By Andrew Leheny
Misdirection is a common tactic employed by a con man (or woman). The tactic is to guide the attention of the victim of a con away from the con itself.
It seems everyday Donald Trump does or says something outrageous. I believe this is intentional. This draws the attention of the American people to the chaos he generates, including to the 2020 presidential campaign and which Democratic candidate will challenge him. Evidence indicates this is the daily reality Trump hopes to maintain.
Both evidence, and Trump’s behavior, point towards a subject he wishes to divert from the consideration of the American public. It is a subject former President Jimmy Carter has addressed. This concern is that Donald Trump is not the legitimate president of the United States and that Trump knows this to be true.
Former President Carter has assisted developing nations for decades in conducting free and accurate elections. When he says a full investigation would prove Russia (and perhaps others) engineered the 2016 election for Trump, President Carter’s own experience and reputation requires that this be examined.
I believe President Carter is correct. The Mueller Report verified Russian intensive interference in our 2016 election, but Robert Mueller was not tasked to determine if the Russian efforts stole the presidency from Hillary Clinton, although despite their attacks she captured 2.9 million more popular votes than Trump. But now we know far more about Russian interference than immediately after the 2016 election. We also know prior to election day 2016 that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to join with President Barack Obama to warn the American people that the sanctity of our election process was being attacked. Shortly after Trump’s inauguration GOP Senator Lindsey Graham said Donald Trump was “elected fair and square.” We simply still do not know that is true. The “win” for Trump was a technical one due to our historic reliance on the Electoral College. A total of 78,000 votes from “rust belt” states beat Secretary Clinton’s 2.9 million popular vote margin? Still questions persist regarding extremely close Rust Belt wins, such as 70,000 Detroit ballots not reading a presidential selection, enabling Trump to “win” Michigan by 28,000 votes.
In 2011 then Circuit Court Judge Brett Kavanaugh ruled in Bluman v. Federal Election Commission that it was illegal “for a foreign national to contribute directly or indirectly” to a presidential campaign. Kavanaugh noted our Founding Fathers had an “obsession with foreign influence in our elections derived from a fear that foreign powers and individuals had no basic investment in the well-being” of our democracy.
Based on our Founding Father’s “obsession”with foreign influence, it is an assault on our Constitution not to verify the sanctity of the 2016 election. If Donald Trump is a “fake” president consider all the unnecessary harm a con for power and wealth has done to our Constitution and nation. Regardless of political party, the Trump Administration has come to represent corruption, hate and racism to our nation.
I suggest there are two crucial actions which can stop this Trump damage to our nation.
First, the Founding Fathers placed such dependence on a Free Press for a reason. Corrupt individuals detest truth, and will do all in their power to disguise their desires as an alternate truth. That’s why I suggest the truth of Trump’s legitimacy must not be guided by Trump propaganda, but by truth-finding by journalists.
Second, my understanding is the Constitution does not address removing an illegitimate president from office, other than by impeachment. However, I believe there is an existing option.
The Founding Fathers created the Electoral College as a safeguard against an unfit individual being elected president. With that consideration in mind, the House of Representatives should reconvene the Electoral College to reconsider the 2016 presidential election with the facts as we now understand them. And to re-vote with that knowledge.
But the first option is key. As corruption seeks to consolidate power only truth can stop it. Journalists, more than ever, are needed to stop the Trump infestation of our nation.
The Focus 