On the Joss Group Twitter feed (@thejossgroup) we have been sending out a lot of tweets referencing news stories from reputable news outlets regarding Donald Trump and his ties to Russia and the hacking reports. We plan to continue to do so as the tweet stream allows our Twitter followers to keep up on the latest news on this very important situation.

What is interesting to me as we gather these links and tweet them is how many news reports go back months and months. Trump’s relationship with Putin and senior Russian leaders goes back years and years. In addition, several of his senior staff have ties to Russia which go back years and continue today.

Trump has even traveled openly to Russia in recent years. For example, a beauty contest he owned had its competition in Russia in 2013, and he went. Why Russia? Since he owned the competition, one presumes he had a big say in where it would be held. Trump even tweeted about meeting Putin at the event, ” “Do you think Putin will be going to The Miss Universe Pageant…[I]f so, will he become my new best friend?”

But back to my main point for this post: we need to have faith in our Constitution and laws. Many people are frightened at the prospect of Donald Trump becoming President, and his picks for cabinet have not helped.

While I agree the prospect of Donald Trump having any Presidential powers is extremely alarming, I want to encourage Americans and people in other democratic countries to have faith in the United States’ Constitution and laws.

I am not saying citizens should sit on our hands, but we are not powerless, nor should we be dreaming up schemes to act outside the law. For example, even if Congress should not wish to pursue impeachment on a sitting President, anyone or any entity (including a government) can bring a suit against the President.

People who are somewhat familiar with history may claim this is not possible, but it is. Here is a Wall Street Journal article from 1998 which explains why no man or woman is above the law, no matter what position they may hold.

And, please recall (if you are old enough to do so), how Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973 after being indicted for having committed tax fraud and having accepted thousands of dollars in bribes before and during his time as Vice President.

If you remember nothing else about what I am saying here, please remember that crooked people don’t start being crooked when they win a big election; they have been crooked for a long time, and nobody can erase all the traces of their crimes. Being elected to a big federal position puts your life and everything you have ever done under a huge, huge (dare we say Yuge?) microscope. 

If you are too young to remember, then here is an article from the Nation which will be helpful for understanding Agnew did. Of course, he squawked about his and tried to block the legal proceedings, but he resigned rather than go through the entire legal battle.

If you have never read the Constitution, then please read it today. Here is a link to a great site for reading this document, along with the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs.

Would it be easier if Donald Trump told the world he had thought it over and decided he and his business would be better served by not becoming President and just walk away? Yes, absolutely. Somehow I doubt he will do that, but even if he succeeds in taking the Oath of Office* on January 20, 2017 and sits down behind the big desk in the Oval Office, remember we have established and tested laws and legal remedies which we may bring to bear to correct the situation.

In the United States no one is above the Law.

*Here is the full text of the Presidential Oath of Office: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”