Get it over with already
Republicans have their own version of the truth. Some of them have been making the rounds, giving their take on Trump’s indictment. Mike Turner (R-OH), chair of the House Intelligence Committee, appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday, and while he did agree that Trump’s handling of classified documents “is certainly of grave concern,” he immediately turned to inquiring about the documents turned over by President Biden’s legal team. They fail to see the difference between these two issues, but let’s help them out. Once Biden’s team discovered the documents, they immediately contacted the government to return them. Like Trump, Biden’s handling of classified documents is being investigated by a special counsel, Robert Hur. They are being treated exactly alike except for one stark difference: Trump lied and tried to circumvent the return of the documents. That is what made his situation criminal.
Turner continued to try to make the two situations the same. The documents found by Biden’s team were secured in a locked closet, not strewn all about the property. Biden never took the documents on family vacation. In fact, it appears that Biden didn’t even recall the documents were there, since they were from the time he served as vice president under Barack Obama. Jake Tapper pushed back on the differences, to which Turner finally acquiesced: “With respect to this litigation, it’s going to go forward, and I’m certainly not going to defend the behavior that is listed in the complaint.” He certainly tried by comparing Trump’s indictment to President Biden’s situation. That is very much a “defense,” and he needn’t think everyone is too stupid to see that. Other Republicans continue to push back on this erroneous train of thought.
According to Politico, former Republican Maryland governor Larry Hogan has condemned 2024 candidates who are defending Trump. During his appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” Hogan said: “It’s absurd that candidates won’t stand up and say that these are very serious charges, we need to take them seriously, and, you know, if you are not going to challenge him, why challenge him?” He called them “enablers,” which is quite accurate. He pointed out that both Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson have singled themselves out from the rest by speaking the truth. William Barr, however, continues to be Trump’s biggest critic.
Writing for The Free Press, Barr reiterated that Trump is no victim. While Barr supported Trump’s claims in the past, he is adamant that what Trump did was wrong. Barr’s words are a stinging rebuke: “Trump is a deeply flawed, incorrigible man who frequently brings calamity on himself and the country through his dishonest and self-destructive recklessness.” Ouch. Barr also called on Republicans to do the right thing: “For the sake of the country, our party, and a basic respect for the truth, it is time that Republicans come to grips with the hard truths about President Trump’s conduct and its implications.” We are certainly not fans of William Barr, but he makes some valid points in his piece. It is past time for Republicans to consider the good of the country above anything else.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years