E.J. Dionne is bluntly stating the obvious in an scorching op-ed at the Washington Post: Trump is unfit to serve:
Let’s not mumble or whisper about the central issue facing our country: What is this democratic nation to do when the man serving as president of the United States plainly has no business being president of the United States?
The Michael Flynn fiasco was the entirely predictable product of the indiscipline, deceit, incompetence and moral indifference that characterize Donald Trump’s approach to leadership.
Dionne says the onus is on Congress to investigate and take action to protect our nation.
Those pushing for the select committee have reason to fear that keeping things under wraps in the intelligence panels could be a way to bury the story for a while and buy Trump time. Letting Americans in on what went on here, and quickly, is the only way to bolster trust in this administration, if that is even possible. And let’s face the reality here: It could also hasten the end of a presidency that could do immense damage to the United States.
He also notes how critical it is for Jeff Sessions to immediately recuse himself:
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in the meantime, must immediately recuse himself from all decisions about all aspects of the Russia investigation by the FBI and the intelligence services. Sessions should step back not simply because he is an appointee of the president but, more importantly, because he was a central figure in the Trump campaign. He cannot possibly be a neutral arbiter, and his involvement would only heighten fears of a coverup.
We couldn’t agree more. Sessions should immediately step aside and Rep. Jason Chaffetz has an obligation to this nation to use his position as the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee to open an immediate, bipartisan investigation into the Trump campaign’s increasingly well-documented ties to Russian agents throughout the campaign. Anything less than a full investigation is a slap in the face to Democracy and government transparency.
Why are Republicans so afraid shining a light on Team Trump’s deep ties to a foreign adversary, anyway? What’s in it for them? A rubber check to dismantle the New Deal and the Affordable Care Act? It’s time for Jason Chaffetz, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell and the rest of the Republican leadership to put aside petty politics and put their country over their party for a change. Our nation’s security and our democracy deserve nothing less.