Friday, November 22, 2019

No inquiry wanted here

The ongoing impeachment investigation into Trump's attempts to extort political dirt from Ukraine  centers around an exchange of things of value between two political heads of state for the personal benefit of at least one of them (a meeting with Trump might be considered as a Ukrainian domestic "thing of value").

Trump was conditioning a meeting that Zelensky wanted on his making a public announcement that he was reopening an investigation into Hunter Biden. Military aid that Ukraine wanted was also in the mix as part of the deal.

While there can be no doubt whatsoever that this was the bargain, or quid pro quo or whatever you choose to call it--it's still the same, its not clear that Trump actually wanted the investigation; rather he wanted the appearance of one, hence the ask for the announcement. Were there to be an actual investigation it is quite likely that no wrong doing would be found, undercutting Trump's case; better therefore to have an announcement that the GOP could speculate on endlessly with having to deal with an awkward fact-based counter-narrative. Trump thieves in a world of speculation, smears and innuendo. Facts constrain him, which is, in part, why he hates journalists.  

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