Editor’s note: This commentary was submitted before May 30, 2024, when Trump was found guilty on 34 counts in the New York vs. Trump trial.
By Hibberd V. B. Kline, III
In response to your May 5, 2024, Listen Up!, I agree wholeheartedly with Liz Chaney that U.S. voters should not vote for a candidate while “knowing full well that he should not be in the White House simply because they do not like the alternative, and that the U.S. “can survive bad policies. We cannot survive torching the Constitution.” Therefore, because I see Biden and the progressives as the real threat to democracy, I shall vote for Donald J. Trump to be the 47th President of the United States.
The Biden administration has converted the Department of Justice into a political wolf pack stifling freedom of speech and criminalizing opposition to the progressive agenda. Examples include the attempt to criminalize parental opposition to progressive school boards, spying upon Roman Catholic congregations, and bringing outlandishly excessive charges against those challenging Woke initiatives while refusing to enforce the plain letter of the law such as the immigration laws or those against the intimidation of judges including Supreme Court justices.
Biden’s Department of Justice is an intimidation bureau. Removing septuagenarian former presidential advisor Peter Navarro from a commercial aircraft in leg irons or conducting a late-night commando raid to arrest near-septuagenarian Roger Stone are acts of intimidation intended to silence any who would oppose the powers that be.
The 88 criminal charges against Trump are in large part proof of the politicization of the justice system by Biden and the progressives. The New York case is a misdemeanor case blocked by the statute of limitations unless one assumes Trump is guilty of a federal felony with which the federal DOJ refused to charge him and which the New York state court has no jurisdiction to hear. There simply is no underlying felony; thus, there is no case to bring before the New York court.
Similarly, the Georgia case is a tortured legal theory attempting to find criminality in not uncommon political partisanship by using a statute designed to take down the MAFIA as a means of destroying political opponents.
The federal insurrection case is more plausible but again goes too far in stifling expression. I have seen no evidence that Trump explicitly urged the crowd to storm the Capitol. His real offense was not acting to control the situation when it became obvious what was happening. The BLM/ANTIFA 2020 summer of chaos saw over 480 riots close cities across the country, disrupt the functioning of government at all levels, including “free” zones where the laws were not enforced for weeks, and even mob assaults on a U.S. Senator and other officials outside the White House gates. Those who encouraged or participated were not charged with insurrection or hunted, as were the participants on January 6th. Biden’s message is clear: the law will be used to crush those who oppose his progressive agenda.
As a former intelligence officer, the mishandling of classified documents concerns me most. Trump’s atrocious behavior was highly detrimental to national and alliance security. Regardless, the commando raid nature of the seizure of the documents in Trump’s case was out of proportion to the norm and again suggests the use of the justice apparatus to intimidate political foes.
As for the impeachments, Trump’s phone call to Ukraine was not out of line with the actions of numerous politicians before and after him, including Joe Biden’s threats to Ukraine and Israel. Foreign policy actions that advance domestic political interests are not “high crimes and misdemeanors,” actions imperiling the ability of the government to function as such. There were significant grounds for Trump’s second impeachment concerning his failure to act to disperse the January 6th rioters. However, impeachment is used to remove an official from office so that prosecution may proceed in the courts, not to censure a former officeholder. Since he was already out of office, there was no reason or justification to impeach him.
Unable to enact all their radical programs in Congress, Biden’s progressives have attempted to enforce their will upon society through promulgating regulations that go far beyond anything contemplated by Congress when it enacted the asserted enabling legislation. They have invoked the Clean Air Act and other 1960s environmental statutes to justify regulations intended to force unwanted massive changes in how Americans live, all in the name of climate change mitigation. This is an unconstitutional assumption of legislative power by the executive branch.
If there is no possibility of torturing an existing statute to support the progressive program, the Biden administration, in ways that well could constitute “High Crimes and Misdemeanors,” has simply refused to enforce the existing laws, such as its blatant disregard for immigration laws, resulting in the chaos on the border. In a democracy, such massive restructurings must come about through legislative action, not the fiat of bureaucrats and executive orders or scoff-lawing.
As for truthfulness, neither Biden nor Trump deserve a merit badge. Trump constantly exaggerates the size of his crowds, the impact of his programs, and every other facet of his life. I believe that Trump actually believes his biggest falsehood, the “stolen 2020 election.” He is such a narcissistic egotist that he is incapable of accepting that he could lose at anything. Biden’s myriad of false claims, from being at the top of his law school class to being arrested in South Africa while visiting Nelson Mandela, are shrugged off as Joe being Joe. Where Biden’s falsehoods are of real concern are the repeated and morphing assertions that Biden knew nothing of his son’s and brother’s dealings around the world selling access to Joe and the enticement of some fifty senior intelligence officials knowingly and falsely to claim that Hunter’s laptop was a Russian disinformation operation. These falsehoods have severely damaged the intelligence community and, in all likelihood, are attempts to cover up Biden’s personal vulnerability to blackmail by foreign interests. To borrow from Ronald Regan, the statements of both men should be verified before being trusted.
Mental and physical health are issues that factor large in this election. Biden clearly is failing physically and mentally, and it is highly doubtful that he will be able to continue in office until January 2029. That would give us, President Kamala Harris, an absolutely intolerable, unacceptable eventuality.
Finally, from the fiasco exiting Afghanistan to the waffling in Gaza, Biden has been a foreign policy disaster. Against the advice of every one of the joint chiefs, he insisted on the bugout from Kabul. Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea all concluded that Biden and his crew could be pushed around, and we have been. In Ukraine, Biden talked toughly but dragged his feet on supplying Ukraine with what it needed in a timely manner. First, he denies approval, then debates the matter for weeks, then decides to do it, and then it takes weeks or longer to actually provide the weapons in insufficient quantities. In the meantime, the Russians have been able to plan how to react to the new Ukrainian capabilities. In the Red Sea, Biden is playing whack-a-mole with Houthi drones rather than punishing the Houthis’ controllers in Iran and inflicting massive damage on the Houthis themselves. More devastating to U.S./Western security, he has failed to rapidly expand the American military-industrial base and production in the face of the Chinese threat and the lessons learned in Ukraine.
Trump, by comparison, in his uncouth, obnoxious way, actually got NATO nations to increase their defense budgets through threats to leave the alliance. This is his negotiating style; he is so unpredictable that one can never be sure what he actually will do; therefore, people concede more to him than to the usual diplomat. His waffling on support for Ukraine is disturbing, but given his personality, I cannot see him accepting “defeat” in Ukraine. My guess is that he will express doubt to force other NATO nations to up their support for Ukraine and the alliance. The European nations are already taking measures to “Trump-proof” NATO, and that is a good thing.
Therefore, on November 5, 2024 (Guy Fawkes’ Day), I, along with Bill Barr, shall hold my nose and vote for Donald Trump to be the 47th President of the United States. I shall do this because America cannot tolerate four more years of Biden’s blundering, woke wackiness, and Democrat disassembling of democracy.
Hibberd V. B. Kline, III is an author, an attorney, and an honors graduate in History from Harvard College. He earned his law degree from the University of Virginia and has been a member of the Missouri Bar since 1975. Hibberd also is a retired Colonel of Marines who served thirty years active and reserve, ashore and afloat, as an infantry officer and an intelligence officer in the United States Marine Corps Reserve, including active service during Vietnam and the Gulf War.
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The Donald is a racist, a liar, a thief, homophobic, sexist, power-hungry, egotistic, and a narcissist amongst other things (I’m holding back). He’s highly qualified to lead a cult and hold a position as a dictator.
It’s scary stuff to read an article written by an attorney and honours graduate in history from Harvard college who encourages and, will vote for a convicted felon. Scarier still and concerning is that such a dangerous man as Trump is, has so many followers.
Yes, it seems that some Canadians are leaning into politicians who reek of authoritarian principles.
All politicians from all parties spew “alternative facts” occasionally.
But at least they used to try to be subtle and make it difficult to fact check.
Since Trump the right spews “alternative facts” blatantly.
In your face.
It’s very easy to fact check and find out their “facts” are not true.
But fans of the right don’t care.
They will vote for their candidate no matter what they say or do.
Even when they are convicted of a felony.
A new, very dangerous situation for democracy.
Poilievre and Doug Ford have also found out spewing “alternative facts” doesn’t affect your polling numbers any more.
Ford even implied immigrants were behind the shooting of a Jewish school with no evidence whatsoever.
Yet he refuses to admit his mistake and apologize.
Everything Ford said about the Science Centre is also not true.
You could literally see his eyes turning brown at the announcement to destroy it.
Many, many examples of “alternative facts” spewed at the provincial and federal levels of the right.
Doesn’t matter.
A new, very dangerous situation for democracy.
The US is ripe for a change to conservatism. The Republicans must come to grips with the fact that their chances are close to zero with a convicted felon at the helm.
They’d be much better off by instead nominating Liz Cheney at their July convention. I know zip about politics, but I see it at as their only chance to win in November.
I suppose he must overlook the disdain DJT demonstrated toward the military. I think it was losers and suckers. On second thought maybe he got it right. Hold your nose buddy. But it doesn’t help when you’re consuming poison.
I admire people who can put it all together and get a book out of it.
However I believe Mr Kline’s book and opinion should be kept where only he and his proctologist are aware of it.
And Thomas Spivak, did you sleep through all those non PC years? You missed some dandies.
But they say “You snooze, you lose.”
This author completely ignores the mental health of DJT and his unfortunate sociopathy – let alone it’s affect on Americans. He is diagnosable and not fit to lead anything but a cult.
Certainly a controversial opinion and commentary. I am sure several comparators can be made with Bill Barr DOJ.
I suggest the reading of “Jesus and John Wayne: How white evangelicals corrupted a faith and fractured a nation” by Christian historian Kristen Kobes Du Mez (2020) (publisher:Liveright Publishing Corporation, New York, NY). She lays the groundwork of how some American people have been prepared for DJT and authoritariansim.
A cheer for the American justice system – not found wanting at a crucial time.
Please tell me this is a joke!
I had to look at the calendar to see if today is April 1
I have always admired Americans for their love of their country and wanting to be #1.
Well they are #1 again. STUPIDITY.
This is the biggest BS commentary I’ve ever read.
Tell me what makes these US politicians any different than Brian Mulroney, Mike Harris, Doug Ford, John Diefenbaker, or any other PC that lied to us over the years.
There must be a level of acceptance that the rules get bent to obtain an objective, grant you we do reach a snapping point.
If the rules get bent with the objective being to rid the system of a truly evil and dangerous man such as Donald Trump or his followers then so it must be.
There are far to many people with far to many accolades and titles that do not understand that the world does not run by the book and we must chose the lesser of evils at times.
To vote for or encourage the election of Trump shows the foolishness of this man.
I don’t understand the republishing of this article.
Is this paper supporting the view that Trump is a better choice?
On reading Mr. Kline’s article, I was motivated to find a research article from a couple of years ago that put paid to the progressive idea that all Trump supporters are primarily White, uneducated, angry and lacking in an ability to think critically. Mr. Kline’s bona fides clearly defy that characterization.
According to this research, the single statistically significant variable predicts on whether a voter supports Trump is not race, income or education levels: it’s authoritarianism. Trump is an authoritarian and so are are millions of Americans, including – I’m guessing – Mr. Kline. That being the case, convicted felon or not, Trump’s base will continue to grow.
Authoritarianism is one of the most studied social sciences dating back to Nazi Germany. Authoritarians obey, which is why you often see strong support for Trump in the military, religious groups and policing. They like a strong leader and will follow him into hell, even one that is of their own making. And they strike back against their ‘enemies’ when they feel threatened; and they always feel threatened.
Several traits characterize the syndrome: deference to authority, aggression toward the ‘other’, a rigidly hierarchical view of the world, and resistance to new experience. Authoritarianism is typically triggered by threat and fear.
Anyone who studies wildlife predators knows that fear and threats – real or imagined – make animals dangerous. And in the case of politics, it also makes voters susceptible when Trump promises to protect them.
As Canadians, there’s not much that we can do aside from renouncing our own politicians with authoritarian leanings; alas, we seem to be leaning into them.
Just a reminder to Mr. Kline that Trumps conviction on 34 felony charges is based on actual paperwork and signed cheques. The current Whitehouse administration did not bring that to light but rather a NY district DA. He broke election funding laws as well as state of NY laws by conducting the paperwork and signing of those cheques at his office in NYC. The jury decided – based on factual evidence that he -in fact- DID do those things and this broke the law.
Among other charges still pending- trying to muster up votes over the telephone, instigating a riot in the state capitol ( where people were killed) to avoid the peaceful transition of power, the manipulating of his own on the legal system by loading SCOTUS with judges who vowed NOT to change president laws…. Namely Roe V Wade… those charges and events are all very real.
Lets remember the man who was in office during the George Floyd tragedy. The guy who was in office who told the American public that COVID was like the flu and it would just go away. To possibly consider drinking bleach to cleanse the insides of the disease… wouldnt wear a mask, threw multiple events where people were unmasked and some attendees died. The economy flatlined.
He gave 4th of July speeches about the airports of the US involved in the Civil War and threw more lies out to the American people on a daily basis that media had a hard time keeping up trying to correct his misinformation.
So please Mr Kline of Harvard education- if you dont like the current administration- thats fine.
But please do not try to convince anyone that Mr Trump has always and will always look out for himself first. Manipulating legal systems and his “fan base” by crying for donations to help keep him afloat. It will only be to get himself back into the oval office so he can become more of an authoritarian and manipulate his way out of his legal woes and set the world on the oath of further chaos.
With respect I disagree with you.
Apparently You don’t have to be intelligent to graduate from Harvard .
Since Trump lost the last election, he has been convicted of fraud, falsifying business records to cover up election fraud and defamation (for calling a woman who accused him of sexual assault, a liar, so there is that too).
Biden is being convicted by social media influencers. Trump has been convicted in 3 different courts so far.
I think I am going to go with the courts, rather than stuff I read on the internet, like your letter.
Trump in any position of power is a bad idea.
RE DJT Guilty in all 34 Counts
To paraphrase DJT, now a convicted felon “Lock him UP”. This proves that the jury system does work!!!