The Peoples' Indictment On The Impeachment and Removal From Office Of
President Donald J. Trump
With all due respect to the Congress of the United States, and their extensive and expensive efforts with respect to impeaching the president for high crimes and misdemeanors, we the people do hereby affirm that we have simply lost faith and confidence in the presidency of Donald J. Trump and require that he be removed from office. We affirm this in all seriousness and well aware of the gravity of the situation. Our reasons for this affirmation are as follows:
Article One
The President has lied to the American people. According to independent, non-partisan fact-checkers, President Trump has delivered over 10,700 falsehoods since taking office, which of course does not include the zillion or so he's probably told in the previous seventy-plus years. We don't think the president should lie to the people.
Article Two
The President has repeatedly demonstrated his managerial incompetence. He fails to take advice from staff, fails to delegate authority, fails to fill job vacancies throughout the federal bureaucracy, has staffed major policy positions with unqualified family members, and fails to retain a senior staff as shown by the high turnover of cabinet officials.
Article Three
We require a dignified presidency that is looked upon with respect by both the American people and the rest of the world. President Trump has failed to do this by
A. treating the office as though it were just another television studio
B. dropping rude and crude unthought thoughts upon the world with his endless, and juvenile, use of his Twitter account
C. constantly referring to policy opponents as "human scum" or making fun of them by focusing on their physical characteristics
D. constantly casting scorn upon the free press that is the bulwark of our democracy
E. treating highly-qualified and experienced foreign service officers with derision and contumely and thus, in the process, reducing the stature of the U.S. throughout the world.
Article Four
We require honesty in a president, both in his personal life as well as in his dealings with the American public. President Trump has failed to do this by
A. failing the traditional presidential release of his tax information
B. constantly making false statements about opponents and then denying he said them in spite of clear video evidence
C. making promises to allies and then casting those allies aside when it's convenient to his purposes
D. denying, with his anti-immigration bombast, a fundamental cultural tenet of American history; i.e., that we are a nation of immigrants and that we are a haven of freedom and hope to the oppressed peoples of the world.
Article Five
We require a president who is likeable, who is solid in normal times and who can inspire us in difficult times. We remember the warm congeniality of a Jimmy Carter, the smile of Gerald Ford, the affability of Ronald Reagan, even the insincere sincerity of Bill Clinton. President Trump gives us nothing but his arms-crossed glowering (a classic sign of a grump), his atonal speaking, and a general feeling that you wouldn't want to be in the same room with the man. The only time he seems to smile is when he feels he has delivered a killing insult to some critic.
Article Six
One of Trump's main campaign promises in 2016 was that he would "Make America Great Again." He has not done that. He has made us less of a nation in that we are now hugely polarized with Trump supporters unwilling to engage with non-Trump supporters and vice-versa. His "America First" rhetoric has diminished our role on the world's stage and made us less of a global power. World leaders have even been seen on video laughing at him and not in a kind way.
Article Seven
One of his senior advisers is Stephen Miller, a known white nationalist. We don't think such a person should have any role in government and certainly not on the national level. His presence in the administration is a fearsome blemish on the office of the President.
Article Eight
Numerous of his campaign aides and White House staffers have been indicted and/or convicted on charges ranging from campaign violations to lying to Congress. Such actions have brought shame to the Office of the President.
Article Nine
He has damaged our trade relations with China, Mexico, Canada, and the European Union, the ramifications of which are both ominous and long-term.
Article Ten
He has ignored clear scientific evidence that our climate is changing with both short term and long term deleterious and possibly catastrophic effects. We think the U.S. should be a partner with all nations in making the world habitable for current and future generations. The President, with his "America First" rhetoric, has closed the door to such partnerships.
Article Eleven
Above all, he has failed to develop a working relationship with the Congress, to view compromise as a prime tool of rational argument, and to regard bipartisanship as a policy asset.
G.K.Wuori © 2020
Photoillustration by the author
