Readers React: A Trump supporter asked to see a list of impeachable offenses. One reader obliges

To the editor: One letter writer doubts President Trump has committed any impeachable offenses and wonders what they could possibly be. A partial list:

• Abuse of power: Trump has sought to use the Justice Department to punish his political foes and pressured the department to go easy on candidates he favors.
• Obstruction of justice: He admitted that the Russia inquiry was on his mind when he fired FBI Director James Comey. He has dangled the possibility of pardons to squelch potential witness testimony and tampered with the jury in the Paul Manafort trial by speaking out.
• Violated his oath of office: The Constitution requires presidents to see that the laws be faithfully executed. Trump has delighted in undermining not only immigration statutes but also Obamacare.

Impeachable offenses needn’t rise to the level of federal crimes. It is necessary only to show that Trump used his office in ways that are inconsistent with his constitutional duties.

Brad Bonhall, Reno

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To the editor: One letter writer made a misleading statement about something President Obama said back in 2012. Her assertion was that that Obama’s “you didn’t build that” line implied that the efforts of American entrepreneurs were not important.

I watched that campaign speech, and the former president was at the site of a bridge built with tax dollars. He was clearly telling Americans that we needed public works to help businesses bring their products to the market. The line “you didn’t build that” referred to the fact that we all, through our tax dollars, built the bridge.

Scott Hamre, Cherry Valley, Calif.

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