Robinson: Donald Trump Impeached Himself

The best witness against Donald Trump is not a nameless whistleblower. It is Trump himself, followed by his lawyer and corroborated by the transcript of his “perfect” call.

Let’s be clear: the moment he asked the Ukraine president to investigate his political opponent and his son, Trump committed a crime. He may not have thought it was a crime, but if a person robs a bank—and doesn’t think it a crime—they are still guilty.

This is Trump’s problem—he admitted it.

His statement alone is a crime. It is illegal to solicit help from a foreign government for political purposes—president or not. Now, combine that with the fact that Trump made that statement in connection with US aid to Ukraine, which he was holding up as an incentive to do his bidding. That is an additional crime. Namely, extortion. He may not think it was a crime, but it is a crime.

In short, Trump impeached and convicted himself. This is why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “he left me no choice.”

The gravity of the situation and the obvious abuse of power for the nation is made more apparent by the national security interests of the United States. Ukraine is being invaded by Russia. And it stands as the real only nation-state with the ability to stop Russian aggression. Should we flag or fail in our duty to other nations, the consequences for our entire world are grave.

The media is ginning up a whole narrative of a conspiracy. It is apparent others are involved. But the “Whistleblower” at this point, is irrelevant. Trump has already admitted the facts this whistleblower brought to the attention of Congress. It is a distraction, a diversion, a wholly unnecessary exercise to “corroborate” this person’s information.

Trump has already corroborated it.

If Trump were a defendant, his lawyers would be seeking a plea deal by now. But since he cannot be indicted while in office, as Bob Mueller pointed out, he must be impeached on the merits first. Politics aside, this is a slam-dunk case. Republicans are just now coming to that realization.

But Trump will not go quietly. He will take everyone and everything down with him. He is a true narcissist. But make no mistake, he will come down and he did it himself.

Rich Robinson is an attorney and political consultant in Silicon Valley. Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of San Jose Inside.

47 Comments

  1. I agree with your comments regarding Trump’s impeachability. Let it happen.
    As far as Ukraine goes there is a huge lack of historical understanding on the part of Americans.
    #1. Ukraine’s day of Independence is the day the Third Reich marched into Ukraine. At least that’s the day celebrated in western Ukraine, which is mostly populated by Ukrainians.
    #2. Prior to their “liberation” by the Nazis Ukraine had its own rabidly nationalistic political movement led by a man named Stepan Bandera. He was initially imprisoned by the Nazis due to his desire to establish an independent fascist Ukraine. As the war turned against Hitler he pragmatically released Bandera and allowed him to form his own government, which immediately began to perpetrate the types of ghoulish crimes against humanity the Nazis were famous for. This was the OUN (organization of Ukrainian nationalists). They formed a military wing to assist the Nazis called the UPA (Ukrainian Peoples Army).
    #3. Bandera survived the war and moved to Berlin where he was assassinated in the late 1950’s.
    #4. Crimea had been part of Russia until Krusvhev transferred it to Ukraine in the 1950’s. Of course it was all one big happy Soviet Union at that time.
    #5. Fast forward to the modern era: The so called Maidan Coup, orchestrated by the Hillary Clinton State Department, installed the same rabidly nationalistic elements in power that had behaved so badly during the war. Torch lit parades were photographed which revealed people carrying pictures of Bandera on poles, 1940’s style. In Crimea monuments to the many bloody battles fought between the Russians and Nazis during the war were attacked and desecrated. Some of the first conflicts between Ukrainians and Russians took place around these monuments. Russia lost 25 million people in WW2, they take their monuments seriously.
    #6. Crimea is majority Russian. They also supposedly have a vibrant Rastafarian culture there as well. The Crimeans wanted no part of the “new Ukraine.” The asked to be returned to Russia. Putin held an election and the vote was over 90% in favor of leaving Ukraine. After leaving Putin raised the wages of Crimea to match those of Russia.
    #7. The Donbass region, prior to the end of the Soviet period, looked to the October Revolution as their Independence Day. After Crimea left Ukraine they also asked to leave but Putin refused this request. The new Ukraine government cut off pensions to the people of Donbass, which is majority Russian.
    #8. The Ukraine government began to pass laws which discriminate against the Russians living in Ukraine, such as the use of the Russian language, etc. The purpose is to make ethnic Russians feel like aliens in the country they were born.
    #9. As the military conflict in the Donbass region heated up various paramilitary groups were formed, some of which are blatantly “Nazi” in character, the Azov battalion being the primary example. This group has attracted right wing militants from around the world.
    #10. In spite of all this I must state that there are many good people in Ukraine, on both sides of this conflict, who just want to live in peace. The pernicious meddling that our State Department engaged in caused great harm to millions of them. But that’s an old sad story which is all too familiar to people around the globe. The current brouhaha with Trump, Manafort, Biden, etc is just more of the same. Ukraine has much promise and many resources, not the least of which is its citizenry.

    • Best Troll since the “We must eat the babies” routine. You over did it though, with all the exposition.

      I think you had it nailed at Nazis liberated the Ukraine, Trump loves the Ukraine, ergo Trump loves Nazis…

  2. It is certainly terrible that these operatives decided to go after Joe Biden. I am sure they had plans to form some sort of dark money committee trying to persuade a professional sports team to fund it, with robocalls and talking slate cards attacking Joe, employing a has been to be its legal counsel. Tlaib is right, we should jail people like that. Imagine asking China to go after to Joe. They would probably get some crooked attorney in San Francisco to fund a dark money group, maybe with police union money to fund a phony Facebook group and accuse some poor soccer coach of sheltering abusers. No fair. Biden never backed a crooked ex deputy insurance commissioner. He is a good guy.

    • I’m not sure how good of a guy ol’ Joe is, since he actively promoted and pushed for the prison pipeline back in the early 90s (and he still stands behind that failed policy that ruined millions of lives). But I do agree that it sure appears that our Cheeto-in-Chief is in stark and admitted violation of USC §30121. He needs to go before he drags the rest of the US with him.

      • > I’m not sure how good of a guy ol’ Joe is, . . .

        Not much to wonder about; Joe Biden is a crook. His son is a crook. They have been crooks for years.

        Biden was a crook when he was Vice President. Obama knew he was a crook.Eric Holder knew he was a crook. John Brennan knew he was a crook.

        “If you see something, say something.”

        [Note: Does not apply to Democrat politicians.]

        Rich Robinson MAY NOT know that Biden is a crook, But, there’s a lot of stuff that Rich doesn’t know.

        • I never said he was a crook. It’s obvious you don’t read anything all the way through, bubble, so let me try to spell it out. Biden pushed through a crime bill back in the 90s that screwed over a lot of people, mainly as part of the Repub’s failed War on Drugs.

          If you want to see real crooks, look at the Repubs over the decades: Reagan, Bush Jr & Co., and especially the Cheeto. Cheeto is not only orange, but he should be wearing orange too.

          • > It’s obvious you don’t read anything all the way through, bubble, so let me try to spell it out.

            There is no reason for a sane person to read past the first fib.

            Doing so risks clogging up your brain multiple fibs.

      • > I’m not sure how good of a guy ol’ Joe is, . . .

        Well, I suppose that it IS possible that if you wait by your phone long enough, the Chinese government will call you and offer to invest a billion and a half dollars in your unemployed coke head son’s investment fund.

        It’s happened before.

  3. > Let’s be clear: the moment he asked the Ukraine president to investigate his political opponent and his son, Trump committed a crime.

    Wrong.

    This is such a dumb explanation that there is no way to refute it. How do you win an argument with a moron?

    Robinson’s explanation is simply a claim of permanent immunity from investigation and prosecution for the progressive tribe.

    • Well the entire Mueller was an investigation to see whether Trump conspired with the Russians when they interfered. Mueller said he found no evidence of a conspiracy–though most of us believe it was in plain sight–that said, he found 10 instances where Trump obstructed justice. He could indict Trump and left it to Congress to make that decision–though it is clear from his testimony if Trump were a private system, such charges would have been made–all of that was muddled by Attorney General Barr declaring the report showed no evidence of wrong-doing. A mischaracterization of the report, but enough to shield Trump from the consequences. House Committees continued the investigation on the Mueller findings, but Nancy Pelosi was not going to impeach unless there was clear evidence for the American people. Trump provided that evidence and she reluctantly approved the impeachment inquiry–because she took an oath to the Constitution.

      • Absolutely. Any elected official, for example a county sheriff, should not solicit campaign from a Russian billionaire to pay a consultant. Russian billionaires should not back presidents, and anyone who works for someone who would sell a gun permit to a Russian billionaire is just a sack of pus.

      • > he found 10 instances where Trump obstructed justice.

        A flat out distortion.

        Mueller did NOT say: “these are instances where Trump obstructed Justice”.

        Your clients are paying you for your willingness to make this kind of malicious distortion? They’re fools.

      • After reading this errant nonsense I can only conclude that San Jose Inside must be desperately hard up for article writers.

      • Campaigns may not solicit or accept contributions from foreign nationals. Federal law prohibits contributions, donations, expenditures and disbursements solicited, directed, received or made directly or indirectly by or from foreign nationals in connection with any election — federal, state or local. Trump solicited a foreign entity to help with a political adversary–that is against the law. Our Founders made this clear at the inception of our nation–and is why the impeachment clause exists.

        • Did Hillary Clinton know she wasn’t allowed to get donations from foreigners? Because she received a steady stream of foreign loot during her mediocre candidacy. But she’s a Dem, so she walks free…

          And EVERY accusation made against this President has amounted to nothing more than psychological projection: imputing the Democrat’s own wrongdoing on this President.

          I agree with SJOutside when he says President Trump is squeaky clean. If he was corrupt or dishonest, they would have run him out of town years ago. THe FBI, the CIA, and other law enforcement agencies have been trying to find dirt on the guy non-stop, ever since he was elected, but… NADA.

          And they weren’t/aren’t trying to find dirt on him so justice is served. Anyone who believes that nonsense should have his head examined. They’re looking for dirt for one reason: to run the President out of office — an office that he won fair and square.

          But nothing they’ve thrown at him sticks, and that’s not because he’s guilty of something, or because they’re just too incompetent to make it stick. Nothing sticks to him because he’s a straight shooter. But they’re not, none of them are honest, so they can’t believe someone else is honest (I suspect that also goes for the Trump haters here).

          I’ll believe the Dems are serious about obeying the law if and when they investigate anyone on their side who is suspected of wrongdoing, and charge them if there’s evidence. You know, exactly like they’d do to Trump, if he wasn’t an honest guy.

          But Trump is honest, and that’s why the Dems keep shooting blanks. Trump should have one word ready when the Dems close out the Junior Biden accusation against him: “Neener!”

          (And a big shoutout to Jack Gilliam for the great link he posted on the chalkboard explanation of the Biden/Ukraine/Obama fiasco and taxpayer ripoff. Take the time to watch that, Rich. If you want to pucker up, that is…)

    • So if you recall the Governor who are you going to replace him with? Only a so called “RINO” can win in CA. Arnold won because he was a well liked celebrity and you wing nuts ended up hating him. Maybe his new Son-in-law Chris Pratt is available. He’s the only right leaning celeb who’s even have a chance.

  4. The transcript not the whistleblower is the issue. Team Trump seems pretty confident that the transcript shows nothing wrong – when they released it they made the WB moot. The same people who were convinced Mueller, the SDNY into the foundation, and the hush money payments would end Trump are going all in on the transcript and supporting evidence so that inspires skepticism for me.

    Is asking (or pushing) for anninvestigation a thing of value being solicited from a foreign entity? I’m not sure its clear. Just asking for dirt like lets say Biden had an old arrest abroad and Trump asked the foreign leader to send him the documents, how do you put a dollar figure on that? For an investigation, would you use the budget Ukraine would spend as a measure of how much value?

    As its impeachment, not prosecution for federal election law – its a political question.

    He wont be removed in the Senate so you have to win in 2020. He is going to finish his term. Seems better to keep impeachment in the back pocket in case he pulls off another miracle in the electoral college. Whats done is done but i think the economy – not this drama that just confirms and reenfroxes both sides priors will decide whether we get 4 more years.

  5. resist, obstruct, impeach. repeat. resist, obstruct, impeach. give it up losers. we are getting bored with your bs. trump 2020. best POTUS ever

    • Congressman Ro Khanna has demonstrated how Trump has ignored Congress by funding bombs for the United Arab Emirates despite Congressional concern. Khanna is right that anyone who works for companies that do business with UAE like Bechtel is morally bankrupt. We all need to expose people with no morality who would work for Bechtel as they are aiding in killing, they are lower than scum, only one consulting company in San Jose lists Bechtel. Khanna would agree these consultants who list Bechtel as a client are bugs.

    • It sounds like you are bored by the rule of law. That undermines your opinion (“best potus ever”.)

  6. 30121. Contributions and donations by foreign nationals
    (a) Prohibition
    It shall be unlawful for-

    (1) a foreign national, directly or indirectly, to make-

    (A) a contribution or donation of money or other thing of value, or to make an express or implied promise to make a contribution or donation, in connection with a Federal, State, or local election;

    (B) a contribution or donation to a committee of a political party; or

    (C) an expenditure, independent expenditure, or disbursement for an electioneering communication (within the meaning of section 30104(f)(3) of this title); or

    (?) ? ?????? ?? ???????, ??????, ?? ??????? ? ???????????? ?? ???????? ????????? ?? ???????????? (?) ?? (?) ?? ????????? (?) ???? ? ??????? ????????.

    As soon as Trump mentioned a “favor” and asked for help with Biden, he committed a CRIME. The extortion and conspiracy is extra. He ALSO knew it was a crime–that was what the Mueller investigation was all about.

  7. The idea of Rich Robinson or the Democrat Party being concerned about the integrity of our elections makes me laugh.
    I would be for impeachment but it’s offset by the Dem’s pathological and institutional hypocrisy. Therefore…. Go Trump!!

  8. As the VP, Biden no doubt had ideas about running for POTUS. He brags (on tapes) about how he with held $$ from Ukraine unless they acquiesced to his demands. So he was at the least projecting his political image but also protecting his sons connections – – -and by default his own political future (who wants a POTUS w/ a dirty son?)
    so mr robinson, if Biden can use his office for political gain – then what is wrong with Trump using his office in seeking info on that deed?

  9. I don’t see Trump as a “true” republican. I view him as a non political entity that someone just came along at a particular time and by a quirk of fate and the sleaziness of the HRC campaign, happened to come upon the American scene to do what he said he was going to do – – drain the swamp – – – which has both parties in its filthy grasp of power, money, greed and slime. these people have been wallowing in muck for years for personal gain ($$$) – – so it took some very rich guy, not influenced by money (hello HRC and all the rest) to come in and square things up. this is why they are trying so hard to get him out — not because of his politics – but because he is out to wreck the status quo, i.e. “drain the swamp.”

    • > I don’t see Trump as a “true” republican. I view him as a non political entity . . . .

      TRUE DAT.

      Trump is not an “establishment Republican” like John McCain, Mitt Romney, Jeff Flake, Jeb Bush, and a zillion other “RINO’s”. Which is why the Republican establishment hates him. But the Republican base loves him as much as they’ve loved any Republican.

      Trump is creating a new “brand” for the Republican Party, and it’s very painful to the establishment old bulls.

      > this is why they are trying so hard to get him out — not because of his politics – but because he is out to wreck the status quo, i.e. “drain the swamp.”

      TRUE DAT again!

      One of the seldom noted attributes that has contributed to Trump’s extraordinary success is that he seems to be a rare individual who is squeaky clean in a universe of ethically compromised actors. The political establishment cannot believe that anyone with his record of success could be so upright.

      The whole “Trump-Russia collusion” narrative launched by the Hillary campaign was based on simple projection by the corrupt political class. They simply guessed that, since everyone in politics is corrupt, if we investigate Trump we will find some corruption somewhere.

      Surprise! Trump is REALLY a clean guy, and the Mueller investigation turned up NOTHING!

      The swamp critters were stunned! And Trump survives to continue with the swamp draining.

  10. Lot of hate here for Trump, just because he won. Democrats investigated the 2016 election to see if Trump got help from Russia for the election. Now Trump ask the New President of Ukraine to look into the 2016 election for the same thing, they are going nuts! You folks don’t want to know why? Biden’s son got paid $167,000 a month for a job he had no skill or training to do? Politico on Jan 11, 2017 had a article about the interference the Ukraine government worked with the Hillary Campaign to mess up Trumps campaign. But you guys are only interested in fake interference. Watch this blackboard chart to explain what happened & why the powers to be do not want Trump looking into the 2016 election.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nUZekJ3pfM&t=307s

  11. Lot of hate here for Trump? That’s not what I’m seeing. These comment boards are always flooded by the Trump lickers like bubble, gunn and others. That’s odd, considering how how liberal the bay area is. Makes me thing they are all just outsiders flooding the message board with their wacky, zany, conspiracy theory rants.

    Just remember, the trump lickers are the minority. Trump lost the popular vote. His polls are in the low 30s (lowest ever of all previous presidents), his inauguration was sparsely attended, he has baby hands, and he is illiterate.

    • > Makes me thing they are all just outsiders flooding the message board with their wacky, zany, conspiracy theory rants.

      Outsiders?

      You mean like “outside the bubble”?

      I plead guilty.

  12. The hatred directed at President Trump has steadily increased, ever since he announced he was a candidate. It is a visceral hatred and as such, every hater has different reasons for hating on him.

    It’s amusing to those of us watching from the outside, since the haters believe they arrived at their conclusions rationally.

    They didn’t. They’ve been programmed to hate the winner of the election by the media’s non-stop, around the clock demonization of the candidate who beat Hillary Clinton, fair and square. Everything we’ve observed since then ratchets up the media’s desperate and unethical attempt to overturn the last election.

    IfPresident Trump had done anything unlawful, or even very unethical, he would not be President now, and he would be fortunate if he was able to avoid the federal penitentiary at Ft. Leavenworth.

    But the combined efforts of the FBI, and the CIA (which is mandated by federal law to avoid in-country politics, or any other action inside U.S. borders), and Big Media, and the national press, and social media sites like Facebook, and all the big city newspapers that are still working diligently, hoping to find something, anything, that might indicate that this President could be unethical — while at the same time, carefully avoiding his predecessor’s ethics-challenged administration, and his opponent’s ethics-free life. But every time they think they’ve found something, it turns out that President Obama and others on their side have committed much more serious, and unethical, and even criminal acts (Biden was just caught — again! — sniffing kids.)

    However, reading things the Left (which now includes almost all Democrats) say about the President shows, against all evidence, that they really believe they have arrived at their conclusions via objective and critical thinking.

    They didn’t, of course. But they’ve been programmed to hate on this President, so they’ve come up with convenient rationalizations, supported only by beliefs that cannot withstand even cursory examination.

    More and more, the Nazi’s ‘Big Lie’ tactic is being copied and updated by the media, which found that lying to the populace via the ‘news’ is far more effective than anyone had previously thought. And following that realization, the media doubled down.

    For anyone who disagrees, I challenge them to post a link to any commenter on television who broadcasts a fair and unbiased critique, with both the good and bad, regarding this President compared to his predecessor. Or compared to President Bush I, or II. Or for that matter, compared to any other President.

    The people who hate on this President really believe their hatred results from their own careful, rational, and critical thinking. The truth is that they’ve been programmed to be haters, using any reasons they can come up with. The hatred is the important thing, especially since no credible reasons have been found.

    The media’s programming won’t stop, because now that the media understands how devastatingly effective their Big Lie has been up to now. So it will continue, right up to the 2020 election — and most likely after that as well — particularly if President Trump wins a second term.

    The targets of the media’s Big Lie are primarily the voters who supported Mrs. Clinton. But the Big Lie impacts everyone. How could it not? Fake news is being broadcast in lockstep by the six corporations that own all the television networks. So there is nothing to counter the programming of extreme and intense hatred — which is directed at someone they’ve never met, and hardly know at all.

    Next, the Gallup poll continued with its long-running question, asking Americans which public figure they thought was the most well liked. From that poll Gallup made a listed the top ten best-liked men and top ten women, every year from the 1940’s onward.

    In 2011 Donald Trump placed #6 in the Gallup poll of the top ten best liked American men (IIRC, President Obama placed higher, at #5. But he was also the President).

    Question: how did Donald Trump go from being #6 in the Top Ten list of the most well liked Americans, all the way down to where he is now; the most hated and reviled public figure in the media? He’s constantly being labeled with every kind of nasty, insulting pejorative, such as: liar, racist, traitor — and even worse labels, depending on which ‘critical thinker’ is announcing their programmed opinion.

    Trump haters need to provide a credible explanation of what he did that could have caused him to plummet from being one of the best-liked people in the country, all the way down to being one of the most hated, if not the most hated man in the entire country.

    The media created most of these Trump haters. They’ve been unwittingly programmed to hate someone they don’t know personally; someone they’ve they’ve never met and knew almost nothing about; someone who never personally hurt them, or cause them personal grief. Aside from that, their intense and sometimes irrational hatred like that is a serious cause for concern.

    Of course, those ‘critical thinkers’ won’t admit that they’ve been programmed to hate, since that could easily trigger a major cognitive dissonance event. Most folks raised in this country were taught basic morality and accepted moral behavior. As a result, most of us believe that we should not hate someone without a good reason.

    Those raised here were taught that uncontrolled rage is a serious moral issue. So is vicious gossip that’s intended to cause someone grief. And bearing false witness is one of the explicit Ten Commandments, which together form the basis of our Western moral behavior, as codified in law. There are repercussions to violating morals. Does anyone really believe they would be bailed out and have their fines paid, if their hatred caused any problems? As if.

    The Trump hatred that’s being ‘justified’ uses various excuses. But if there was a rational reason to hate this President, most haters would agree with that reason. But every hater has their own reasons to hate someone who was recently one of the best liked men in the country. What the crime did he commit that’s caused so many people to hate him? This is Trump’s crime:

    He won an election he was supposed to lose.

    Then the losing candidate and her supporters and benefactors, and her sycophant media have all been trying to undo that election from Day 1, using fabricated lies like the Steele dossier that triggered the Mueller investigation, and various lying women accusing him of the usual, and “the Russians” lies (but which were true about the losing candidate), and many other similarly false ccusations; bearing false witness under oath, or under cover of authority).

    And aren’t they what we Americans used to call “sore losers”? And whatever happened to the American ‘underdog’? The guy who doesn’t have a chance, but who keeps pounding away until at the very end he emerges, beaten bloody… but victorious!

    The underdog was until very recently one of the most admired characters in Americana. But the Left is so insufferably whiny, so put upon, and such a bunch of sniveling crybabies that normal folks hesitate mentioning an underdog who wins against all odds because they might unleash another disgusting torrent of the Left’s “Everyone gets a trophy,” or, “we can’t have any winners” carp.

    Most Trump haters reading this will have one reason or another to insist it’s not like this at all.

    So it will only be the stand-up folks who are constantly manipulated by a self-serving media that’s still serving the losing candidate, who finally decide they’ve had enough, and they’re done being chumps for a media that’s just using them.

    It would be different if the media was running this post-election scam for the benefit of the average voter because that voter didn’t win the last time around. But by now it must be obvious to even the most casual observer that Big Media, and Hillary Clinton, and George Soros, and et al, all have a different agenda than the folks they’re using.

    They’re certainlky not doing this for the people they’re turning into Trump haters. Instead, they’re using them for their own self-serving agenda. But their agenda doesn’t have anything in it for the Trump-haters they’ve programmed into existence.. As usual, those folks be used and discarded when they’ve served their purpose.

    Does anyone believe they’re paying the haters they made, for their intense, and sometimes insane Trump hatred?

    For that matter, will they pay them anything for being used and abused??

    .

    Hmmm-mm-m…

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