuters (Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell)
11 - Andrew Harnik/The Associated Press (Former Special Counsel Robert Mueller)
12 - Ron Galella/WireImage (Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert)
13 - Getty Images (Tom Hanks)
14 - David Buchan/Shutterstock (Steven Spielberg)
15 - Alexander Drago/Reuters (Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein)
16 - Mary Altaffer/The Associated Press (Former White House Counsel Don McGahn and Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus)
17 - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images (Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions)
18 - Richard Drew/The Associated Press (Donald Trump Jr.)
19 - NBC News Screenshot (Rob Goldstone)
20 - Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images (Russia's President Vladmir Putin)
21 - Getty Images (Former President Dwight D. Eisenhower)
22 - Kevin Dietsch/United Press International (House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff)
23 - Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images (Michael Cohen)
24 - Peter Brooker/REX/Shutterstock (Melania Trump and Barron Trump) 
25 - Marion Curtis/The Associated Press (David Pecker)
26 - Ethan Miller and Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images/AFP (Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal)
27 - PBS (Donald Trump's check to Michael Cohen)
28 - Carlo Allegri/Getty Images (Nancy O'Dell)
29 - Access Hollywood (Now Access)/NBCUniversal (Donald Trump, Billy Bush and Arianne Zucker)
30 - Getty Images (Mike Pence)
31 - Nathan Congleton/NBC News/NBCUniversal/Getty Images (Former Vice President Joe Biden)

Copyright 2019 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net.  All Rights Reserved.

7 comments:

  1. Gary you make me laugh when you say Clinton did “absolutely nothing illegal. Mrs. Clinton committed no crimes,” she was “fully exonerated” by the FBI and numerous prosecutors but that was only after the AG cut a deal with her husband on the tarmac. Let’s wait and see what John Durham, a top federal prosecutor assigned by an honest and non-corrupt AG to look into the FBI and the 2016 election. Let’s see what he comes up with about the FBI, Hillary, her husband, the AG and the DNC and how all of them may have broken Federal Law! Maybe all the way up to the White House.
    Much of the rest of your column is all part of your “Trump derangement syndrome” or TDS so I will not rehash all your incorrect statements and outright lies that show your hate for the President. I will say that in some ways I hope the Democrats in Congress do impeach the President because he will then be cleared by the Senate and maybe that will guarantee his re-election!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mr. or Ms. "Unknown," it is I who is laughing. My column is based on factual evidence. Just read the entire Mueller Report. Just read the transcripts (or watch the videos) of the congressional hearing with Hillary Clinton. Just read the FBI's report on the Hillary Clinton email/server investigation. So yes. I am 100 percent correct that Secretary Clinton did "absolutely nothing illegal." You can accuse me of "hate" for Donald Trump (which is not true), but it is YOU who are the hater of Bill and Hillary Clinton and perhaps all Democrats. Mrs. Clinton was indeed "fully exonerated.

      As for the your moronic comment regarding President Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch's June 2016 meeting on the tarmac at Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, there was no "deal." That's a story that Fox News and other conservatives dreamed up in their heads, along with a "security source" who claimed to overhear a conversation, which was later reported to a newspaper whose publisher was - drum roll please - Jared Kushner. I rest my case.

      I can guarantee you - yes, guarantee you - that there won't be any "broken Federal Law(s)" discovered that pertain to "the FBI, Hillary, her husband, the AG and the DNC."

      As for your reference to "Trump derangement syndrome," there is no such thing. It's a made-up term, the origin of which is traced to political columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist, who originally coined the phrase "Bush derangement syndrome" in 2003 during the presidency of George W. Bush. As is explained by Wikipedia, "Krauthammer, himself a harsh critic of Trump, later defined Trump derangement syndrome as a Trump-induced 'general hysteria' among the chattering classes, producing an 'inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology' in the President's behavior." You can use the term, if you like, but it's laughable.

      My statements are not only correct, but I believe my personal thoughts and opinions are justifiable and my predictions will soon become true. I have expressed no "lies." But you are in denial, or you just - for whatever the reason - love a man who is a racist, a narcissist, a misogynist, a xenophobe, a homophobe, and a danger to the United States of America as he is mentally and morally unfit. I don't think he'll be on the ballot in 2020, but if he is, he will be defeated in a landslide, and hopefully by Joe Biden.

      Resignation is coming. As my title states, Resignation For Donald Trump Is His Safest Option To Stay Out Of Prison.

      GBD

      Delete
  2. My column proves the existence of truth and facts. No TDS, which is a bunch of imaginary crap that was created during the George W. Bush administration (as I noted above) and is laughed about by Democrats when Republicans like you want to throw it around as if it meant anything. I have no hatred and I don't "name-call." I merely describe Donald Trump in a way that is accurate and factual. If you can actual believe that Trump is not a racist and a xenophobe, based on all his insulting language and offensive actions, then I have to ask you...are YOU a racist? Are YOU a xenophobe? Anyone who can agree with Donald Trump's behavior towards African-Americans and Hispanics (Latinos), plus other people of color, I have to question whether they too are racists and xenophobes. You are either ignorant to the situation or simply do not care about the treatment received by African-Americans, Latinos and other ethnic groups because of Donald Trump. Trump IS a racist, plain and simple. Are you?

    As for your misinformed comments regarding jobs and the economy, numerous Fact-Checking operations - including by Snopes, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and others - say that Trump's claim that unemployment rates have been falling as a result of him being in office is absolutely not true. The facts are clear, as documented by the U.S. Labor Department, that unemployment rates for African-Americans and Hispanics, along with all races and other ethnic groups throughout the rest of the country (not to mention everybody else), have been dropping relatively steady since 2010, which is early in President Barack Obama's presidency after President George W. Bush put America in to the biggest economic recession since the Great Depression. President Bush is to be blame - and historians do and will continue to show - that Mr. Bush was at fault. However, it is to President Obama's credit that the unemployment rates have dropped and that the economy HAD been doing better. Donald Trump has caused our economy to worsen and my column from July 11th, 2019 was ahead of all the stock market problems that began later in the summer. I hit the nail on the head with my editorial, AMERICANS ARE BEING BAMBOOZLED BY DONALD TRUMP AS THE ECONOMY IS A MUCH DARKER REALITY THAN THE ROSY PICTURE HE PAINTS at http://www.thecontroversy.net/2019/07/americans-are-being-bamboozled-by.html. If you never read my column, feel free to do so as it spells out the truth. Since my commentary was published, economists are predicting a full-blown recession before the 2020 election.

    Your hatred towards the Clintons is obvious. There was no "deal" made between President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch regarding Hillary Clinton. Period.

    Donald Trump hates everyone who isn't as white as the driven snow. He has defended white nationalists/white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis. How Trump's own son-in-law, grandchildren, and daughter (who converted to Judaism) can respect him is beyond me. How any person whose skin tone is black, brown or anything but white can defend and support Donald Trump is baffling. In fact, any white American who cares at all for anyone of color shouldn't respect or defend Trump either. But then nobody should. Everyone should be colorblind. As for Trump's misogynistic behavior, he treats women like crap and uses phrases like "I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything." All of your comments are lies just like Trump.

    Your remark that Trump "didn't break any laws" is so moronic that it doesn't deserve a response. My column does that with truth and facts. I will not debate the results of an election that is 14 months away. However, if the election was today, and the inauguration was tomorrow, Joe Biden would be moving into The White House.

    GBD

    ReplyDelete
  3. TDS or “Trump derangement syndrome” is a term used to explain people like you who have tried to justify their intense dislike and in most cases their unfounded hatred for the President. You and your ilk hate everyone who stands for what built this country, you hate those who standup for our immigration laws and wants to protect our nation from illegal aliens, drug cartels, human traffickers and possible terrorist. You name call everyone who wants to protect us from these people, you call them “racist,” that is name-calling! Look at someone’s actions not their words, the President has helped push through justice reform, his policies have helped lower African-American and Latino un-employment to the lowest levels, more people are working than ever before, that’s good for everybody. I’ll even give some of the credit to President Obama. Even when you want to push your lie that the 2009 great recession was all President Bush’s fault, the fact is that 2 of the major issues that caused the recession were September 11,2001 and the terrible banking regulations pushed through during and before the Clinton administration. So stop you lies and hatred for President Bush. President Trump offered the Democrats to legalize 1.8 million Dreamers but the left said NO. How is doing all that and more racist? Once again you tell lies President Trump NEVER I repeat NEVER “defended white nationalists/white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis” just yours and the “FAKE” Medias lies. Read the whole statement of what he said not just the sound bite! As for his misogynistic behavior I haven’t seen any “PROOF” that he has forced himself on any woman, grab’em by anything or DONE anything like that, yes he got caught on a hot-mic, I guess you have never been in a locker-room, I heard all sorts of men, athletes, attorneys, doctors, CEO’s, top people in their fields say things in a locker-room of what they would like to do or wanted to do to women, it is just talk! Does anyone believe Wilt Chamberlain slept with over 20,000 women or that rapper Blueface slept with over 10,000 (he is only 22 years old) if he has had sex since he is 16 that would be close to 1700 women a year or 4-5 a day, every day! It is locker-room talk, it does make you a misogynist, it may make you crude but that all. STOP the hate!AND I AM NOT A RACIST!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The following response to the above reader will be in three parts.

      PART ONE OF THREE

      It's pointless to have an intelligent discussion with someone who clearly doesn't understand truth and facts. So this will be my last response to you, Mr. or Ms. Anonymous - whomever you are - in regards to the above column.

      TDS is fake. I will repeat what I wrote in an earlier comment to you. "Trump derangement syndrome" is a made-up term, the origin of which is traced to political columnist and commentator Charles Krauthammer, a psychiatrist, who originally coined the phrase in 2003 during the presidency of George W. Bush. As is explained by Wikipedia, "Krauthammer, himself a harsh critic of Trump, later defined Trump derangement syndrome as a Trump-induced 'general hysteria' among the chattering classes, producing an 'inability to distinguish between legitimate policy differences and signs of psychic pathology' in the President's behavior." You can use the term, if you like, but it's laughable.

      You can spew your venom that I and my "ilk hate everyone," but you'd be wrong because I have no hate in my heart, my mind or my soul. Immigrants are welcome to the United States. All "Dreamers" (between 800,000 and one-million people) should be given citizenship immediately. There are between 11.1 million and 11.4 million undocumented immigrants living in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Pew Research. That's about 3 percent of the U.S. population. These individuals work here, go to school here, pay taxes, and they do jobs that most Americans would not do. All 11-million plus need to be given their U.S. citizenship. Furthermore, people who are being persecuted in their own nations and who are trying to escape the violence and poverty of their homelands should be granted asylum and welcomed to our country with open arms. And it should not take 5 years or more for anyone to become a citizen. As for Trump "offer(ing) to legalize 1.8 million Dreamers, but the left said NO," that's a lie. Trump had an ulterior motive and that's what he told the Democrats. He was willing to help the Dreamers if the House was willing to give Trump money to build his "Wall of Hate." That was never going to happen. And as I've written for 4 years since Trump first talked about his racist, xenophobic wall of hate, THERE WILL NEVER BE A WALL. And I've been right. THERE WILL NEVER BE A WALL.

      I don't "name-call" anyone. Defining a person is based on their actions, their beliefs, their language and their attitudes. Donald Trump IS a racist because of his vicious actions, his horrendous beliefs, his offensive language, and his disgraceful attitudes. Trump has indeed defended white nationalists/white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan and Nazis. The videos are all over the place and I saw Trump say the words LIVE on television. By calling white nationalists/white supremacists, Klansmen and Nazis..."very fine people" and that "there's blame on both sides"...all means that Trump defends white nationalists/white supremacists, Klansmen and Nazis. No "FAKE" media lies. All facts. All truth.

      GBD

      END OF PART ONE OF THREE

      Delete
    2. PART TWO OF THREE

      You obviously didn't read my earlier response to you because Trump has in no way been responsible for lowering African-American and Latino unemployment to the lowest levels and Trump is not responsible for any of the improvement with the economy as all that began under President Barack Obama. The fact is, as I noted in an earlier comment to you (and in an entire column, as noted above), the economy is failing under Donald Trump and 72 percent of economists nationwide say we will be in a full-blown recession by 2021. That's according to the National Association for Business Economics who conducted a survey of 226 economists. Only 14 percent of economists say such a recession won't happen until after 2021. Trump's policies are destroying America.

      Economists and historians do, in fact, blame President George W. Bush for the "Great Recession" of 2007 to 2009. As for 9/11, don't get me started. If President Bush had listened to his counter-terrorism chief, Richard Clarke, 9/11 might never have happened.

      GBD

      END OF PART TWO OF THREE

      Delete
    3. PART THREE OF THREE

      After every bit of disgusting and despicable behavior that Trump has done towards women, how can you defend him and say he's not a misogynist? Sure, I'll agree that you might hear men say certain things about women such as "oh she's hot," or "I'd like to spend a month with her one night," but not..."I just start kissing them. It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything." And remember something else, "when you're a star" (to use Trump's words), you need to be on your guard at all times. That's why Billy Bush got fired. He should never have continued the conversation with Trump. As soon as Trump began to say, ""I moved on her, actually. You know she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her...and I failed. I'll admit it. I did try and fuck her. She was married." that's when Bush should have turned to Trump and changed the conversation. I've been a professional broadcaster for 46 years, and more than that during high school. The first thing a broadcaster learns is that "always think that your mic is on." Both Trump and Billy Bush are experienced in the broadcasting and entertainment industry. They should have known better. They were not in a locker room. They were not at a cocktail party. They were in a studio. Yes. The Access Hollywood bus was the same as a studio. And they both got caught. Bush was fired, lost his job, and only this month has Bush been able to get employment. He's now the host of Extra. Trump should never have been elected, and not just because of the Access Hollywood video, but because of a laundry list of other reasons. Now he needs to be removed from office (or he should resign) because of the proven crimes Trump has committed. The conversation used by Trump with Billy Bush was not "just talk." As Vice President Joe Biden rightfully stated when the Access Hollywood tape was made public in 2016, a month before the election, Trump's remarks are the "textbook definition of sexual assault." Bragging about having sex with 10,000 or 20,000 women (referring to your two examples above) is not the same as actually using the lewd language that Trump uttered to Billy Bush.

      If you're "NOT A RACIST" then STOP supporting and defending a racist. That makes YOU a racist too.

      GBD

      END OF PART THREE OF THREE

      Delete