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Op-Ed: Forget the Mueller report — Trump has damaged American democracy

The bottom line is this – We may never know for sure if President Donald Trump colluded with the Russians in winning the 2016 presidential election. Nor will we know if he agreed to weaken NATO and keep his mouth shut over Putin’s aggression in Ukraine as payment to Putin for any help in the election.

This is, of course, speculation, however, it is very obvious that Trump and his own personal media machine, Fox News, has been doing everything in their power to discredit and undermine the 22-month long Russia investigation that was finally released on Friday.

From undermining Robert Mueller’s investigation, by calling it a “witch hunt,” to inundating Twitter with repeated claims of “no collusion,” the daring duo of Trump and Fox have kept the American public so confused that now that the Mueller report is about to be revealed, it will lead to a “fog of alt-interpretation and epistemological confusion,” says The Guardian.

It is not necessary that we ultimately know the conclusions of the Mueller report, simply because our country is so divided now that we will still be battling over if Trump colluded, or was unethical clear through the 2020 elections. But it is imperative that we don’t put aside the damage that Trump has done to our moral fiber and our democratic way of life.

The withdrawal by President Donald Trump's nominee for the federal court in Washington after ad...

The withdrawal by President Donald Trump's nominee for the federal court in Washington after admitting lack of experience and legal knowledge, has added to criticism the president puts political considerations above the competency of his nominees
MANDEL NGAN, AFP/File


The office of the president
George Washington’s biographer, Douglas Southall Freeman, wrote that President Washington believed he had been entrusted with a position that was of great “intrinsic worth.” Washington felt that upholding the presidency and the constitution that had made it possible was his moral obligation.

While it may be true that very few of our presidents have lived up to Washington’s moral code, Trump has surely been the one president that has destroyed whatever was left of it. For weeks now, the House Judiciary Committee has been working to build a case showing that Trump has undermined vital democratic institutions — including the questioning of the motives of law enforcement and the Justice Department, as well as attacking the credibility of the media, reports the Washington Post.

Trump has essentially brought the hangman’s rope to his own execution. During the 2016 presidential campaign, when he was accused of not paying income taxes, he responded, “that makes me smart.” He has also boasted that by giving donations to politicians, he is basically buying their support.

“When they call, I give. And you know what, when I need something from them two years later, three years later, I call them. They are there for me,” said Trump.

We don’t have to nitpick on the multitude of times that Trump has attempted to force his questionable and sometimes disgusting values on the public. But it is obvious to me that he hates Muslims, Black Americans, Mexicans and anyone else that is not lily-white like him.

The thing is – Trump’s base listens to his racist rantings and believes in him. They also believe him when he says other nations look up to us. Democratic presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand kicked off her 2020 campaign today with a harsh description of Trump and his influence on this country.

“He demonizes the vulnerable and he punches down. He puts his name in bold on every building,” Gillibrand says in her prepared remarks. “He does all of this because he wants you to believe he is strong. He is not. Our president is a coward.”

In everything he has done, Trump has undermined our country’s values and undermined our democratic institutions. That is his failure ‘ for all to see.

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We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear friend Karen Graham, who served as Editor-at-Large at Digital Journal. She was 78 years old. Karen's view of what is happening in our world was colored by her love of history and how the past influences events taking place today. Her belief in humankind's part in the care of the planet and our environment has led her to focus on the need for action in dealing with climate change. It was said by Geoffrey C. Ward, "Journalism is merely history's first draft." Everyone who writes about what is happening today is indeed, writing a small part of our history.

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