On Sunday, former Michigan Congressman Justin Amash, known for his heated criticisms of 45th President Donald Trump during his time in office, surprised everyone by taking the leading Republican presidential contenders' side in a viral Twitter post surrounding Special Counsel Jack Smith's recent January 6th related indictments.
"I may not like Trump, but I love our Constitution, so I feel compelled to speak out," Amash tweeted. "The latest indictment, which I encourage everyone to read, attempts to criminalize Trump’s routine misstatements of fact and law in connection with the 2020 election. But this is precisely the sort of wrong that must be addressed politically under our Constitution, not criminally."
To say Amash doesn't like Trump is putting it mildly. His attacks on the president were downright vitriolic. When Amash left the Republican Party over his ideological differences with Trump in 2019, Trump tweeted. "Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is 'quitting' the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!"
Amash continued, adding, "Our system can’t survive if political disputes are removed to the criminal realm. There’s no limiting principle to such an approach. Remind me again which former presidents have been indicted for going to war without congressional approval, spying on Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment, abusing emergency declarations to bypass checks and balances, or ignoring legal advisers to pursue a clearly unlawful policy."
Amash, who is now a Libertarian (having formerly identified as a Republican and Independent), has his share of ideological problems with big government. And on these charges, he is absolutely correct -- the expanding reach of government and the executive branch is arguably a constitutional overstep.
"Politicians are constantly misguided and just plain mistaken about a lot of things—often remarkably so. It endangers all Americans to begin treating politicians’ false beliefs regarding political or constitutional matters, even when they’re obviously wrong, as criminal offenses. We impeach people for violating the public trust—for political misconduct or serious incompetence. We reject them. We vote them out. We never again elect them," Amash added.
While Amash is wrong to suggest that voters ought to reject Trump, the principle he is defending is undoubtedly correct; this is a matter that is typically solved at the ballot box, not the justice system. The former congressman also argued that the evidence Smith brought forward- that Trump was told he lost the election- was insufficient to charge the 45th president. He would have to demonstrate Trump's mindset beyond a reasonable doubt -- and since that is always a complicated matter, Smith's case is essentially dead on arrival.
"I may not like Trump, but I love our Constitution, so I feel compelled to speak out," Amash tweeted. "The latest indictment, which I encourage everyone to read, attempts to criminalize Trump’s routine misstatements of fact and law in connection with the 2020 election. But this is precisely the sort of wrong that must be addressed politically under our Constitution, not criminally."
To say Amash doesn't like Trump is putting it mildly. His attacks on the president were downright vitriolic. When Amash left the Republican Party over his ideological differences with Trump in 2019, Trump tweeted. "Great news for the Republican Party as one of the dumbest & most disloyal men in Congress is 'quitting' the Party. No Collusion, No Obstruction! Knew he couldn’t get the nomination to run again in the Great State of Michigan. Already being challenged for his seat. A total loser!"
Amash continued, adding, "Our system can’t survive if political disputes are removed to the criminal realm. There’s no limiting principle to such an approach. Remind me again which former presidents have been indicted for going to war without congressional approval, spying on Americans in violation of the Fourth Amendment, abusing emergency declarations to bypass checks and balances, or ignoring legal advisers to pursue a clearly unlawful policy."
Amash, who is now a Libertarian (having formerly identified as a Republican and Independent), has his share of ideological problems with big government. And on these charges, he is absolutely correct -- the expanding reach of government and the executive branch is arguably a constitutional overstep.
"Politicians are constantly misguided and just plain mistaken about a lot of things—often remarkably so. It endangers all Americans to begin treating politicians’ false beliefs regarding political or constitutional matters, even when they’re obviously wrong, as criminal offenses. We impeach people for violating the public trust—for political misconduct or serious incompetence. We reject them. We vote them out. We never again elect them," Amash added.
While Amash is wrong to suggest that voters ought to reject Trump, the principle he is defending is undoubtedly correct; this is a matter that is typically solved at the ballot box, not the justice system. The former congressman also argued that the evidence Smith brought forward- that Trump was told he lost the election- was insufficient to charge the 45th president. He would have to demonstrate Trump's mindset beyond a reasonable doubt -- and since that is always a complicated matter, Smith's case is essentially dead on arrival.
- Article Source:
DC Enquirer
- Photo: Screenshot/YouTube
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