Trump’s Letter to Pelosi: Alternative Facts In An Alternate Reality

Thomas O. Falk

In his six-page letter to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, American President Trump denied all allegations against him and accused the Democrats of a deranged political witch-hunt, among many other things. As we know by now, it did not stop Pelosi from proceeding in her case against Trump. However, the letter was never meant to stop the impeachment process in the first place.

Unlike his usual approach, Trump did not announce his protest against the then-pending impeachment procedure via Twitter but protested it in the letter he sent to Pelosi on Tuesday. In the letter Trump accuses the Democrats of “perversion of justice and abuse of power.” He reiterates that he has done nothing wrong when he asked a foreign power, namely Ukraine, to investigate political rivals, i.e., Democratic Presidential candidate and former VP Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden.

Why Did Trump Write The Letter?

Trump’s letter wasn’t truly meant for Pelosi. It was a press release for the public. Not the general public, but the Trump public. It was done in order to rally the troops for the upcoming impeachment proceedings and inflame them with even more outrage. As such, the letter represents a summary of Trump’s “fight” against “the swamp,” “the deep state,” and all the other enemies who have been undermining his presidency according to his view. All the misleading statements, exaggerations, and downright falsehoods in the letter notwithstanding, its purpose is clear. Self-reflection? Nonexistent. Victim narrative? Omnipresent.

Trump Letter: Only Stupid People Believe The Democrats Are Sincere

By adhering to the impeachment process, Pelosi has declared an “open war on American democracy,” Trump wrote. The “campaign” of the Democrats against him was an “unprecedented and unconstitutional abuse of power.”

“You view democracy as your enemy!” Continues the President’s six-page letter. “You are the ones subverting democracy in America. You are the ones obstructing justice. You are the ones bringing pain and suffering to our Republic for your own selfish personal, political, and partisan gain.”

No “intelligent person” would believe the Democrats, Trump also claimed. “You are making a mockery of impeachment, and you are scarcely concealing your hatred of me, of the Republican Party, and tens of millions of patriotic Americans.”

Moreover, Trump claimed that he had been denied fundamental rights during the Democrats’ preparations for impeachment, such as the possibility of having witnesses interrogated at the House hearings. After all, “more due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials.”

In his letter, Trump also states that he has “no doubt” that “the American people will hold you and the Democrats fully responsible in the upcoming 2020 elections.”

Pelosi Unruffled By Angry Letter

Trump’s words—unsurprisingly—did not lead Pelosi to change course. Hours after having received the letter, she sent out the invitations for the impeachment votes the following day to “honor our oath to support our constitution and protect it from all foreign and domestic enemies.” Hours later, Trump became only the third President in the history of the republic to be impeached.

Indeed, the President’s most recent—and well calculated—outburst won’t deter the Democrats or interrupt their plan going forward. As part of the upcoming trial, they now seek to summon witnesses from Trump’s closest circle. Two of the four new witnesses are said to be former Security Adviser John Bolton and incumbent White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.

Moreover, in a letter to Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer proposed for the proceedings to be “fair and honest.” Mcconnell has said he will be working with the White House and there will be no difference between his approach and the President’s approach, while fellow Trump insider Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has said the impeachment is bogus and he will do whatever he can to “make it die quickly” in the Senate.

According to Schumer, the trial could begin as early as January 7th, with the process potentially lasting multiple weeks. Meanwhile, Schumer and McConnell are expected to agree on a roadmap for the planned process, just as it occurred during the impeachment proceedings against former President Clinton two decades ago.