Republicans are just making sh*t up

Deflection frenzy: Republicans' rush to undermine whistleblower reeks of desperation
Kitchen sink counterattack: In their battle against a broadening scandal, Republicans are just making sh*t up
https://www.salon.com/2019/10/01/deflection-frenzy-republicans-rush-to-undermine-whistleblower-reeks-of-desperation/

President Trump and his allies have trotted out a tired defensive strategy against mounting allegations that Trump entangled a foreign government — or perhaps several of them — in his personal and political destiny. It reeks of desperation.

Initially, Trump allies rejoiced that a non-verbatim recounting of a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky lacked a clear display of quid pro quo — even though Trump asked for a "favor" from Zelensky while discussing the release of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. But now they are waging an all-out assault against the whistleblower who first brought the July call to light. They’ve also sought to deflected by directing unfounded ire at the Trump-appointed inspector general of the intelligence community, who deemed the whistleblower’s complaint “credible.” And in perhaps their most predictable move, Trump allies have returned to the deepest well of right-wing paranoia: Hillary Clinton’s emails.

The whole reason behind whistleblower protections is so government officials can report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. Yet Trump and Republicans would now like to discredit the individual and destroy his or her reputation right out in the open. Trump threatened to retaliate against a witness in plain sight with recent comments about “what we used to do in the old days” to “spies and treason.” Trump then declared on Twitter that he wanted House Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff "questioned at the highest level for Fraud & Treason."

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