Ignore 10 Presidents Lying but Impeach Trump for Telling Truth?

“A decline of public morals in the United States will probably be marked by the abuse of the power of impeachment as a means of abusing political adversaries or rejecting them from office.” —Alex deTocqueville,1835

Franklin Graham and Eric Metaxas are Christian leaders with whom I agree that there is a “demonic” origin to the opposition to President Trump.

After three years of failed “Russian Collusion” allegations, then months of devilish impeachment accusations, the narrative invented to remove our duly elected president continues shamelessly. Discerning and fair-minded Americans see through the charade, believing “the recoil will be worse than the projectile.”

The framers of our Constitution wisely made clear that impeachment is a legal, not a partisan, process. Their core issues were “treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors,” not personality or ideology. God directed them providentially lest a precedent ever be set that’s destructive to our nation.

Discern What’s Reported

An honest media has tremendous potential, but today’s biased one is misleading masses. Consider an example currently the focus of a film, Richard Jewell by Clint Eastwood, that depicts how a man’s entire life and reputation were destroyed by deceptive press reporting. The parallel of what’s occurring before our very eyes with President Trump is chilling.

Living in Atlanta during the ’96 Olympics, I watched firsthand the nightmare of a hero who saved thousands of lives only to be vilified by the media, ultimately ruining his reputation followed by his premature death at the age of 44.

Richard Jewell was a security guard that biased media targeted, portraying him as a terrorist and from their elitist perch influenced millions to believe a lie. Even the FBI was involved in the manipulation (sound familiar?).

Eventually CNN, NBC, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution and the New York Post were exposed. They all were sued, with most paying out large settlements.

Days ago USA Today screamed a front-page headline, “Report: The Evidence is Clear.” Yet Presidents Trump and Zelensky (Ukraine) each stated clearly that there was absolutely no pressure to begin investigations and that Ukraine never took action to get military aid already released!

“Larry, are you telling us that trusted institutions will deceive the public and cover up the truth?”

Go see the fact-based film Dark Waters, now in theaters, exposing how Dupont, one of the world’s largest corporations (“Our values of safety, health and environmental stewardship are more than words”), continued using toxic chemicals for decades after learning they were poisonous, causing fatal diseases.

‘Equal Justice Under Law?’

Living in the D.C. area for 24 years, I pondered the promise engraved atop the Supreme Court building: “Equal Justice Under Law.” This is the societal ideal undergirding our entire legal system and has historical antecedents dating back to ancient Greece.

Our Judeo-Christian heritage provided a pledge to everyone that America stands for equal protection and equal accountability. The magnificent Lady Justice statue located in three places inside the building dates back to ancient Rome. It symbolizes these ideals in a blindfolded woman (assuring fairness), holding balanced scales in one hand (representing impartiality) and a sword in the other (representing punishment).

Lady Justice ranks as one of the most recognized statues in America. Tragically, what is increasingly not recognized in our society is the ideal she symbolizes. A scripture accurately describes America today: “Justice is turned backward, and righteousness stands far off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter” (Isa. 59:14).

God’s Unwavering Stand for Justice

“A false balance is abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight” (Prov. 11:1).

The Bible makes it clear that decisions rendered that are not impartial are an “abomination.” They are wicked, because under the guise of justice, they are destructive to people and society.

“You must not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. But you must have a perfect and just weight—a perfect and just measure you must have, so that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things and all who act unjustly are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deut. 25:14-16).

What’s unfolding in the current impeachment investigation is far removed from what the framers of our Constitution envisioned. Respecting the office of the presidency, fellow civil servants were to proceed with consistency and integrity in adjudicating high-standing officials held to a high standard.

Trump’s Treatment

Is President Trump’s current treatment by the opposition party demonstrating consistency or hypocrisy compared to past presidents? An opening statement at the judiciary committee was: “His misconduct was worse than any prior president.” True?

On the wall of my study are these words: “Consistency is a daily deposit in the bank of trust.” In America the overwhelming majority do not trust the media and the government because they perceive hypocrisy instead of consistency.

President Trump came into office vowing to “drain the swamp” of the corruption destroying the fabric of our nation. Aware of Ukraine’s corrupt history, he as the nation’s chief law enforcement official initiated investigation into their current status as they wanted $400 million in military aid. Democrat opponents, still bitter from him winning the 2016 election, saw this as another opportunity to derail him by saying he bullied Ukraine’s president (while ignoring what former Vice President Joe Biden did and caught on video demanding a Ukrainian official’s firing or else forfeit American aid).

That’s what this whole drama is about while millions question why this initiative is cast as “criminal” in comparison to past presidents’ misconduct being overlooked.

You Be the Judge

Survey for yourself serious misconduct of 10 past presidents, none of whom were ever impeached. If the reader wants more in-depth coverage of what follows, research the Heritage Foundation and other conservative news agencies.

1. Abraham Lincoln promised he wouldn’t interfere with slaveholders’ rights, plus suspended citizens’ constitutional right of “habeas corpus.”

2. John F. Kennedy lied about a nonexistent “missile gap,” invaded Cuba in the Bay of Pigs disaster (200 lives lost and 1,200 imprisoned) and denied multiple adulterous liaisons.

3. Lyndon Johnson lied repeatedly about the Vietnam War as U.S. fatalities mounted, eventually surpassing 58,000 soldiers’ lives.

4. James Polk, rebuffed by Mexico attempting to purchase California and New Mexico territories, lied in asserting Mexico had invaded, provoking the Mexican-American War (12,000 American deaths).

5. Franklin D. Roosevelt carried on an adulterous relationship with his wife’s secretary and issued an executive order forcing removal of over 112,000 Japanese-American citizens, putting them into internment camps.

6. Dwight D. Eisenhower lied in denying U-2 spy planes were flying over the Soviet Union until they shot one down and captured Francis Powers.

7. Barack Obama lied repeatedly, stating the following: he “opposed gay marriage”; “You can keep your doctor and families of four save $2,500 yearly with Obama Care” and “America is one of the largest Muslim countries in the world.” Additionally, his decision to withdraw from Iraq birthed ISIS, causing the destruction of historic sacred sites and the slaughter of multitudes.

8. Bill Clinton engaged in ongoing adulterous activity in the White House and also lied about it under oath. He was never impeached by the Senate.

9. Harry Truman understandably dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, saying it was “a military base…we wished in this first attack to avoid, in so far as possible, the killing of civilians.” Hiroshima did have some military units but was primarily a civilian city (140,000 people, almost all civilians, died from the bombing).

10. George W. Bush, in another understandably difficult situation, presented his case with England’s Tony Blair on the certainty of Saddam Hussein’s nuclear arsenal launching the Iraq War. Recent documents reveal he and Obama didn’t tell the truth about the Afghan War, which took over 2,000 American lives and wounded 20,000.

Here’s the Deal: God requires us to “do justice” (Mic. 6:8); to maintain “honor,” not to mock and malign our leaders (1 Pet. 2:17) and to prioritize praying “for all who are in authority … lifting up holy hands, without wrath or contentiousness” (1 Tim. 2:2, 8). In light of God’s commands and the absolute importance of honesty and consistency in the current impeachment proceedings, do any of us really believe President Trump is being treated fairly? {eoa}