“Shameful!”
If ever there was an impeachable offense, this is it: the President mobilizing federal forces to attack and tear-gas citizens lawfully and peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.
These were not rioters or even violent protesters. The people in Lafayette Square yesterday were gathering peacefully, prior to the curfew, and in the park across from the White House, whose federally recognized purpose according to its own foundation document is to serve “as a national and even international stage for the expression of First Amendment rights and for U.S. citizens to petition their government.”
The forces who violated our First Amendment rights were NOT the DC police, who are specially trained and very experienced at managing protests. They were Federal forces, including the National Guard, the US Park Police, and Secret Service: their riot shields read “Military Police.” DC Mayor Bowser rightly called the violent Federal response “Shameful!”
The President took an oath to uphold the laws and Constitution of the United States. He has repeatedly violated that oath.
For violating his oath and the Constitutional rights of citizens, Trump should resign. For encouraging violence between Americans, Trump should resign. For failing to respond to repeated, egregious police abuse of minorities, Trump should resign. For failing to provide leadership in a time of pandemic crisis, Trump should resign. For failing to act to curb gun violence in the US, Trump should resign. For decimating hard-won environmental regulations, Trump should resign. For lying to the American public, over and over again, Trump should resign.
Every Republican in the Senate and Congress who fails to call out Trump for his illegal and divisive words and actions is equally culpable. Every politically appointed member of the Executive Branch who answers to Trump’s tweets rather than the Congressionally mandated purpose of their agency is violating the law and their oath of service.
Trump has dared to call himself the “president of law and order” — harking back to Richard Nixon. Mr. Trump, for the good of the country, do as Nixon did: Resign.
#trumpshouldresign, #shameful, #blacklivesmatter
