The "Trial" of Donald Trump

Vladimir Putin is restructuring the Russian government to insure that he remains in power for life. Republican Senators of the United States are doing something similar for Donald Trump. But their goal is to prevent him from being removed from office for offences for which he has already been impeached.

From the time of his impeachment to the time the articles were delivered to the Senate -- less than one month -- more evidence and witnesses have become available. All have corroborated Trump's attempted extortion of Ukraine's president and implicated other Trump officials and cohorts. The Government Accountability Office recently concluded that his delay of Ukraine aid violated federal law. And yet, troves of documents and crucial witnesses are being withheld by Trump.

If Trump is innocent as he and his supporters claim, why the obstruction? Witnesses and documents may show what Trump claims. Democrats don't know how witnesses will testify or what is contained in the withheld documents. They may exonerate Trump. Could it be possible that Senate Republicans realize that a fair and impartial trial would find Trump guilty?

Republican defense of the extortion charge has devolved to "so what." Republicans are insisting, despite all evidence, that Trump did nothing wrong and even if he did, they don't care. However, extortion is only one article of impeachment; the other is obstruction of Congress. Trump's refusal to provide documents and witnesses to cover-up the extortion article is blocking Congress from conducting an impartial trial. This is as blatant and as obvious as it can humanly be. Denying that blatant obstruction occurred -- and is still occurring -- will bring Republican Senators to a new low as they violate oaths to defend the Constitution and to hold a fair and impartial trial.

John L. Ferri