Let’s face it, America really wants to trust its presidents -even the ones we don’t like. We are immensely reticent to impeach. So reticent, in fact, we have tolerated presidential lies, contempt of the American public, embarrassments, misbehavior, hypocrisy and much more by many presidents over the more than two centuries of the Republic. The United States of America has no royalty, so we elevate our presidents to a special status. We want to admire them and indulge them and sing their praises. We want them to be a model, both to ourselves and to the world.
So, speaking directly to you, Mr. President, Mr. Trump, we really don’t want to convict you. But so far you leave us little choice. Even in the face of charges and evidence that seems overwhelming, you refuse to release the evidence you have told us you have. You refuse to allow testimony by members of your own administration whom you say would support your claims that there “was no quid pro quo.”
Please, Mr. President, shut your detractors up by releasing the mountains of evidence and testimony you are sequestering though claims of executive privilege or “executive immunity.” Certainly Congress can sort through any national security issues before releasing it to the public. Surely John Bolton, your former National Security Adviser -of all people- is eminently qualified to censor himself appropriately on national security issues. In fact, releasing the witnesses and the documents could literally defuse the obstruction article now lodged against you.
So please help us out here, Mr. President. Give us the ammunition to make factual rebuttal to the charges and evidence now being presented. Release the subpoenaed documents. Release everything regarding the charges now before the Senate and pertaining to the cases against you. Release your staff and former staff to speak freely.
You do have faith in us to make the assessments of the facts, don’t you? You do trust your own Senate majority party to judge you fairly when given all the facts, don’t you?
Faith. That’s what we both want, isn’t it? Faith in our president. Our president’s faith in us.
Let’s keep the faith, Mr. President. Release the evidence and the witnesses.