Trump’s Impeachment

Words in Context and Added Comments

Written during the impeachment trial
but never published

The transcript released uncommented and unredacted by Trump of the infamous July 25 phone call that started Trump’s impeachment goes like this and I’ll quote the beginning and the end of it verbatim but comment on parts of what Democrats are calling “quid pro quo,” “bribery,” “a drug deal,” etc. My comments are bracketed within the transcript.

I’d also like to suggest that this is a lot like the Obama birther controversies in which Trump took a prominent role and the “Lock her up!” chant slandering Hillary Clinton that echoed through many TVs in the nation while Trump stood smirking on stage at the Republican National Convention. Like those controversies, Trump just jump started them, let them spread like the infectious disease they carry – misinformation, distrust and confusion – and never quite got around to clearing things up.

Please note that the words I quote came straight from the White House as my hyperlink proves. You’re also welcome to read it yourself without my comments, but I infer a clear and consistent picture of the President’s intent as he spoke with Zelenskyy.

And also note that Zelenskyy is just elected and fighting for the continued existence of his country as a free nation against Russia, led by a former KGB operative of the Soviet Union, Vladimir Putin. As the Donald Trump points out at the start of this call, his young and fragile country is entirely dependent on the largess of the man he’s finally talking to. This is a conversation between Trump and a national leader whose life and country are dependent on Donald Trump and the immense military and political power he holds as Commander in Chief of the most lethal military force ever seen on this planet, a military force we taxpayers fund with the military expenditures of the next ten countries combined!!

Trump: Congratulations on a great victory. We all watched from the United States and you did a terrific job. The way you came from behind, somebody who wasn’t given much of a chance, and you ended up winning easily. It’s a fantastic achievement. Congratulations.

Zelenskyy: You are absolutely right, Mr. President. We did win big and we worked hard for this. We worked a lot but I would like to confess to you that I had an opportunity to learn from you. We used quite a few of your skills and knowledge and were able to use it as an example for our elections and, yes, it is true that these were unique elections. We were in a unique situation that we were able to achieve a unique success. I’m able to tell you the following: the first time you called me when my presidential election, and the second time you are now calling me when my party won the parliamentary election. I think I should run more often so you can call me more often and we can talk over the phone more often. [The length of this first paragraph and the punch line indicates that the phone calls themselves were of vital importance to Zelenskyy. <==Note this because it’s important.]

Trump: (laughs politely at the joke of winning more often) “That’s a very good idea. [You’re on the right track pleasing me so far] I think your country is very happy about that.” [ <== Of course you want my attention and your voters want to know you have my ear.]

Zelenskyy: “Well yes, to tell you the truth, we are trying to work hard because we wanted to drain the swamp here in our country. We brought in many many new people. Not the old politicians, not the typical politicians, because we want to have a new format and a new type of government. You are a great teacher for us and in that.” [again pandering to Trump’s ego while sticking to Trump’s ostensible role here in draining the swamp — I wrote a thing on that ==> Draining the Swamp.]

Trump: Well, it’s very nice of you to say that. [keep pleasing me] I will say that we do a lot for Ukraine. We spend a lot of effort and a lot of time. Much more than the European countries are doing and they should be helping you more than they are. Germany does almost nothing for you. All they do is talk and I think it’s something that you should really ask them about. When I was speaking to Angela Merkel she talks Ukraine, but she doesn’t do anything. A lot of the European countries are the same way so I think it’s something you want to look at but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine. I wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily because things are happening that are not good but the United States has been very very good to Ukraine. [You don’t have another powerful ally. You’re dependent on me and my country’s generous largess. And “not good” things are happening in the Ukraine’s relationship with its major benefactor – me. This is again carefully stated so that it doesn’t stand out unless you parse its meaning.]

Zelenskyy: Yes you are absolutely right. Not only 100%, but actually 1000% and I can tell you the following; I did talk to Angela Merkel and I did meet with her. I also met and talked with Macron and I told them that they are not doing quite as much as they need to be doing on the issues with the sanctions. They are not enforcing the sanctions. They are not working as much as they should work for Ukraine. It turns out that even though logically, the European Union should be our biggest partner but technically the United States is a much bigger partner than the European Union and I’m very grateful to you for that because the United States is doing quite a lot for Ukraine. Much more than the European Union especially when we are talking about sanctions against the Russian Federation. I would also like to thank you for your great support in the area of defense. We are ready to continue to cooperate for the next steps [(fighting corruption; lifting the sanctions)] specifically we are almost ready to buy more Javelins from the United States for defense purposes. [We’re eager to have something to stop Russian tanks in the Crimea.]

[Immediately following the request for Javelins, which weren’t provided to Ukraine due to the corrupt nature of the previous government, but were stopped again by Trump and his Chief of Staff after Ukraine was certified to receive them by the people in the US government tasked to do this.]

Trump: I would like you to do us a favor though because our country has been through a lot and Ukraine knows a lot about it. [(My comment: The Ukrainians also know that the Russians did it and that’s why they didn’t announce these required “investigations.” despite this call!!)] I would like you to find out what happened with this whole situation with Ukraine. They say Crowdstrike… [referring to a conspiracy theory which Trump’s own intelligence community has investigated, found to come from the highest levels of the Russian government, like the 2016 election meddling … and has told Trump] … I guess you have one of your wealthy people… [a possible fall guy to sacrifice in exchange for the Javelins] The server, [part of the same Russian propaganda Trump’s been told about but doesn’t believe] they [meaning either conspiracy theorists or Putin himself] say Ukraine has it. [I remember his one-on-one meeting with Putin and how pleased with Putin he was. I wouldn’t be shocked if the source of that pleasure was a way to throw dirt on Biden and have corruption in Ukraine to back it up. This would have worked a lot better if the corrupt politicians had won the Ukrainian Elections.] There are a lot of things that went on, the whole situation. I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people.[adding an accusation to the boldface lie, clearly intended to intimidate Zelenskyy and create maximum fear and force him into doing Trump’s dirty work for him] I would like you to get to the bottom of it. As you saw yesterday, that whole nonsense ended with a very poor performance by a man named Robert Mueller, [this clearly and unambiguously defines what Trump is talking about and, if there were any doubt in Zelenskyy’s mind (or yours) should clear it up nicely] an incompetent performance, but they [whom he knows to be Russian professional propagandists] say a lot of it started with Ukraine. Whatever you can do, it’s very important that you do it if that’s possible.

[It’s clear what Trump wants and it’s clear to Zelenskyy, an anit-corruption politician, that if he doesn’t play ball with Trump, it’s known around the world that Trump will do everything in his enormous power to bring him down. Trump has Zelenskyy in a box. If Zelenskyy doesn’t play ball, it’s clear that Trump will say he’s “surrounding himself with the same people” – namely “the corrupt ones.” All the pieces of the trap are there.]

[The carrots: Javelins to combat Russian tanks, phone calls, “friendship.”, continuing support which is essential to keep Ukraine from Russian hegemony]

[The sticks: not getting America’s military, economic, and political support, being smeared by POTUS like Robert Mueller, not having phone calls, not having “friendship,” the threat of “I think you’re surrounding yourself with some of the same people” (a terrifying prospect to a newly elected person unused to politics and talking directly with POTUS), and the prospect of being entirely dependent on the derelict EU and Germany for support, clearly outlined before this “request.”(read demand)]

[AND the dishonest and corrupt way out of the box. Trump is asking this newly elected leader of Ukraine to betray his honor and his country in order to get the political, economic, and military support to save his country from being taken over by Russia.]

[And THIS is what President Trump calls “a perfect phone call!”]

[This is certainly a betrayal of our ally.]

[This also betrays our country’s longstanding foreign policy under both Republican and Democratic leadership.]

[This tries to coerce a foreign leader to further Russia’s propaganda and besmirch an innocent “rich” countrymen unfairly at the same time Russia’s invasion forces are killing Ukrainians and conquering Ukranian territory.]

[It furthers the personal political interests of Trump and Putin, not those of the U.S., Russia, Ukraine, truth, justice or world peace and stability.]

[It also seeks to muddy the clear findings of the intelligence arm of his executive branch that Russia hacked the 2016 Presidential election in favor of Trump.]

[And, yes, like Obama’s birther controversy and Hillary’s “Lock Her Up!” at the RNC, it seeks to call a political opponent’s suitability for the Oval Office into question.]

[And, though this is only my opinion, it confirms my opinion of Donald Trump as a white collar criminal who declares bankruptcy in order to make more money, and who surrounds himself with other white collar criminals such as Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s current personal lawyer and agent in Ukraine for sowing rumor and conflict, Paul Manafort, Trump’s Presidential Campaign Manager, (pleading guilty to conspiring against the United States and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison), Roger Stone (convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a congressional investigation), Michael Cohen, The Donald’s personal lawyer before Giuliani (who pled guilty to illegal campaign contributions at the direction of a political candidate and the “fixer” of Trump’s affairs with women not his wife, Rick Gates, Trump Campaign Adviser (who pled guilty to conspiracy and lying to the FBI in exchange for other charges and cooperating in the Mueller investigation), Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security Adviser (who pled guilty to lying to the FBI in the same investigation involving the hacking of the 2016 election), George Papadopooulos, Trump Campaign Foreign Policy Adviser (who pled guilty to lying to federal agents about his contacts with Kremlin-connected Russians).]

[This list might also include the next level of corruption under this group: Alex Van der Zwaan (Manafort aide also serving prison time), Konstantin Kilimnik (a Russian citizen, Manafort’s right-hand man in Ukraine, accused of conspiring with Manafort to obstruct justice), Chris Collins, 1^st US Congressman to endorse Trump (pled guilty to insider trading charges and resigned), Duncan Hunter, 2^nd US Congressman to endorse Trump (indicted for diverting campaign money for personal and family expenses, awaiting trial), Ralph Shortey, Trump’s Oklahoma campaign chair (who pled guilty to child sex trafficking), Timothy Nolan, Trump Campaign Official for Kentucky (sentenced to 20 years for child sex trafficking), and I believe the list goes on!]

[Like many things in the world of “The Donald,” it is “perfect” in that it is entirely implied and cannot stand up in a court of law. He is (again) on safe legal ground while lying through his teeth, betraying his own foreign policy, and doing his best to bribe Zelenskyy into betraying Ukraine in order to save it from Putin’s aggression. Remember that these two men, Trump and Putin, had an “entirely satisfactory” meeting in Helsinki while waging this proxy war against each other in Ukraine! This is using the might of the United States military and the invading Russian troops to dishonestly smear Joe Biden, the opponent in the next election most likely to defeat him. Like smearing all Democrats as “Liberals and Socialists,” he once again seeks to divide the United States from the truth and its allies for an agenda that serves dishonesty and his personal political agenda.]

[…This was written during the impeachment trial but never got finished in time. I do think it is an important part of history now that only slightly less than half the U.S. voters still wanted him as our President. This isn’t intended to accomplish anything except, as with my entire blog, to move us forward against the extremely powerful forces of division and discord that seek the easy and proven path to power over large groups.]

[I’m sorry that it took me this much time to finish this and I know it isn’t ideal, but it’s here now and my sincere attempt to fight the imaginary pseudo-reality that seems to keep pulling us back into the divided days of conflict and war that we seem to cherish and revere far too much. My hope, my prayers, are for us to find a way to move beyond the self-aggrandizing concepts, to embrace humility and the rest of humanity no matter what appears to divide us.]