A whistleblower accused Donald Trump of soliciting help from Ukraine with the 2020 U.S. election. In exchange, Trump would release $391 million in military aid he had blocked. The aid was so Ukraine could keep fighting our enemies.
I watched some of the House Intelligence Committee hearings. The Republican members were unified. They objected that, 1) the whistleblower only heard the incriminating evidence secondhand or thirdhand, so why should we believe him, and 2) Trump never actually said “this is a shakedown.”
Now, there is a second whistleblower who knows the information firsthand.
What will the Republican defense be now? “They need louder whistles”? Or maybe, “It’s true the White House tried to cover it up (they moved the transcript record to a super secret server used for highly classified information), but what’s your point?”
As to their second defense, that Trump never said, “this is a threat,” I refer back to a quote from that other Don, Don Corleone: “We’ll make him an offer he can’t refuse.” Now, does that sound like a threat to you?
P.S.: Now there’s a third whistleblower: Trump! In his “great and unmatched wisdom,” he publicly asked China to interfere in the U.S. election on his behalf.
MICHAEL FRANDZEL
Portsmouth