By Pam Martens and Russ Martens: January 8, 2021 ~
President Donald Trump
The Wall Street Journal’s Editorial Board, which has coddled Trump for his entire four years in office, now apparently realizes that its own credibility is being called into question. So it is now calling for Trump to resign, writing as follows yesterday:
“In concise summary, on Wednesday the leader of the executive branch incited a crowd to march on the legislative branch. The express goal was to demand that Congress and Vice President Mike Pence reject electors from enough states to deny Mr. Biden an Electoral College victory. When some in the crowd turned violent and occupied the Capitol, the President caviled and declined for far too long to call them off. When he did speak, he hedged his plea with election complaint.
“This was an assault on the constitutional process of transferring power after an election. It was also an assault on the legislature from an executive sworn to uphold the laws of the United States. This goes beyond merely refusing to concede defeat. In our view it crosses a constitutional line that Mr. Trump hasn’t previously crossed. It is impeachable.”
Let’s pause right there for a moment. There is no line this President hasn’t crossed over the past four years, constitutional or otherwise.
The editorial moves on to attacking Democrats and then adds this:
“If Mr. Trump wants to avoid a second impeachment, his best path would be to take personal responsibility and resign. This would be the cleanest solution since it would immediately turn presidential duties over to Mr. Pence. And it would give Mr. Trump agency, a la Richard Nixon, over his own fate.”
As of early this morning, there were over 1100 comments under the editorial. The mood of the commenters was not always sunny.
Samuel S. wrote:
“It’s nice to see the corporate-leaning good old boys at WSJ Opinion having taken their pound to flesh in high-end tax cuts and ruinous deregulation (let’s admit that finance, air and water won’t be any cleaner) from the Far Right’s useful idiot, Donald Trump, have summarily tossed Trump into the dumpster like a moldy week-old pizza. Whew, you guys are an impressive lot! Even Ms. Noonan in a separate column is shocked, totally shocked at what has become of the Conservatives’ Bonfire of the Vanities. Well, after all this ‘shock’ is internalized, you’re welcome to get back to what you do best: conclude tax cuts for the wealthy are that magic elixir for anything that ails a modern society. Yup, WSJ Opinion’s class-based Travelin’ Medicine Show will be back!”
Another commenter, Julio Santos, weighed in with this:
“How ironic it is to read the words ‘resign’ and ‘impeachable’ directed at this deranged and lawless president coming from the EB [Editorial Board], 12 days before his term is up, and after five people got killed in the mob attack he unleashed. To me this is just a dishonest and coward attempt to get out of the doomed ship before it completely sinks. NO EB!! We will not allow you to run from the responsibility you have in all this tragedy!”
USA Today is also out with an Editorial calling for Trump’s immediate exit from the White House. Its Editorial Board writes as follows:
“Ever since Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection, Americans have wondered to what depths he would sink in his efforts to overturn the results and cling to power.
“On Wednesday, they got their answer: The president of the United States incited a mob of supporters and sicced them on the Capitol, just as Congress was about to count the states’ electoral votes and affirm Joe Biden’s victory. In the ensuing chaos, the hallowed chambers were desecrated, the ceremonial process was disrupted, one woman was fatally shot and three others died. [A fifth person has since died, a police officer with the Capitol Police, whom the New York Times is reporting was hit by a fire extinguisher during the melee inside the Capital building.]
“By egging on this deadly insurrection and hailing the rioters (“We love you, you’re very special.”), the president forfeited his moral authority to hold the nation’s highest office, even for 13 more days. More urgent, he reinforced profound questions, and raised new ones, about his judgment and ability to fulfill his most minimal responsibilities to the country he is supposed to lead and protect. Trump’s continuance in office poses unacceptable risks to America.”
The Philadelphia Enquirer’s Editorial Board is calling for Trump’s impeachment or removal by invoking of the 25th Amendment. It writes:
“We join the bipartisan calls for the removal of President Donald Trump from office by invoking the 25th Amendment or a swift impeachment. His incitement of his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was a treasonous act that cannot be tolerated.
“His continued insistence that the fair and legitimate election that he lost was rigged — claims he began making even before the election — is the mark of totalitarian inclinations and disregard for the country and its founding principles. For four years, Trump faced few consequences for his outrageous behavior and denial of the truth, galvanizing a bandwagon of followers within the GOP. Wednesday’s insurrection was incited by Trump, fueled by his enablers, and facilitated by four years with little accountability. That must stop.”
The sense of urgency to remove this President immediately were fueled by news reports last evening that both explosive devices found outside the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee on the day of the riots were, indeed, live pipe bombs. In addition, acting U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Michael Sherwin, held a press conference yesterday to announce prosecutions. Among those being prosecuted is a man who was in possession of a semi-automatic rifle and 11 Molotov cocktails and another in possession of a 9-millimeter handgun and ammunition.
