Channel: TDC

Category: News & Politics

Tags: politicstrumpmichael flynncongressimpeachbarack obamaezra kleinobamapresident of the united statesjohn mccaindebatehillary clintontraitorreflectunited states of americacorrespondents dinnerrussiacaliforniaanger translatordonald trumpvoxdocumentaryfifth amendmentnewsal frankencnneducationalhistoryopinionmike penceelizabeth warrenbernie sanderstdcspeechtestimonyfuturebryce plankvladimir putinburrmegaprojectsresigncommentary

Description: The ongoing Russian scandal swirling around President Donald Trump makes one thing clear: we have entered one of the most pivotal moments in the history of our Republic. Michael Flynn — Trump’s now-disgraced former National Security Advisor — is refusing to cooperate with congress in its investigation of the Trump team’s ties with Russia. If the US Congress (controlled by the Republican Party) allows him to get away with this, America will have taken a definitive step away from democracy. Subscribe to TDC: youtube.com/TheDailyConversation FB for daily news: facebook.com/thedailyconversation twitter.com/thedailyconvo Video concept, writing, and narration by Bryce Plank Editing by Robin West "Dark Night" and "The Search" by Matt Stewart-Evans: soundcloud.com/mattstewartevans facebook.com/Matthew.Stewart.Evans Script: It is now clear that we have entered one of the most important moments in the history of our republic. News is that Michael Flynn is refusing to cooperate with congress in its investigation of the Trump team’s ties with Russia. Flynn is Trump’s now-disgraced former National Security Advisor whose tenure was the shortest on record because it came out that he was deeply compromised by the Russians. It seems Trump knew all along that Flynn had worked with Russia, was warned repeatedly not to hire him, but decided anyway to put him in one of the most important positions in the government. According to Trump, Flynn was fired only after the Vice President himself determined Flynn was a liar. After getting canned, Flynn was completely exposed and offered to tell investigators what he knew, but only if he received immunity from prosecution. But as more and more evidence has emerged that Flynn is a central figure in the scandal, no deal has come. Now, anyone who’s watched a couple episodes of Law & Order knows that when a suspect asks for a deal, they’re either guilty or they played a significant role in a crime. Flynn himself knows this, and directly addressed the issue of criminal immunity during last year’s campaign. [Michael Flynn]: “No individual too big to jail—when you are given immunity you probably committed a crime.” So according to his own logic, Flynn is obviously guilty. But in an attempt to hide from justice, and to protect others, he is refusing to hand over documents that Congress ordered him to in a subpoena. He has invoked his fifth amendment right not to testify against himself, but the fifth amendment doesn’t technically give him the right to refuse a request to produce documents. Flynn must hand them over or risk being held in contempt of Congress. Right after the election, Ezra Klein of Vox summed up what Trump’s election meant for America. [Ezra Klein]: Donald Trump will be our next president, those are not words I thought I’d be saying tonight. But now it’s up to America’s institutions — and to the people within them — to check his worst instincts.” And here we are. Flynn’s outright refusal to comply with a Congressional subpoena — on a matter this vital to the country — is a bold, illegal move that directly challenges the integrity of our democracy. If Congress doesn’t uphold its power now to investigate criminal behavior by the executive branch, the credibility of the legislative branch to hold the President accountable will have suffered a major blow, and the country will have taken a step down the slippery slope to dictatorship—exactly what many of us feared from a Trump presidency. Our representatives must put politics aside and immediately hold Michael Flynn in contempt so the US Attorney can bring criminal charges. There must be no wavering, no hesitation in this critical hour. The rest of Trump administration must feel the full weight and power of the system’s ability to hold them accountable. This is a black and white moment in American history. Republicans in Congress either serve the American people, or they serve Donald Trump and whatever darkness he represents. The time for partisanship and delay has passed. For a Republican Party brimming with self-proclaimed patriots, there aren’t many who seem to understand the gravity of the situation or the growing outrage of the American people. Forcefully taking a stand on this matter is both right and necessary. Thanks for watching. For TDC, I’m Bryce Plank.