It’s emerged that convicted felon and former president Donald Trump has pressured Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu into avoiding a ceasefire deal, in an attempt to obstruct the Harris campaign. This appears to be a clear violation of the Logan Act.
Donald Trump and the Logan Act
The Logan act states:
Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply, himself or his agent, to any foreign government or the agents thereof for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.
🚨 PBS reports that former President Trump has been pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to avoid a ceasefire deal with Gaza, allegedly to hinder the Harris campaign. This interference could be seen as a violation of the Logan Act. pic.twitter.com/G1QJ6zxzef
— Beats in Brief (@beatsinbrief) August 20, 2024
Luckily, after the initial reports aired on PBS, American Muckrakers filed a request for investigation with the Department of Justice (DOJ):
NEW: We’ve filed a request with @StateDept & @TheJusticeDept to investigate @realDonaldTrump for violations of the Logan Act by negotiating with PM Netanyahu on behalf of the US. That is illegal and got @GenFlynn in a heap of trouble. pic.twitter.com/SE3UKnV4lo
— American Muckrakers (@AmericanMuck) August 20, 2024
After PBS reported that Donald Trump has been talking to Netanyahu to kill a Gaza ceasefire deal, a request for investigation into Trump violating the Logan Act was filed with the DOJ.https://t.co/ZVspZKWA5f
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 20, 2024
A civilian interfering with international relations is highly illegal without authorisation from the government. Which, lets face it – is highly unlikely Biden provided. Clearly, Donald Trump knows that a ceasefire deal would help Harris’ campaign. So obviously, it doesn’t matter how Palestinians are murdered, as long as Trump gets what he wants:
Once again @realDonaldTrump is using human beings as political pawns! What a disgraceful human being the @GOP is trying to empower after he killed a million Americans with his inept COVID response. #HarrisWalz2024 https://t.co/rmN8q2kzDm
— Woke as Fuck! (@dumptrump68) August 20, 2024
This isn’t the first time that Trump has been accused of breaking the Logan Act. Previously in 2016, several senators accused him of breaking the law when he made comments encouraging Russian spy agencies to hack Hilary Clinton’s emails.
Election interference
By even considering what Donald Trump has to say, Netanyahu could also be tried with foreign election interference.
Trump is no stranger to federal investigations, having stacked up 34 felonies. In 10 US states, a convicted felon permanently loses the right to vote. Yet he can still stand for president. What sort of alternate dimension are we living in?
Trump, a convicted felon citizen, no longer in any role as an elected official, conspiring with Netanyahu, to avoid peace, because it might help his political opponent, is pretty balls to the wall treason. Logan act. A crime.
We still have laws here don’t we?
— Steven Pasquale (@StevePasquale) August 20, 2024
It’s about time!!! He’s been violating the #LoganAct since we fired him in 2020!!!! https://t.co/9QB2kB5CYE
— A travel agent ☮️🌊📷🌷⛴️✈️🏔️🗽 (@Travelagency4U) August 21, 2024
Time to put an end to Trump’s interference in world politics. I hope Netanyahu understands that this is solely to help the Orange Narcissist achieve his own goals. He doesn’t care shit about Israel, that’s for sure. And he doesn’t keep his promises, Benjamin. https://t.co/CgeC0BLfAW
— Lesley Smith (@Meribel123) August 21, 2024
Even before the absolute absurdity of a convicted felon standing to be president, how did we get to a place where a bumbling buffoon who can’t even apply his fake tan evenly gets a say in how a country operates?
What hope is there when an unelected tangerine can throw a ceasefire agreement and risk hundreds of thousands more Palestinian lives. To presidential opportunist Trump, sabotaging a ceasefire deal to squander his opponents political opponents is entirely on brand.
Politics – and the lives it impacts – are all a game to Donald Trump – and marginalised communities everywhere will be the biggest losers of his victory.
Feature image via WFAA/Youtube
