Remember when Trump…

pardoned Joe Arpaio, who was convicted for illegally detaining immigrants?

The former Arizona sheriff had become infamous for running Tent City, known for its harsh conditions and being what Arpaio himself referred to as “a concentration camp.” The resources put into detaining immigrants also sapped county resources, leading to a backlog of various other violent crimes.

Arpaio was convicted of contempt for violating a judge’s order preventing him from detaining immigrants based on racial profiling and their legal status. Though he was unlikely to serve any jail time, Trump issued a pardon. The pardon was controversial in how it eschewed tradition, including any layers of review or even a formal application by Arpaio.

Arpaio later ran for US Senate, but lost the primary. In an interview during his campaign, he seemed to be unaware that acceptance of a pardon is tantamount to an admission of guilt, per the US Supreme Court finding in Burdick v. United States.

USA Today – Analysis: Trump’s bold Joe Arpaio pardon breaks with presidential tradition
The New York Times – Trump Pardons Joe Arpaio, Who Became Face of Crackdown on Illegal Immigration
NPR – Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio Under Fire For Mishandled Sex-Crime Cases
Wikipedia – Burdick v. United States
Wikipedia – Pardon of Joe Arpaio
Wikipedia – Joe Arpaio

pardoned a soldier convicted of murdering an unarmed and naked Iraqi prisoner?

The soldier, Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna, had captured the prisoner in a raid where an arms cache was also discovered. The prisoner was held by military intelligence in connection to a roadside bomb that had killed two soldiers. No evidence was found connecting the prisoner to the bomb, and he was ordered released. While returning the prisoner, Behenna claimed that he sought to question him further. He stripped the prisoner of his clothes and shot him.

Behenna was convicted of murder and sentenced to 25 years, and received parole after 5 in 2014. Trump’s pardon removes all prior restrictions from his parole.

NPR – Trump Pardons Michael Behenna, Former Soldier Convicted Of Killing Iraqi Prisoner
USA Today – ACLU blasts Trump’s pardon of soldier Michael Behenna as ‘endorsement of a murder’
Wikipedia – Michael Behenna

pardoned two soldiers convicted of war crimes?

Trump announced the pardons in November, 2019.

One soldier, Maj. Mathew L. Golsteyn, killed an unarmed Afghan that he suspected of being a bomb-maker. He was convicted of second-degree murder.

The other, 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, gave orders to open fire on unarmed Afghan civilians, resulting in two deaths. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison.

Neither intervention was welcomed by military leaders. Defense Secretary Mark Esper warned that this would undermine the military code of justice.

Trump has also intervened on behalf of other soldiers convicted of war crimes, including a Navy SEAL whose own unit had turned against him.

A year later, Trump pardoned four former Blackwater contractors convicted of perpetrating a massacre.

USA Today -Trump pardons service members in high profile war crimes cases
The New York Times – Trump Clears Three Service Members in War Crimes Cases

claimed that he is “in a struggle for the survival of democracy in America” at a rally in which he attacked various political enemies?

Trump spent some 40 minutes attacking his various enemies at a Minneapolis rally. He accused the Washington establishment of pillaging America, despite being in power for three years and himself constituting the establishment. He called Democrats “very sick,” and said Nancy Pelosi is “either really stupid or she’s really lost it.”

He again made claims about the Biden family, calling Hunter Biden a loser, and saying of his father Joe Biden, “He was only a good vice president because he understood how to kiss Barack Obama’s ass.” He denounced recent surveys and news reports about the White House as “crooked” and bad for America.

Trump targeted the Mueller investigation and FBI agents Lisa Page and Peter Strzok, mimicking them their amorous relationship: “‘Oh, I love you so much. I love you, Peter!’ ‘I love you too, Lisa! Lisa, I love you. Lisa, Lisa! Oh God, I love you, Lisa.’”

He also targeted the more recent inquiry into his withholding military aid from Ukraine in exchange for political favors, saying, “The do-nothing Democrat extremists have gone so far to the left that they believe it should not be a crime to cross our border illegally and that it should be a crime to have a totally appropriate, casual, beautiful, accurate phone call with a foreign leader.”

Finally, Trump targeted the mayor of the host city, as well as the state’s freshman US Representative Ilhan-Omar, who he called an “America-hating socialist.”

The New York Times – At Minneapolis Rally, an Angry Trump Reserves Sharpest Attack for Biden
Politico – ‘These people are sick’: Trump’s ire against Washington boils over
Newsweek – Nancy Pelosi is ‘either really stupid or she’s really lost it,’ says Trump in fiery Minneapolis political rally

refused to send legal representation to impeachment hearings?

Ahead of impeachment hearings, Trump claimed multiple times that he was being denied legal representation and due process during the Congressional impeachments hearings.

However, Trump refused to send any form of legal representation.

Trump justified the White House’s refusal to participate by claiming that the entire investigation was a hoax.

The Democrats, the radical-left Democrats, the do-nothing Democrats, decided when I’m going to NATO – this was set up a year ago – that when I’m going to NATO, that was the exact time – this is one of the most important journeys that we make as president, and for them to be doing this and saying this and putting impeachment on the table, which is a hoax to start off with.

The Hill – Trump rips ‘No Due Process Scam’ as public impeachment hearings loom
ABC News – Trump: Won’t send lawyer to impeachment hearing ‘because it’s all a hoax’
Reuters – White House tells House Democrats that it will not participate in Wednesday impeachment hearing

lied about the Ukranian President exonerating him from any wrongdoing?

Trump claimed that the Ukrainian President had exonerated him from any wrongdoing in the quid pro quo scandal in which he asked for dirt on Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden. The scandal ultimately led to his impeachment.

The claim was made about an interview Time had had with the Ukrainian President. The Ukrainian President made no such remarks in the interview.

Time – ‘I Don’t Trust Anyone at All.’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Speaks Out on Trump, Putin and a Divided Europe

 

wondered why a centennial anniversary wasn’t celebrated “a long time ago?”

The centennial in question was the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Coin Act. Trump remarked, “I’m curious why wasn’t it done a long time ago? And also, I guess the answer to that is because now I’m President, we get things done.” He appeared unaware of what a centennial is.

New York Magazine – Trump: Why Wasn’t 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage Observed ‘Years Ago?’

only disbursed $2 million raised for veterans until the discrepancy was met with intense media scrutiny?

His charity was later dissolved after the state of New York filed charges for illegal use of charity funds for campaign purposes.

NPR – At Least $1.9 Million In Donations Trump Collected For Vets Was Sent Last Week
The Washington Post – New York files suit against President Trump alleging his charity engaged in illegal conduct
Reuters – Trump charity to dissolve under deal with N.Y. attorney general

called in to Fox & Friends where he ranted for 53 minutes?

During the 53 minutes, Trump spoke at length about various conspiracy theories and made several false claims about the ongoing impeachment hearings. Among them, Ukraine’s supposed role in tampering with elections, and how the phone call with the Ukrainian leader at the center of the impeachment hearings was made up. He also directly admitted to holding up the military aid that had been agreed upon by Congress, saying, “I mean, I asked it very point-blank, because we’re looking for corruption. There’s tremendous corruption. Why should we be giving hundreds of millions of dollars to countries when there’s this kind of corruption?”

Trump had also previously called in to Fox & Friends.

The New York Times – Trump’s Long List of Inaccurate Statements on ‘Fox & Friends’
Business Insider – Trump essentially admitted on live TV to doing the thing he’s accused of in the impeachment inquiry

More assuredly to come soon

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