Our Constitution’s separation of powers mandates that Congress act as a check on the executive branch. So I wonder if Washington Third Congressional District Republican candidate John Braun will publicly identify any grievance he has with the 47th presidency?
For example, as a retired Navy captain, how does Mr. Braun view the war crimes of perfidy and summary execution that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is now credibly accused of committing in the Caribbean? Will Braun admit that Hegseth’s criminal disregard for these international laws is putting American servicemembers in harm’s way?
Does Mr. Braun take umbrage with President Trump’s recent declaration about any constraint on his power as commander in chief that despotically concluded, “There is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
Do the president’s relentless imperialist threats to our allies like Canada and Denmark give him pause?
Is he offended by the president’s recent claim that NATO gives “absolutely nothing” to America, in profane disregard for the 1,100-plus Canadian and European coalition soldiers who perished in our war in Afghanistan?
Does Mr. Braun agree that Greenland should be under U.S. control “one way or the other” because Mr. Trump claims it’s “psychologically important” to him?
Are America’s obligations to international laws and treaties now merely conditional to Donald Trump’s personal whims, like his world-order destroying “Board of Peace” that of course has a grifty $1 billion membership buy-in?
Perhaps Mr. Braun will then answer a rhetorical question about the president’s belligerent behavior toward the UN, NATO, Ukraine and our European allies that asks, if Vladimir Putin had direct control over the executive branch, what would actually be different from what President Trump is doing now?
And domestically, can Mr. Braun explain to his would-be constituents how militarily-kitted, facially masked and effectively unaccountable federal police forces aren’t systematically violating the constitutionally protected due process rights inalienably guaranteed to “any person” on U.S. soil?
Does he accept Vice President Vance’s and Homeland Security Secretary Noem’s assertions made after Renee Good’s death, that “federal officials have absolute immunity” and how Ms. Good had committed “an act of domestic terrorism,” as if to say her extrajudicial killing was legally justified?
Does the fact Ms. Good was deliberately denied medical care for eight minutes while she bled out and died alone sit well with Mr. Braun?
So much for “don’t tread on me.”
While Sen. Braun certainly has the background on paper to be a fine member of Congress, the problem is, he suffers from the same lack of moral fortitude as the incumbent. We don’t need someone who will more deeply genuflect to the naked emperor, rather we need someone who will stand up to his tyrannical lawlessness and defend our Constitution.
It’s just a terrible shame that Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez is unwilling to hold the Trump administration accountable, and John Braun won’t acknowledge the need to.
“A Republic, if you can keep it.” Indeed.
Thomas Samuels
Longview
