When you are a leader, it is often said, the people who you surround yourself with reflect on you, either for better or for worse.
Trump relied on some people during his presidential campaign. Then, after winning the 2016 presidential election, he claimed that he was assembling the very best team, a group so exceptional, that it would be the very best administration that Americans had ever seen. Some of them, like Anthony Scarramucci and Rex Tillerson, lost favor from Trump, and have become highly critical of Trump since leaving his White House. Hell, Tillerson apparently had some arguments with Trump outright, and at one point, it is documented that he referred to Trump as a "fucking idiot."
But there are others who have left the Trump White House under different circumstances, yet who reflect even more poorly on this White House, and particularly, the man in charge.
Roger Stone was a prominent member of Trump's campaign team, and he was recently sentenced to prison. Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign manager, is already behind bars. Michael Flynn, Trump's former national security adviser, admitted lying to the FBI regarding his contacts with Russian officials who looked to intervene in the 2016 election, and he is now awaiting sentencing for his crimes. Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer, is also behind bars. That's not all, either. As reported in a recent article by Robert Crilly of the Washington Examiner (see link below):
Rick Gates, a former political consultant, pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States as part of a plea bargain, and George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, served 12 days in prison for giving false statements to the FBI.
Now, the impeachment proceedings are revealing much about the conduct and specific actions of Trump people, and they are casting serious shade on their character, honesty, and integrity. Infamously, Trump has insisted that none of his people report to Congress for the impeachment proceedings, even going so far as to issue an executive order to that effect.
Well, there are people who are testifying against Trump nonetheless, and
that includes some people who direct ties to Trump. That includes
United States Ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, who
testified during the impeachment proceedings yesterday.
It proves damning of Trump and his political insiders at the White House right now. That includes Trump himself, of course. But it also includes Vice-President Michael Pence, Pompeo, Rudy Giuliani, and Mick Mulvaney. Former leader of the Clinton investigation, and now FOX News commentator Ken Starr had some opinions on the significance of Sondland's testimony:
Fox News contributor Ken Starr wondered aloud whether Sondland flipping on President Trump would cause GOP senators to push Trump to resign. “The real issue is the senators are watching,” Starr said. “Are senators going to now say in light of what we hear today, it’s going to be a long day even with the ambassador alone, in light of what we have heard, ‘We need to make a trip down to the White House’? That historic example set during the Nixon presidency. From what I’ve been able to glean I don’t think that’s going to happen. But obviously what happens today could—has the potential to be a game-changer.”
It proves damning of Trump and his political insiders at the White House right now. That includes Trump himself, of course. But it also includes Vice-President Michael Pence, Pompeo, Rudy Giuliani, and Mick Mulvaney. Former leader of the Clinton investigation, and now FOX News commentator Ken Starr had some opinions on the significance of Sondland's testimony:
Fox News contributor Ken Starr wondered aloud whether Sondland flipping on President Trump would cause GOP senators to push Trump to resign. “The real issue is the senators are watching,” Starr said. “Are senators going to now say in light of what we hear today, it’s going to be a long day even with the ambassador alone, in light of what we have heard, ‘We need to make a trip down to the White House’? That historic example set during the Nixon presidency. From what I’ve been able to glean I don’t think that’s going to happen. But obviously what happens today could—has the potential to be a game-changer.”
There is more from Starr, as well, in the aftermatch of the Sondland testimony. Here, specifically, is what he said according to an article published in Theweek.com yesterday (see link below):
Nor was it just Starr among conservative Republicans who felt that Sondland's testimony was very damning. FOX News anchor Chris Wallace suggested that what Sondland was motivated by self-interest, to try and protect himself (see link from a Daily Beast article by Justin Baragona from yesterday):
“I think what Gordon Sondland was trying to do here is protect himself more than he is to protect anybody else,” Wallace said during Fox News’ special coverage.
But then, according to the same article, he conceded that Sondland's testimony was pretty damaging to the Trump team, including some of the most prominent names in the Trump White House:
“To a certain degree, he took out the bus and ran over President Trump, Vice President Pence, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Rudy Giuliani, Mick Mulvaney,” he added. “He implicates all of them.”
Indeed, there are signs all over that Trump's handpicked people have acted in unethical ways, and as probes into their actions grow more numerous, so do the convictions. That certainly refutes Trump's own oft-repeated assertions of a political "witch hunt." It also casts suspicion over Trump's obvious insistence that members of his team not testify before Congress.
After all, if this is the most transparent administration in history, as Trump claims it is, then why hide if you did no wrongdoing?
"There
will be articles of impeachment," Starr said. "I think we've known
that, it was just confirmed today. Substantively, what we heard from the
chairman just now is: It's over. We now know — this is his position —
we now know that the president in fact committed the crime of bribery."
Nor was it just Starr among conservative Republicans who felt that Sondland's testimony was very damning. FOX News anchor Chris Wallace suggested that what Sondland was motivated by self-interest, to try and protect himself (see link from a Daily Beast article by Justin Baragona from yesterday):
“I think what Gordon Sondland was trying to do here is protect himself more than he is to protect anybody else,” Wallace said during Fox News’ special coverage.
But then, according to the same article, he conceded that Sondland's testimony was pretty damaging to the Trump team, including some of the most prominent names in the Trump White House:
“To a certain degree, he took out the bus and ran over President Trump, Vice President Pence, Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, Rudy Giuliani, Mick Mulvaney,” he added. “He implicates all of them.”
Indeed, there are signs all over that Trump's handpicked people have acted in unethical ways, and as probes into their actions grow more numerous, so do the convictions. That certainly refutes Trump's own oft-repeated assertions of a political "witch hunt." It also casts suspicion over Trump's obvious insistence that members of his team not testify before Congress.
After all, if this is the most transparent administration in history, as Trump claims it is, then why hide if you did no wrongdoing?
Here are the links to the articles used in writing this particular blog entry, and from which I obtained all of the quotes used above:
Ken Starr on the Sondland testimony: 'It's over' published by The Week.com, November 20, 2019:
https://theweek.com/speedreads/879707/ken-starr-sondland-testimony-over
Trump curse? Roger Stone joins Flynn, Cohen, and Manafort on growing list of convicted aides by Rob Crilly | November 16, 2019:
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/analysis-roger-stone-the-latest-headed-to-jail-under-the-harsh-spotlight-reflecting-off-of-trump
Ken Starr on the Sondland testimony: 'It's over' published by The Week.com, November 20, 2019:
https://theweek.com/speedreads/879707/ken-starr-sondland-testimony-over
Having to ‘Make a Trip’ to the White House After Sondland’s Testimony Justin Baragona Contributor Updated Nov. 20, 2019 11:29AM ET / Published Nov. 20, 2019
https://www.thedailybeast.com/ken-starr-suggests-on-fox-that-gop-senators-may-need-to-make-a-trip-to-white-house-after-sondland-testimony
Fox Anchor Chris Wallace: Sondland Just Ran the Bus Over Trump, Pence, Pompeo, Giuliani and Mulvaney “He implicates all of them,” the Fox News anchor remarked. Justin Baragona Contributor Updated Nov. 20, 2019:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/fox-news-anchor-chris-wallace-gordon-sondland-just-ran-the-bus-over-trump-pence-pompeo-giuliani-and-mulvaney
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