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https://www.democracynow.org/2018/1/18/trump_biographer_on_the_presidents_cognitive
an investigative reporter of the highest level that has reported on him for 30 years and knows him.
excerpt:
"NERMEEN SHAIKH: —that not only can he be potentially impeached, but also that he could face criminal prosecution?
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: Oh, I think if you’re going to impeach him, you have to do that. The 25th Amendment isn’t going to happen. It doesn’t work, unless Donald suddenly tears his clothes off and says, “The Martians are coming!” And I assure you that Breitbart and Fox News will then say, “We need to run to the basements. The Martians are coming.” Only if the Democrats get control of the House and the Senate will he be impeached. And he will be if that happens.
Here’s the problems you’re going to face. If you’re going to impeach him over the Russians and the—if you go back and carefully read the initial email Rob Goldstone sent to Donald Trump Jr., they were already cooperating with them. It says “as part of our—of Russia’s effort to help you.” That’s not a “Hey, we’d like to help you.” That’s “Here’s the next development.” If you remove Donald Trump because of the Russians, you have to remove Mike Pence, because he’s also the beneficiary of the Russians’ effort to make sure Hillary Clinton didn’t become president. That was their effort, primarily, because they knew that she would push to make him give up—Putin to give up the Crimea and other things. If you remove Mike Pence, as well, then a Democrat, presumably Nancy Pelosi, as speaker of the House, becomes president. There are some who are going to scream, “This is a coup d’état!” So, were that to happen, whoever is speaker, presumably Nancy Pelosi, should say, “I am a caretaker president 'til the end of this term. I will not run for office. I'm certainly going to pursue the policies I think we should pursue, but I will not run for office, and I will not be involved in the campaign whatsoever.” It’s the only honest way to do this.
If Donald isn’t impeached, the Democrats don’t take back the House and the Senate, in 2020 he will be challenged by Republicans. If he loses, “Rigged elections! Rigged elections! It was those people out there rigged the election.” If he wins the primaries and runs again and loses, even if he lost 50 states, you know, did worse than Gene McCarthy did in 1972—not Gene McCarthy, George McGovern, in 1972, he’ll say the same thing: “It was illegitimate!” Just look what he’s saying now: “Hillary Clinton really didn’t win the election.” And Donald Trump, out of office, unless he serves two full terms and leaves office, he will go around the country fomenting violence and revolution. And the reason we know this is, during the campaign, he would point to people and say, “Beat that guy up! I’ll pay your legal bills,” which he was never going to do. Removed from office, unable to acknowledge his own shortcomings, unable to do what—Richard Nixon, at the end of the day, was a patriot who understand he had to resign for the welfare of the country. He’s not Richard Nixon. He will say the government is illegitimate, and make trouble.
That’s why if they’re going to impeach him, they need to have a plan to indict him, convict him and send him to prison. And there are so many crimes Donald Trump has committed. Most successful major criminals never get arrested. Donald Trump is a man who’s twice had trials for income tax fraud, civil. He lost them both. He’s confessed to sales tax fraud. He spent years deeply, deeply entangled—
AMY GOODMAN: Three seconds.
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON: —with a major cocaine trafficker, in ways that make no sense unless they were in business together.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we’re going to leave it there. David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, his new book, It’s Even Worse Than You Think: What the Trump Administration Is Doing to America.
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