In a recent reaction to the ongoing impeachment inquiry, Donald Trump demanded that Senate Majority Leader #MoscowMitch McConnell put pressure on Republicans in Congress who are being “disloyal”, calling him at least three times a day.
While McConnell denies this, even the question of loyalty begs the question: to whom are Republicans asked to give their loyalty; Donald Trump or the Constitution they swore an oath to uphold?
Given his past actions, there can be no doubt that Trump is demanding Republicans remain loyal to him, and him alone.
Given their responses, it would appear that many Republicans in Congress are only too willing to abandon their Constitutional duty and place party politics over country in pledging fealty to an individual, and not those they were elected to represent.
That wasn’t always the case. Here are past statements by current Trump supporters:
Lindsey Graham (R-SC) 1998 -During Clinton Impeachment Hearings
“You don’t even have to be convicted of a crime in this constitutional republic if this body determines your conduct as a public official is clearly out of bounds in your role. Impeachment is not about punishment. Impeachment is about cleansing the office. Impeachment is about restoring honor and integrity to the office.”
“Impeach over this? What a nothing burger. Democrats have lost their minds when it comes to President Trump.”
Mike Pompeo (R-Ka)/Current Secretary of State- During Benghazi Hearings
Preventing State Department officials from participating in a Congressional investigation “amounts to an attempt to circumvent the Executive Branch’s unquestionably legitimate constitutional interest in protecting potentially privileged information related to the conduct of diplomatic relations.”
Congress has no authority to compel Congressional testimony and he “will not tolerate such tactics…”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky)- During Clinton Impeachment Hearings
“The President would seek to win at any cost. If it meant lying to the American people. If it meant lying to his Cabinet. The name of the game was winning. Winning at any cost.”
Impeachment “will fail with me as majority leader.”
Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Congressman Trey Gowdy, who was being considered for a role in heading Trump’s impeachment defense team, have had similar changes of heart when it comes to the current impeachment inquiry. Once supporting the impeachment or investigation of a Democratic president, they now oppose it; placing their loyalty to the man who holds the office of President rather than the Constitution.
This is flat out an abandoning of the oath they swore as defenders of the Constitution. This is not the loyalty they promised when elected.