By — Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-suggests-democrats-are-committing-treason-heres-what-the-constitution-says Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump suggests Democrats are committing treason. Here’s what the Constitution says Politics Sep 30, 2019 11:31 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is warning that the Democrat-driven impeachment proceedings and any move to oust him from office amount to “treason” and would spark a civil war, prompting outrage from a Republican congressman. Trump tweeted a conservative pastor’s comment that removing him would provoke a “civil war-like fracture” in America. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot who represents an Illinois district Trump won in 2016, tweeted on Sunday, “I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. … I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant.” I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. @realDonaldTrump I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant. https://t.co/a5Bae7bP7g — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) September 30, 2019 Trump on Monday was thundering through a new round of counter-punches against his opponents by hammering home the suggestion that they should be arrested and charged with treason and could launch a civil war — or a combination of those. His top foes were the whistleblower whose complaint launched the House’s impeachment investigation and the congressman leading it, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. “Arrest for Treason?” Trump tweeted of Schiff on Monday in one of many presidential suggestions that his opponents should be investigated for operating under their constitutional duties and within the law. Rep. Adam Schiff illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people. It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call. Arrest for Treason? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019 Fact check: Treason is extremely narrowly defined, both in the nation’s founding document and in federal law. The Constitution states: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” Note the word “only.” Treason occurs when a U.S. citizen, or a non-citizen on U.S. territory, wages war against the country or provides material support, not just sympathy, to a declared enemy of the United States. By — Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Laurie Kellman, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is warning that the Democrat-driven impeachment proceedings and any move to oust him from office amount to “treason” and would spark a civil war, prompting outrage from a Republican congressman. Trump tweeted a conservative pastor’s comment that removing him would provoke a “civil war-like fracture” in America. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a former Air Force pilot who represents an Illinois district Trump won in 2016, tweeted on Sunday, “I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. … I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant.” I have visited nations ravaged by civil war. @realDonaldTrump I have never imagined such a quote to be repeated by a President. This is beyond repugnant. https://t.co/a5Bae7bP7g — Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) September 30, 2019 Trump on Monday was thundering through a new round of counter-punches against his opponents by hammering home the suggestion that they should be arrested and charged with treason and could launch a civil war — or a combination of those. His top foes were the whistleblower whose complaint launched the House’s impeachment investigation and the congressman leading it, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff. “Arrest for Treason?” Trump tweeted of Schiff on Monday in one of many presidential suggestions that his opponents should be investigated for operating under their constitutional duties and within the law. Rep. Adam Schiff illegally made up a FAKE & terrible statement, pretended it to be mine as the most important part of my call to the Ukrainian President, and read it aloud to Congress and the American people. It bore NO relationship to what I said on the call. Arrest for Treason? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 30, 2019 Fact check: Treason is extremely narrowly defined, both in the nation’s founding document and in federal law. The Constitution states: “Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.” Note the word “only.” Treason occurs when a U.S. citizen, or a non-citizen on U.S. territory, wages war against the country or provides material support, not just sympathy, to a declared enemy of the United States.