# The Trump Impeachment Inquiry **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 24, 2019, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771 "2019-09-24T20:23:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/141 "2019-09-25T14:59:27Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > I could have multi-quoted others, but there’s no need, if the following is correct. Ahem: > > Not even a subhuman like McConnell would try to subvert a Senate trial after a president has been impeached. What he did as far as Garland does not even merit discussion here. Nomination hearings are a dime a dozen. As we all know, impeachment is as rare as hen’s teeth, and is undeniably one of the most important parts of the constitution. No, even McConnell wouldn’t fuck with that. Sure he would. (I desperately hope I’m wrong.) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/142 "2019-09-25T14:59:48Z")
If Donald passed a note to a bank teller demanding money, he’d present the note in his bank robbery trial as absolute proof of his innocence. Geez-o-petes, I thought the transcript would not be a smoking gun, else he wouldn’t have ordered it released. But it’s right there! Forget the whole Mueller Report, just proceed with impeachment on this one incident. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/143 "2019-09-25T15:08:27Z")
> [@Fiddle\_Peghead](#): > > No, even McConnell wouldn’t fuck with that. Moscow Mitch would give nuclear weapons to terrorists if that meant he could stay in power. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/144 "2019-09-25T15:10:21Z")
“Transcript” should read “call summary”. Specifically “memorandum of phone conversation”. Any one else notice that only Trump’s remarks contain ellipses? (…) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/145 "2019-09-25T15:14:49Z")
Wonder how this memorandum will play in Ukraine? The President of Ukraine sounds like a simpering toady. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/146 "2019-09-25T15:19:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > How is a meaningless and impotent indictment “doing what’s right for the country”? You are talking as if there is the slightest change trump will be removed- hint- he wont be. > > 4 more years of trump would be horrible. Thank you for your concern. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Really? It didnt for Johnson or Clinton, and those are our only two examples. > . Could it not have been because those two examples were cases of Political Butt-Hurt? > [@DrDeth](#): > > Let me know when we get 16 Republican senators. bring pie. Apple or lemon meringue? > [@cmkeller](#): > > HurricaneDitka: > > What, from Clinton? Clinton was much more charming and therefore popular than Trump is. Clinton’s popularity and PR skills intimidated the Senate into holding a weak half-trial. Trump has no such asset on his side. Trump’s best hope is that the over-eager media has made this Ukraine whistleblower thing seem like way more of a slam dunk than it really is, as they did with the Mueller report. But counting on one’s opponents to slip up is not a great formula for victory. I think any weakness in the Senate’s trial had less to do with Clinton’s popularity than the fact that half the Senate were egregious adulterers trying to Call the Kettle Black. Besides Newt “Served Divorce Papers on Dying Wife in Her Hospital Bed” Gingrich, there was Henry “Pass Off Illegitimate Daughter as a Youthful Indiscretion” Hyde and Bob “Paid for Mistress’ Abortion” Barr. Wotta swell bunch of guys. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/147 "2019-09-25T15:25:22Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > “Transcript” should read “call summary”. Specifically “memorandum of phone conversation”. > > Any one else notice that only Trump’s remarks contain ellipses? (…) Agreed. The Globe and Mail headline specifically calls it a “call summary”. And the Guardian noted the ellipses, which occur particularly around the time Trump brings up Biden. I suspect this call summary has been “sharpied” a little bit. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/148 "2019-09-25T15:26:24Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Wonder how this memorandum will play in Ukraine? The President of Ukraine sounds like a simpering toady. If it was my leader, I’d be OK with that. It’s the only way to play Trump to your advantage. It’s an act. ---
**Author:** ![Annoyed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Annoyed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoyed)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/149 "2019-09-25T15:27:46Z")
So that’s it? Seems the motivator here circling the wagons around their best 2020 chance - Biden - and doing a massive deflection. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/150 "2019-09-25T15:28:18Z")
> [@CaptMurdock](#): > > I think any weakness in the Senate’s trial had less to do with Clinton’s popularity than the fact that half the Senate were egregious adulterers trying to Call the Kettle Black. Besides Newt “Served Divorce Papers on Dying Wife in Her Hospital Bed” Gingrich, there was Henry “Pass Off Illegitimate Daughter as a Youthful Indiscretion” Hyde and Bob “Paid for Mistress’ Abortion” Barr. Wotta swell bunch of guys. I think there are parallels in today’s Senate Republicans. Besides Moscow Mitch (yes please Mr. Russian oligarch, please send money to my state), there are, I suspect, many other Republicans with deep connections to shady Russians. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/151 "2019-09-25T15:30:19Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > If the Ukrainians have a recording and the Democrats reach out to them for it, the administration will accuse the Democrats of doing exactly what they are accusing Trump of doing – reaching out to a foreign country to get compromising information on a political rival. > > So far, it seems like the whistle blower really wants to testify – can the administration just restrict what he or she says or whether they can testify at all? What happens if the whistle blower testifies anyway? > > Because so far, if the House wants something they are legally entitled to that the administration wants to withhold, the administration just says, no, you can’t have it, sorry, see you in court. If someone with a good understanding of the legalities of executive privilege could chime in that would be helpful. My understanding of it is something like this. If congress subpoenas Trump or someone who wants to stay silent they can invoke executive privilege. But what about the case of someone who wants to testify. Could Trump force that individual to remain silent by claiming executive privilege? ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/152 "2019-09-25T15:30:34Z")
Vlad has got to be laughing his ass off this morning. (Or this “evening” over there.) ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/153 "2019-09-25T15:30:53Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > So that’s it? > > Seems the motivator here circling the wagons around their best 2020 chance - Biden - and doing a massive deflection. So you’re OK with the President cutting aid to a country, and then calling the leader of that country and asking him to investigate family members of his opponent? And getting his personal lawyer involved as well? That’s just peachy keen for you at this point? No problem with that at all, eh? Nothing to see there. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/154 "2019-09-25T15:35:00Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > :dubious: > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Sure he would. (I desperately hope I’m wrong.) > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Moscow Mitch would give nuclear weapons to terrorists if that meant he could stay in power. “We’ll see what happens.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/155 "2019-09-25T15:35:27Z")
> [@Annoyed](#): > > So that’s it? > > Seems the motivator here circling the wagons around their best 2020 chance - Biden - and doing a massive deflection. At this point I don’t think Biden is the best 2020 candidate. The whole tone of this Ukraine thing seems like it will play out more like Clinton with the emails rather than Obama and the birth certificate or Warren and her Native American heritage or lack thereof. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/156 "2019-09-25T15:37:18Z")
Not groking the arithmetic behind the idea that impeachment is guaranteed to put Trump back in office. Yes, this action will motivate turnout from his supporters, but his supporters were never a question. I mean, they are slaves to him at this point. It’s Dem turnout that is going to matter more in this election. An impeachment inquiry has now given disenchanted liberals reason to see Democrats as responsible vertebrates once again. As more and more shit comes out about this thing, Dems will only get more fired up about Trump. Energy that might otherwise be spent on in-party fighting will be spent on the real opponent. But what about independents and undecideds? I don’t see how impeachment would make these idiots more likely to vote for Trump. If Trump hasn’t already done enough to make them get off the fence, this mean they are basically living in an information vacuum. “Impeachment” is a word that carries stigma, makes us think of Nixon and scandal and high crimes. Low-information voters might not know the details behind the inquiry, but once they start associating Trump with the word impeachment, it will be harder for them to see him as a defensible choice. The 3rd party nobody will look like the more attractive vote, because if history eventually pulls back the curtain and reveals that Trump was truly villainous, Independents are the last group who will want to claim supporting him. Distancing oneself from bad politicians is the ethos of Independents. ---
**Author:** ![you\_with\_the\_face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ecccb3/32.png) [@you\_with\_the\_face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/you_with_the_face)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/157 "2019-09-25T15:38:49Z")
Double ---
**Author:** ![Annoyed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f04885/32.png) [@Annoyed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annoyed)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/158 "2019-09-25T15:41:11Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > So you’re OK with the President cutting aid to a country, and then calling the leader of that country and asking him to investigate family members of his opponent? And getting his personal lawyer involved as well? That’s just peachy keen for you at this point? No problem with that at all, eh? Nothing to see there. Well, considering most of what you write here is vox/buzzfeed style “journalism” and speculation, based on absolutely zero evidence whatsoever, yeah, all is well. What’s absolutely evident from the transcript is that there was no quid pro quo, and that means no smoking gun, like was overbearingly pushed by the Dems and the basis of their whole “inquiry”. So at best the left got their week long news cycle, and egg in their face, and most people still won’t support impeachment. At worst (or best for me) they keep pushing it and inadvertently reveal some nasty Biden dirt, pushing the lefts best chance out the window. So, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/159 "2019-09-25T15:42:28Z")
Who are you gonna believe, me? Or your own lying eyes. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771/160 "2019-09-25T15:43:22Z")
There doesn’t need to be a quid pro quo in order for it to be an egregious abuse of power to ask foreign countries as the President of the United States to investigate your political rivals. But, also, there was an obvious quid pro quo. I mean, RTFMemCon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-inquiry/840771.md?page=9)