Letter to the editor: Trump must be impeached, removed from office

The United States Congress has finally received a “smoking gun” as the result of President Donald Trump’s request to the Ukrainian president to find damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden. The Ukrainian president did not provide this information, and Trump held up a United States’ military appropriation of $400 million for the Ukrainian military for over three months. Besides being illegal, this request seriously damaged Ukraine’s military efforts because the Russians had hacked the Ukraine military communication system until the point where it was inoperative.

Over $300 million of the U.S. appropriation was to provide a new system which would override the Russian efforts. Russia, who has already taken over Crimea, is intent in conquering the rest of the Ukraine and making it a part of Russia.

Trump has allowed his quest to damage the prestige of his leading opponent for the 2020 presidency to seriously erode our relationships with our NATO ally, which we have sworn to defend. For the future of our democracy, he must be impeached by the House of Representatives and convicted by the Senate and removed from office.

Richard P. Davis

Saltlick