Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper made some dire statements in a speech about Donald Trump’s Russia scandal.
James Clapper did not mince his words on Trump’s Russia Scandal
James Clapper did not mince words as he described his thoughts on Donald Trump’s Russia scandal that should concern every American.
Clapper said that President Donald Trump’s ocean of scandals surrounding the investigation into whether members of his campaign team colluded with Russian officials is much larger than Watergate. Following are two quotes from the speech he gave Wednesday at the National Press Club of Australia
“Certainly the whole episode with the firing of Jim Comey, a distinguished public servant, in part from the outrageous, inexcusable manner in which it was conducted reflect complete disregard for the independence and autonomy of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, our premier law enforcement organization. … I have to say though that I think if you compare the two that Watergate pales, really, in my view compared to what we are confronting now.”
DailyKos Marl Sumner explains why this is all so important.
Clapper is right. Trump’s attempts to suborn Comey, Coats, and Pompeo (at a minimum) far exceed the level of interference that eventually drove Nixon from office. He’s also right that it’s extremely important that we understand the details of Russian involvement in the 2016 election—interference that went far beyond hacking into email accounts and spreading stories through social media—as well as learn the truth about connections between Trump and Russia.
But while the “why” of Trump’s actions is important, it’s not necessary. In fiction, the motive behind a crime is the primary factor, because fiction is attempting to tell a good story. In real life, motive is far less valuable. the evidence of the crime itself is all that’s required. If no one, anywhere, ever understands why Donald Trump chose to obstruct the FBI’s investigation into Michael Flynn, that would be a tragedy. But it shouldn’t prevent moving forward with impeachment. Because you don’t need to understand the motive if you understand the crime.
And there is one person who clearly understands that what Donald Trump did was wrong—Donald Trump.
While we must not allow the Russia scandal to consume the entire scope of our public works, we must ensure that the investigation continues. We must be watchful to make sure Republicans do not attempt to sweep it under the rug in a bid to maintain power. Most importantly we must remember that there are a lot of Americans hurting and it is our responsibility to put their needs in the forefront.