On Monday, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) warned that the latest Senate proposal to provide funding for Ukraine and Israel has a provision buried inside it designed to trigger Trump's impeachment should he win reelection in November.
"Back in 2019, Democrats articulated a novel theory of impeachment, based on Trump’s refusal to spend money from the USAI—Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative," Vance wrote in a piece for The American Conservative. "Five years after impeaching Trump for refusing to spend money on Ukraine, they have drafted a new law that again requires Trump to spend money on Ukraine. If he negotiates an end to the war, as he has promised to do, they will undoubtedly argue that he has broken the law. We are nearly a year away from an election that could give Trump the presidency, and Ukraine-obsessive Republicans have already given the Democrats a predicate to impeach him."
In a memo addressed to his fellow Republican senators, Vance highlighted what he referred to as "an impeachment time bomb" hidden within the text of the bill, which Republican Senate leaders support. He specifically pointed out the scenario where Trump attempts to halt funding for Ukraine while serving as president, saying that such actions could be used by Democrats to justify a third impeachment.
I just sent the below memo to every one of my Republican colleagues in Congress.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) February 12, 2024
Buried in the bill’s text is an impeachment time bomb for the next Trump presidency if he tries to stop funding the war in Ukraine.
We must vote against this disastrous bill. pic.twitter.com/uKqet9s0xd
From Vance's memo:
The Supplemental Impeachment Time Bomb: President Trump has said, in regard to the war in Ukraine, "We got to get that war settled and I'll get it settled." He has stated that he would resolve the war in 24 hours.
The bill includes $1.6 billion for foreign military financing in Ukraine, and $13.7 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. These funds expire on September 30, 2025 nearly a year into the possible second term of President Trump. These are the exact same accounts President Trump was impeached for pausing in December 2019. Every single House Republican voted against this impeachment resolution.
"If President Trump were to withdraw from or pause financial support for the war in Ukraine in order to bring the conflict to a peaceful conclusion, ''over the objections of career experts,' it would amount to the same fake violation of budget law from the first impeachment, under markedly similar facts and circumstances," Vance asserts. "Partisan Democrats would seize on the opportunity to impeach him once again. The Washington Post has reported that tying President Trump's hands on foreign policy is very much top of mind for Biden administration officials, who are openly boasting about their plans."
Vance then quoted a Washington Post story from last month about the intention to make aid for Ukraine "future proof."
Not incidentally, a U.S. official said, the hope is that the long-term promise — again assuming congressional buy-in — will also "future-proof" aid for Ukraine against the possibility that former president Donald Trump wins his reelection bid.
"The supplemental represents an attempt by the foreign policy blob/deep state to stop President Trump from pursuing his desired policy, and if he does so anyways, to provide grounds to impeach him and undermine his administration," Vance concluded in the memo. "All Republicans should oppose its passage."
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) retweeted Vance's memo and added, "Republicans need to be aware that this bill, supported by Mitch McConnell and almost all of Senate GOP leadership, sets in motion the next hyper-partisan Trump impeachment (before he’s even elected!)"
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