Representative Thomas Massie (R-KY) isn’t your stereotypical Republican on Capitol Hill. He has no problem calling out both sides for their continuous outrageous spending and has voted against legislation his caucus generally supported if it did not meet his limited-government philosophy. This is why his Conservative Review Liberty Score is 96%, second highest among lawmakers. It’s also why his perspective on impeachment is so important. He has made it clear he puts country over party.
Massey has opposed impeachment since the middle of the House hearings when it became clear there was nothing being brought to light by Democrats that rose to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors. Today, he made a point that has been made before, but perhaps never quite as simply as he did in this Tweet:
If withholding foreign aid is an impeachable offense, why did Joe Biden threaten to do it?
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) January 23, 2020
The similarities between what President Trump’s team did and what former Vice President Joe Biden personally did with Ukraine are striking. Both wanted something they claim was tied to corruption. Both had a perceived benefit they’d receive as a result. But where things deviate is in how it all played out. Biden got what he wanted in exchange for allowing funds to flow. President Trump received nothing and Ukraine still got their aid before the deadline.
Let’s break it down point-by-point:
- President Trump wanted Ukraine to investigate 2016 election interference and Burisma, the company that had employed Biden’s son, Hunter. Biden wanted the prosecutor who was investigating Burisma fired.
- President Trump’s requests were not met. Biden’s were met immediately – in less than six hours by his telling of the story.
- President Trump did not receive benefits from Ukraine’s actions. The investigation into Biden’s son’s company was ended immediately, preventing prosecutors from looking into corruption that some, including respected investigative journalist John Solomon, have said paid Hunter Biden handsomely.
- Despite the delay, President Trump released the aid to Ukraine within the deadline. After complying to Biden’s demands, Ukraine received their billion-dollar loan guarantee.
The only argument Democrats can make to justify Biden’s threat is to say he was doing it strictly because of the corruption of Viktor Shokin, the Prosecutor General that Biden had them fire. Democrats have to pretend like the tremendous benefit the Biden family received as a result of Shokin’s firing was incidental and played absolutely no part in motivating Biden’s actions.
They must also pretend like it’s common practice for an American administration to call for the firing of a prosecutor in an allied nation who had no direct dealings with U.S. affairs. It has never happened in the history of the United States, but by their reckoning, there was nothing out of the ordinary. The fact that Hunter Biden was shielded from a potentially devastating investigation was just a coincidence if Democrats are to be believed.
If the bar of high crimes and misdemeanors has been brought down so low to include President Trump’s so-called abuse of power, then Joe Biden should be criminally charged for his similar but fruitful actions in Ukraine. Instead, he gets a pass.
