Ukraine’s president got bullied by Trump

Columnist Cal Thomas says Democrats are now using the word “bribery” to depict President Donald Trump’s behavior toward Ukraine only because focus groups preferred “bribery” over the Latin term “quid pro quo” (“Desperate Democrats,” Nov 21).

Mr. Thomas references a Washington Post article to document his assertion. He conveniently omits this part of the U.S. Constitution (Article II, Section 4) quoted in the Post article before any mention of focus group research: “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

The Constitution gave Democrats the word “bribery,” not a focus group. Republicans’ defense of Mr. Trump is more accurately described as desperate.

During the impeachment hearings, for instance, Republicans have repeatedly mentioned how Mr. Trump, not President Barack Obama, provided Ukraine lethal weapons — those Javelin anti-tank missiles — as if that proves the president has no untoward motives in stopping $400 million in more recently approved security assistance. Republicans also want us to believe that when Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky says he felt “no pressure” from President Trump that shows everything is aboveboard.

Ukraine and its newly-elected president need the political and financial support of the United States to defend against Russia’s aggression and strengthen its position in negotiating peace. That U.S. support includes, among other things, the simple act of Mr. Trump welcoming President Zelensky in the Oval Office.

Surely, President Zelensky knows Mr. Trump’s bullying ways. If he publicly said President Trump was pressuring him, he would be waiting for his nasty attacks on Tweeter and the South Lawn of the White House. All hopes of U.S. support from the White House would evaporate. Clearly, Mr. Zelensky doesn’t have the luxury of confronting a bullying U.S. president and walking away.

When saying Mr. Zelensky’s denial of pressure shows all is OK, Republicans are essentially blaming the victim of Mr. Trump’s bullying and, yes, bribery.

Frederic H. Decker, Bowie