Why are Trump's affairs a legal issue?

octopus

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 12:59 pm

Optimystic wrote:

I have read the thread now and want to add that there is a difference between voting for someone to block a worse alternative and continuing to support that candidate even the very next day let alone a year later.

Given Mr. Trump's obvious character deficiencies, (not to mention Secretary Clinton's unsuitability), [I][b]Republicans[/I] should have been laying the groundwork for impeachment even before election day, regardless of who won. [/b] Governor Pence would have made a fine president.

Mr. Trump has alienated our allies and aided our enemies through sheer incompetence. Even his accomplishments (nominating Gorsuch and moving the U.S. embassy is all I can think of) are tainted by his character defects and general lack of credibility.

I am afraid the Republican Party has done itself permanent damage by not taking a stand against him. Nothing empowers the opposition like an epically bad leader. Thanks to a complete lack of moral leadership by most top Republicans, I am afraid we will see Democratic control for decades to come just as we did in the 1930s and 40s. Sad

That would be laying the groundwork for a very dangerous precedent, not to mention showing the world that the USA has a very shaky government. With all of Trump's flaws, the world respects him, even if many US citizens don't.

Last edited by octopus on Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:04 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:02 pm

Optimystic wrote:

I have read the thread now and want to add that there is a difference between voting for someone to block a worse alternative and continuing to support that candidate even the very next day let alone a year later.

Given Mr. Trump's obvious character deficiencies, (not to mention Secretary Clinton's unsuitability), Republicans should have been laying the groundwork for impeachment even before election day, regardless of who won. Governor Pence would have made a fine president.

Mr. Trump has alienated our allies and aided our enemies through sheer incompetence. Even his accomplishments (nominating Gorsuch and moving the U.S. embassy is all I can think of) are tainted by his character defects and general lack of credibility.

I am afraid the Republican Party has done itself permanent damage by not taking a stand against him. Nothing empowers the opposition like an epically bad leader. Thanks to a complete lack of moral leadership by most top Republicans, I am afraid we will see Democratic control for decades to come just as we did in the 1930s and 40s. Sad

Oh come. We’ve never been in such a good place with Israel.
And he isn’t afraid to stand up to Iran, NK, Syria, Russia, and terrorism in general.

He isn’t the coward that other presidents were.

leah233

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:08 pm

Optimystic wrote:

There has to be actual grounds for impeachment before you start laying the groundwork for it.

Last edited by leah233 on Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:19 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Azure

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:22 pm

fmt4 wrote:

Conscious?

Ok that was mean, I admit it. But you made it so easy. LOL

Fmt4 are you trying to prove intelligence by correcting grammar?
Maybe prove yourself by being a bit more open minded with your posts instead.

FTR, I’m crazy with grammar. Mistakes irk me so much. But I find I write terribly on this site, as most posts get written in a crazy rush while I’m doing stuff in the house or with the kiddies.

33055

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:25 pm

fmt4 wrote:

Conscious?

Ok that was mean, I admit it. But you made it so easy. LOL

Stop. You and I are already engaged. You called me a racist. I called you a block head and an idiot. My posts are fair game.

You were just plain mean to the amother who is CONSCIOUS of her lack of abilities. Don't you feel a little bad?

fmt4

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:27 pm

Squishy wrote:

That Amother attacked me a bunch of times. So if we’re going by your rules, her posts are fair game too. But honestly, I just did it because that particular faux pas really bothers me, no matter who says it.

Amarante

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:32 pm

I don't want to trivialize this thread because to me the issue with Trump is his assault on democratic values and possible treasonous behavior as well as the rampant corruption in terms of not even waiting until out of the White House for him, his family and aides to start making money off their affiliation with the government.

However, I have to ask in what possible universe is Melania Trump - a gold digger who posed naked and has no discernible talents other than a slim body and a good facial features deemed to be classier than Michelle Obama - a woman who graduated from Harvard Law, had a very creditable career before becoming First Lady and as First Lady involved herself actively in such important causes as children's nutrition and fitness.

That Trump had affairs is irrelevant to anyone except Melania except for the fact that the man is morally corrupt and the only importance a woman seems to have is her physical beauty - not in many years has an administration had so few women in important positions or a man in high office who has boasted about grabbing woman's genitals or observing naked female teenagers because he can.

fmt4

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:38 pm

Amarante wrote:

This is exactly why I thought that racism must be a factor. Because I could think of no other discernible reason.

Optimystic

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:38 pm

amother wrote:

I agree. That's why I'm so confused why all the lib/dem/Hollywood elitist celebs let Havey Weinstien get away with actual rape for so many women for *decades* as well as actual rape of actual kids for *decades* in Hollywood. It's confusing why that matters LESS than Trump's consensual affair 12 years ago.
Also confusing is when Juanita Broderick claimed Clinton actually raped her, the "party that cares so much about women" dismissed her claims, calling her a wh*ore, destroying her life and completely not believing her, but when an actual wh*re claims she had a consensual relationship with Trump, everyone rolls out the red carpet to hear what she has to say. So basically, a Republican cannot have consensual s*x with a woman, but a Democrat can actually rape a woman. Got it. I see now how much his treatment of women bothers you. So much that you ignore the far worse treatment by dem/lib/hollywood.

I completely agree with you that the media's sudden concern about the treatment of women by men in power is extremely late, somewhat unconvincing, and inconsistently applied.

It was the Democrats' lack of moral leadership in 1998 that made the vast majority of voters condone Trump's attitudes and behavior in 2016. (I say vast majority because he would not have won without the tacit support of all the voters who stayed home on election day.)

The Democrats' complete lack of moral leadership in 1998 gives them little credibility to oppose Trump in 2018. That is why Republicans need to show moral leadership now. Someone has to.

I am sorry if there was something in my post to suggest I condoned zxl impropriety by anyone.

Last edited by Optimystic on Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:41 pm; edited 1 time in total

Optimystic

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:48 pm

octopus wrote:

I think the world can already see that the U.S. political system is extremely flawed beginning with a primary process that produces candidates few can genuinely support.

The world respects Mr. Trump because they still respect the power and influence of the United States.

Jeanette

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:50 pm

octopus wrote:

But you don't get impeached because you are a womanizer. So can someone please answer the op.

To answer the OP:

The raid on Michael Cohen's office and residence had nothing to do with the president's affairs. Having an affair is not against the law. He has been under investigation for months, possibly longer, for shady business practices. The raid was approved by the deputy attorney general, a trump appointee. To get approval the FBI had to show evidence of a crime and strong probability that he would destroy evidence.

The affairs are a distraction and completely irrelevant to the issue of Michael Cohen's corrupt business dealings.

octopus

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:55 pm

Jeanette wrote:

Thank you for answering! So basically this is a side show at the circus.

Amarante

Sun, Apr 22 2018, 1:56 pm

Optimystic wrote:

I am not sure what part of the world you are thinking which respects Trump. He is generally considered to be a laughing stock among the western democracies and in fact, the US has ceded real leadership to Merkel and other heads of European governments.

If final proof is delivered of there being grounds for impeachment, respect for an orderly constitutional change in leadership would only bring respect back to the US. In other countries, there would be a coup or assassination.

Among all of the awful crimes against our democratic norms, Trump is like the dictator of a banana republic who wants to lock up his political opponents. There has never been any President who has gone on record that the Department of Justice and the FBI are a threat to the country and not a peep out of him regarding the actions Putin took that actually disrupted an election and attempted to impact other races - I.e. evidence shows that various state voting systems were hacked by Russian operatives. And yet NOTHING has been done by the Trump government to ensure that our electoral process will be safe in 2018 - or even 2020.