V25, N9 Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019 Young & Braun in the Trump era himself as someone who As a reckless president takes policy seriously. That’s why Trump’s poten- breaks precedent, what’s tial impeachment repre- sents such a big risk – and at stake in Indiana? opportunity – for him. By MARK SCHOEFF JR. Like most sena- and BRIAN A. HOWEY tors who could become WASHINGTON – In late Sep- the jury for a trial that tember, most Republican senators were would determine whether dodging reporters asking about the whis- Trump is removed from tleblower report alleging that President office, Young has been Donald Trump asked Ukrainian President circumspect about Trump’s Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former actions that have catalyzed vice president and Democratic presiden- the House impeachment tial candidate Joe Biden and his son. inquiry. But the Wall Street Journal briefly A rough transcript caught up with Sen. Todd Young in a of the July 25 Trump-Zel- Capitol hallway. ensky conversation put out Young told the WSJ reporter he by the White House shows hadn’t read the report but would later in that Trump asked Zelensky the day. “It’s not because it’s unserious or I’m an unseri- for “a favor,” which was to probe the Bidens in relation to ous legislator,” Young said in a Sept. 27 article. corruption in Ukraine. In remarks to reporters after the Over the course of his tenure in the House and his transcript was released, Trump confirmed he would like first two-plus years in the Senate, Young has established Continued on page 3 Aberrant behavior Merriam-Webster: Aberrant (n) 1: a group, individual, or structure that is not normal or typical: an aberrant group, individual, or structure; 2: a person whose behav- ior departs substantially from the standard. Synonyms: (Adjective) aberrated, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, “Obviously marijuana is ille- exceeding, exceptional, extraor- dinaire, extraordinary, freak, gal in the State of Indiana. It is odd, peculiar .... today and it was when this By BRIAN A. HOWEY decision by a county prosecutor NASHVILLE, Ind. – On July 27, 2016, Republican presi- was made. I have some concerns dential nominee Donald Trump about the message it sends.’’ made his infamous “Russia, if you’re listening ...” appeal for - Gov. Holcomb, reacting to HPI dirt on Hillary Clinton. It com- on marijuana charging by menced a two-year jigsaw puzzle type investigation that Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Page 2 became President Trump’s nightmare. heartening turn of events is aberrant It all seemed to end last July behavior from someone who should 24, when Special Counsel Robert be and act like the most powerful Mueller testified before Congress that human on earth. As this column was he could not indict Trump for obstruc- being drafted, President Trump said tion of justice because of a Depart- on Thursday, “China should start an Howey Politics Indiana ment of Justice rule that a sitting investigation into the Bidens.” WWWHowey Media, LLC president can’t be charged. Mueller President Trump has sug- 405 Massachusetts Ave., distinctly said, “The President was not gested that if he were to be removed Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN exculpated for the acts that he alleg- from office via impeachment and con- edly committed.” viction, the result would be a second 46204 July 25 should have been American “civil war.” www.howeypolitics.com a new day, a new era for President The president of the United Trump, the proverbial sigh of relief. States suggested the chairman of the Brian A. Howey, Publisher The House could impeach, but there House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington was no way the 55-seat Adam Schiff, conducting Senate Republican major- the impeachment inquiry, Mary Lou Howey, Editor ity would convict. is guilty of “treason.” Susan E. Joiner, Editor So what does President Trump be- President Trump do? lieves the whistleblower Subscriptions According to a from the Office of the rough transcript released Director of National Intel- HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 by the White House, the ligence, is also guilty of HPI Weekly, $350 president essentially at- “treason,” suggesting to Ray Volpe, Account Manager tempted to extort dirt on a group of U.S. diplomats 317.602.3620 potential rival Joe Biden at the United Nations email: [email protected] and his son, Hunter, from last week that such a the rookie President Zel- person should be put to ensky of Ukraine, a former death. “You know what Contact HPI comedian. It is the same we used to do in the old [email protected] Ukraine that gave up its nuclear weap- days when we were smart? Right? The ons under the Nunn-Lugar Coopera- spies and treason, we used to handle Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 tive Threat Reduction Program, went it a little differently than we do now.” Washington: 202.256.5822 through a revolution in 2014, then President Trump does not Business Office: 317.602.3620 saw Russian President Putin annex understand the concept of a federal the Crimea before launching a low- “whistleblower,” long a silent hero of © 2019, Howey Politics grade war on the eastern part of the Capitol Hill Republicans looking for country that has since claimed 13,000 internal allies to root out waste, fraud Indiana. All rights reserved. lives. This summer, President Trump and corruption. Trump tweeted during Photocopying, Internet forward- inexplicably held up close to $400 a rage-filled Tuesday, “I want to meet ing, faxing or reproducing in million in U.S. military aid from this not only my accuser. Was this person any form, whole or part, is a new president, pulled Vice President SPYING on the U.S. President? Big violation of federal law without Pence away from attending Zelensky’s Consequences!” inauguration last May, and then subtly On Tuesday, President Trump permission from the publisher. put the screws on him on July 25. tweeted, “As I learn more and more This prompted the urgent each day, I am coming to the conclu- Jack E. Howey whistleblower complaint from the sion that what is taking place is not editor emeritus Office of National Intelligence (then an impeachment, it is a COUP.” He 1926-2019 headed by Dan Coats) in early August. suggested the same thing at the NRA Now we have a whole new scandal. convention in Indianapolis last spring This is not a news media concoction; about the Mueller probe. it is entirely Trump’s making. If the A coup d’etat is generally de- Mueller probe was a complex and fined as a sudden, violent overthrow opaque jigsaw puzzle, the Trump/ of a government or a seizure of power Zelensky call is a four-piece Romper by a military. The reality is that our Room version, there for all to see. Founding Fathers placed in the U.S. The early yield of this dis- Constitution provisions for impeach- Page 3 ment as a non-violent method for removing a leader nuclear weapons into hurricanes. Trump asked, “Why don’t determined to have politically committed “high crimes and we nuke them? Why can’t we do that?” Axios reported misdemeanors.” from a source present: “You could hear a gnat fart in that In a press event with the president of Finland on meeting. People were astonished.” Wednesday, Trump insisted that Rep. Schiff couldn’t carry Since this post was written last Thursday, Presi- Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s “blankstrap,” which we dent Trump abruptly announced a withdrawal of U.S. figure meant “jockstrap.” forces from Syria without consulting the Pentagon. He did Whew. this based on a phone call with autocratic Turkish Presi- According to a report in the New York Times, dent Erdogan, betraying our Kurdish allies. Why would a our president threatened to close down the U.S./Mexican U.S. ally trust us? border last March on the following day. If you’ve got an Many Americans voted for Donald Trump in 2016 auto supply or agro export company in your town, ask the to, essentially, burn the house down. He is now torching president or CEO if abruptly shutting down the Mexican constitutional institutions and vital alliances. border would be a good thing. If I’m a Hoosier Republican, I’ve got to be In that same report, the president of the United thinking a “President Pence” – assuming he’s not impli- States privately talked about fortifying a border wall with a cated in the scandal – heading the national ticket in 2020 water-filled moat, “stocked with snakes or alligators.” might be a more stable course than the aberrations we are Donald Trump, the president of the United States, witnessing on a daily basis, and are likely to get worse as suggested earlier this year that the U.S. military drop the walls close in. v there’s little chance Braun will break from Trump and vote Young & Trump, from page 1 to convict him. Besides, Braun isn’t up again until 2024, Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and said China should as when impeachment will be far in the past, regardless of its well. outcome. HPI has been seeking comment from Young and For Young, the political calculations are much his Hoosier GOP Senate colleague Mike Braun. Leaving more intricate, and the stakes are much higher. aside impeachment, we’ve asked them whether it’s appro- First, Young is the chairman of the National priate for a president to encourage foreign leaders to get Republican Senatorial Committee for the 2020 cycle. The involved in a U.S. election. GOP has 23 seats up for re-election, compared to 13 for Young’s office finally responded with a statement Democrats.