Anxiety started building up within Trump two months ahead of the presidential
election and symptoms started showing up.
First, the most powerful President saying the Opposition Democrats were planning
to rig the polls! It is the other way round elsewhere.
Next, he indicated there was no chance of a peaceful transition if he loses
the election.
That was grotesque and unlawful, liable to criminal proceedings. This shows
abnormality. The US Supreme Court should have taken cognizance of this or at
least the Congress should have taken some action at that point of time. It had
repeatedly appeared in the media. Nobody diagnosed!
Soon after the election he went on harping on "stolen" election day and night,
and without any details to support "voter fraud," even after dozens of lawsuits
were thrown out b y judges, showing up signs of OCD.
His behaviour has been bizarre and he distorts realities or doesn't see them
as it exists and harbours delusions. He still believes that he has won the election.
This state of mind is called Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
Rattled lawmakers and officials are waking up now. Shell-shocked House Speaker
Pelosi running helter skelter. Her frantic call to Pentagon to snap his access
to the nuclear button met with a rebuff as she was told they can't and don't
interfere. She and colleagues asked Pence to invoke Section 4 of the 25th Constitution
Amendment to remove Trump immediately else they will rush through impeachment
(but there is no 2/3rd majority in Senate!). Neither can be accomplished even
as Trump has just 12 days left. The only option is to make him resign. Else,
what Trump would do next?
by RM NAIR
WASHINGTON, Jan 8: There is widespread apprehension that Trump would indulge
in subversive activities and may harbour more nefarious designs even as he is
getting more and more isolated and his days in the office are coming to a close
soon. He has access to the nuclear codes.
When his trusted Vice-President Pence repeatedly refused to go by his diktat
to overturn the election at the joint session on the D- Day (indiatraveltimes.com
had made the political forecast days before the joint session on "Trump's final
assault on D-Day") and issued a statement explaining his Constitutional position just before the session started, Trump called the rally and asked his armed
men in thousands to march to the Capitol, the temple of the greatest democracy,
and stop the count and "stop the steal". As they rampaged through the chambers and police teargassed
inside the Capitol, lawmakers had to run for cover. Five people died following
the violence and firing, including a police officer. The world condemned Trump
for the worst turbulent episode in the history of democracy.
Ordering a nuclear strike
It is feared he could also trigger foreign events as he sees China as the cause
of his troubles. He may, it is said, incite more violence, make dangerous postings
as most people are leaving the White House, order self-pardon. Because everyone
has come to believe, although late, that he is "mentally unsound", "out of control"
and is showing symptoms of "bizarre behaviour."
Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, concerned about the state
of affairs, spoke to Gen Mark A Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
about “preventing an unstable President from initiating military hostilities
or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike.” But there is resistance
to her interference in Pentagon affairs. Some of them say they will follow the
Commander-in-Chief (Trump). Military officials can refuse illegal orders but
they cannot remove the President from the chain of command.
The Washington Post wrote he poses a "grave threat to national security."
It is rumoured that many in the Cabinet have described Trump as "out of control."
Discussions have taken place over his fomenting violence, his unfounded claims
and bizarre behaviour.
Options
The Democrats led by Pelosi and the next Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer
urged Vice-President Mike Pence to initiate the process of invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove Trump from office for inciting protesters to rampage
the Capitol as the presidential electoral vote counting was on at the joint
session of the Congress on Wednesday. Pence did not take her call.
It has been reported he has refused to evoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump.
Therefore, later in a letter to members of the House, Pelosi threatened on
Friday that the House could move to impeach Trump over his role in inciting
a violent mob attack on the Capitol if he did not resign “immediately,” appealing
to Republicans to join the push to force him out from office. However, the procedures
will take longer than she wants.
Pelosi described the violence as an "armed insurrection" against America by
Trump. She condemned the desecration of the Capitol which, she said, is the
"temple of American democracy". "My phone is exploding with 'impeach, impeach,
impeach,'" she told reporters on Thursday.
If Pence and Cabinet members fail to dislodge him, impeachment proceedings
will have to start. "The President’s dangerous and seditious acts necessitate
his immediate removal from office,” she and Chuck Schumer said.
On removal of a President, Section 4 of the 25th Amendment to the Constitution
says the Cabinet members should meet and make a judgement that he is "unable
to discharge the powers and duties of his office" and request the Vice-President
to take over. Pence has to take a vote of the Cabinet. There is also long list
of alternatives if the first option cannot be implemented.
The Democrats of the Judiciary Committee have also sent a letter to Pence seeking
his removal for "undermining democracy" and "not mentally sound and is still unable
to process the results."
But Mike Pence has revealed his mind to his aides that he will not evoke the
25th Amendment.
For impeachment, charges must be brought to the House and passed in a vote.
Then the Senate by a two-thirds vote can remove him. But majority is not there
currently and, moreover, the Senate is not scheduled to meet before the transition
date of January 20.
Therefore, both removal and impeachment appear not practical. Some lawmakers
are dissenting, “Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term
will only divide our country more.”
Seeing that he is losing support, Trump released a video saying there will
be an orderly transfer of power and condemned the protesters who vandalised
the Capitol. Although he did not name Biden nor did he concede defeat in his
re-election, Trump promised to ensure a smooth transition to a “new administration.”
In fact, at a rally in Washington before the Congress meeting began he had incited
the protesters to move on to the Capitol to help overturn Biden's victory. Five
people, including a police officer, died in the violence that followed.
The Democrats-led House had impeached Trump earlier in December 2019 for pressurising
the President of Ukraine to launch an investigation against Biden, but failed
in the Republican- majority Senate.
The Georgian runoffs results that give Democrats majority in the Senate need
to be certified by the State which may not happen any time soon enough to successfully
impeach Trump while in office. However, removing Trump would require a two-thirds
vote by the Senate, which the Democrats will not have even later.
Former Attorney General William Barr, former Defence Secretary James Mattis,
former DHS Secretary and White House chief of staff John Kelly have lambasted
Trump for the fomenting the mayhem.
Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson asked him to "leave the town"
immediately while Biden described the rampage as: "One of the darkest days in
our nation."
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Trump's behaviour has been bizarre and he distorts realities or doesn't see them
as existing and harbours delusions. He still believes that he has won the elections
and declares it so every now and then. How many times a day since November 3 he
has been saying the election was "stolen". He does not talk of any evidence
or show any rational disposition while harping on voting "fraud'. He doesn't
clarify what was the "fraud' like. He says he will be the President.
Two months before the election he had said Democrats were going to rig the
election, without any evidence. It is understandable if an Opposition raises
the issue of rigging. But here he is the President of the most powerful country,
not a banana republic, it is a matter of shame for the Americans. Why cound'nt
he act?
Next, he said there won't be a peaceful transfer of power.
Later he curtailed the funds of the postal department lest they do the job
of transporting the postal ballots on time.
After the elections he blamed it on the suppliers of the voting machines who
have gone to the court against defamation. Dominion Voting Systems Inc filed
the case in Federal court in Washington.
He has gone to the court without evidence
and filed over a dozen lawsuits, to be thrown out even by the judges appointed
by him.
He has been asking Republican lawmakers in the swing States ruled by his own
party to overurn the results, claiming he has won.
He called the "stop the steal" rally soon after Pence told him on Wednesday
before the Congress session he won't join his efforts to overturn the results.
Trump called the rally in Washington and asked the protesters to move to Capitol
and stop the count even as Pence released his statement saying he will go by
the rule which gives him no power and his is a ceremonial job. The rampaging
mob ransacked the Capitol, his own parliament! He called them patriots.
He is fantasising, doesn't see reality as it is. Also tending to go violent. This condition is called Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
It is rumoured that some of his Cabinet members, after the Capitol rampage
on Wednesday, discussed Trump as "out of control" and "mentally unsound," showing symptoms of "bizarre behaviour."
Resignations
All the Cabinet Secretaries condemned the rampage of the Capitol on Wednesday
(Some of them blamed Trump and two have resigned), according to New York Times.
They are: Mike Pompeo, Secretary of State; Jeffrey A. Rosen, acting Attorney
General; Christopher C. Miller, acting Defence Secretary; Betsy DeVos, Education
Secretary (resigned); Elaine Chao, Transportation Secretary (blamed Trump) (resigned);
Chad F. Wolf, acting Homeland Security Secretary; Steven Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary;
Wilbur Ross, Commerce Secretary; Dan Brouillette, Energy Secretary (blamed Trump);
Alex M. Azar II, Health Secretary; Ben Carson, Housing Secretary; David Bernhardt,
Interior Secretary; Eugene Scalia, Labor Secretary; Sonny Perdue, Agriculture
Secretary (blamed Trump); secretary of veterans affairs, Robert L. Wilkie.
A large number of officials too have resigned from the White House. They include
the Senate sergeant-at-arms and the chief of the Capitol Police. A former chief
of staff Mick Mulvaney left his ambassadorial post in protest.
Trump self-pardon plan
On Thursday after the mayhem Trump made a video call for "reconciliation" pledging
a smooth and orderly transition of power- but no mention of Biden nor any mention
of conceding the defeat - he also said "our journey only just beginning."
Meanwhile, Trump tweeted on Friday he will not be going to the inauguration
on January 20. And his family has discussed leaving the White House for
good on January 19 for his Florida club house.
His lawyer Rudy Giuliani and other enablers may as well help him to issue Presidential orders to self-pardon himself in all cases before leaving. CNN wrote: This man must be stopped before more people get hurt.
There is no precedent of self-pardon. However, the Constitution does not preclude
a self-pardon. Nixon could not pardon himself "under the fundamental rule that
no one may be a judge in his own case" as stated by the Justice Department.
President Trump had incited the US Capitol storming. His removal or impeachment is being considered. He has been described as "mentally unsound." His condition is called Schizotypal Personality Disorder.
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