Donald Trump is guilty of bribery, as outlined in Wednesday's impeachment inquiry. Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states:
"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
Trump tried to bribe Ukraine when speaking to it's new president and the Ukrainian thanked Trump for military aid and Trump responded with "I would like you to do us a favor, though". It was much more than that one line in the fateful phone call. Wednesday's hearings outlined a concerted effort by Trump and his administration to withhold assistance until and unless the Ukrainian president publically announced that he was investigating Joe Biden and Biden's son, and was investigating whether Ukraine rather than Russia was the one interfering in the 2016 U.S. elections. (The CIA, FBI, the Mueller Report, and all 17 U.S. Intelligence Agencies have concluded that it was Russia that interfered in the 2016 elections - to get Trump elected)
The Republican defense seems to be that nothing happened. In the end the aid was given and the weapons were sold to Ukraine. So what?
To say that there was no bribery because there was no quid pro quo because the aid was eventually given is a pretty dumb defense. It is like saying a politician is in a room soliciting a million dollars for his upcoming campaign in return for a billion dollar contract, and having the FBI swoop into the room to arrest him, and then have his defense say that there was no bribery because he never got the money.
Republican Congressmen and women seem to have a very low opinion of their constituents if that is all they can come up with for a defense.
Indeed, the completion of the "deal" doesn't matter. The offer of a bribe is impeachable all by itself. Plus, the blackmail/extortion/bribe was only removed after the White House whistleblower made the impeachable offense known to Congress and it became public knowledge, plus with the threat of Congressional action forcing the administration to release the assistance.
By the way, Ukraine is fighting for its democratic life against military invasion and coercion from Russia. Actually, they are fighting for their actual lives. About 13,000 Ukrainians have died in this war. But Trump is more interested in his re-election than helping Ukraine fight against Trump's favorite dictator - Putin's Russia.
Corruption, corruption, corruption..... it goes on forever with this man and his enabling Republican Party.
Is it really that important to them that they keep out brown people? or get their corrupt tax cuts? or pack the courts with religious fanatics? Or be allowed to pollute our waters and air? or get to devastate the social safety net? Or keep their women in the kitchen and pregnant? Or be mean to gay people? Or to keep a house full of assault weapons waiting for the Apocalypse? Or.... what is so important to Republicans that they tie their fate to this authoritarian and mentally unstable man-child?
