Won’t pass smell test

Why did President Trump send his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to talk to the Ukrainian president and government officials? If there really was something to these allegations on the Bidens, why didn’t he just have somebody make a phone call to the FBI? Trump has the resources of the entire intelligence services of the strongest nation in the world at his fingertips, but he sends Rudy? It just doesn’t pass the smell test.

Now Trump wants to know the identity of the whistle-blower and, as the scandal is slowly unraveling, we find out that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo listened in on this phone call to President Zelensky. Trump himself implicated and used the name of Bill Barr in the call.

We have seen a disturbed man target and kill Hispanics in Texas after hearing and believing they are criminals. Continuing to call the whistleblower and others investigating the complaint treasonous and spies is both dangerous and completely irresponsible. Targeting political enemies in this way is frightening but nothing new; Hillary Clinton, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Joe Biden, Adam Schiff, Elijah Cummings and the whistle-blower are just the latest.

Trump has targeted and attacked perceived enemies throughout his life and business career. Using our government and his presidential powers to further his re-election campaign while stonewalling congressional oversight is absolutely grounds for impeachment. The White House released a transcript memo that showed in black and white Trump using an essential national security interest to get help from a foreign power to smear his political enemy. This should be chilling to all Americans, including every one of Arkansas’ senators and representatives. And it’s only a drop in the bucket when it comes to this White House.

TERRI ELLIOTT

Little Rock