By Stephen Macaulay
It must have been quite a scene: Former acting deputy attorney general Richard Donoghue on January 3, standing outside the Oval Office where a meeting was going on regarding Trump’s planned appointment of an attorney who dealt with environmental issues (like that was a concern in the Trump White House) to the position of attorney general of the United States.
It was a Sunday. Donoghue and some of his colleagues had gotten together earlier in the day to discuss the topic. Donoghue was not dressed for “work.”
Donoghue was told to come into the Oval by Trump to join the meeting.
Donoghue recalls he was wearing an Army T-shirt, jeans and muddy boots.
Donoghue had been brought to Washington by Donald Trump.
Donoghue had told Trump that he would not say that the election was corrupt.
Donoghue told Trump that were he to put Jeffrey Clark in the position of attorney general, Donoghue would resign, as would a large group of other people in the Justice Department.
Here was a man, who had served in the 82nd Airborne, telling the truth, standing up for the truth, standing up for America.
The Army oath:
“I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
“Support and defend the Constitution.”
“All enemies, foreign and domestic.”
“True faith and allegiance.”
“I will obey the orders of the President of the United States.”
While Donoghue is no longer in the Army, while Donoghue is no longer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, he evidently knows what those words mean.
It is sad that the former President of the United States didn’t. And doesn’t.