42 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 46 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 2/24/20

Trump's Betrayal of Julian Assange

By       (Page 1 of 1 pages)   2 comments
Message Ron Paul
Become a Fan
  (7 fans)

More than 100 times candidate Trump said
More than 100 times candidate Trump said 'I love Wikileaks' on the campaign trail
(Image by Yahoo News)
  Details   DMCA

One thing we've learned from the Trump Presidency is that the "deep state" is not just some crazy conspiracy theory. For the past three years we've seen that deep state launch plot after plot to overturn the election.

It all started with former CIA director John Brennan's phony "Intelligence Assessment" of Russian involvement in the 2016 election. It was claimed that all 17 US intelligence agencies agreed that Putin put Trump in office, but we found out later that the report was cooked up by a handful of Brennan's hand-picked agents.

Donald Trump upset the Washington apple cart as presidential candidate and in so doing he set elements of the deep state in motion against him.

One of the things candidate Donald Trump did to paint a deep state target on his back was his repeated praise of Wikileaks, the pro-transparency media organization headed up by Australian journalist Julian Assange. More than 100 times candidate Trump said "I love Wikileaks" on the campaign trail.

Trump loved it when Wikileaks exposed the criminality of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party, as it cheated to deprive Bernie Sanders of the Democratic Party nomination. Wikileaks' release of the DNC emails exposed the deep corruption at the heart of US politics, and as a candidate Trump loved the transparency.

Then Trump got elected.

The real tragedy of the Trump presidency is nowhere better demonstrated than in Trump's 180 degree turn away from Wikileaks and its founder Julian Assange. "I know nothing about Wikileaks," he said as president. "It's really not my thing."

US pressure and bribes to the Ecuadorian government ended Assange's asylum and his seven years in a room at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. After his dramatic arrest by London's Metropolitan Police last April, he has been effectively tortured in British jails at the behest of the US deep state.

Today, Monday the 24th of February, Assange faces an extradition hearing in a UK courthouse. The Trump Administration led by a man who praised Assange's work seeks a show trial of Assange worthy of the worst of the Soviet era. The US is seeking a 175 year prison sentence.

The Trump Administration argues that the Australian Assange should be tried and convicted of espionage against a country of which he is not a citizen. At the same time the Trump Administration argues that the First Amendment does not apply to Assange because he is not an American citizen! So Assange is subject to US law when it comes to publishing information embarrassing to the US deep state but he is not subject to the law of the land the US Constitution which protects all journalists and is the backbone of our system of government.

It is ironic that a President Trump who has been victim of so much deep state meddling has done the deep state's bidding when it comes to Assange and Wikileaks. President Trump should preempt the inevitable US show trial of Assange by granting the journalist blanket pardon under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Must Read 2   Well Said 2   Supported 2  
Rate It | View Ratings

Ron Paul Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Ron Paul is a member of the House of Representatives from Texas and a former presidential candidate, for the GOP and also for the Libertarian parties. His latest book is End The Fed

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

U.S. Moving Towards War in Syria

How to End the Tragedy in Gaza

The Real Refugee Problem -- And How To Solve It

The Ukraine 'War Is a Racket'

Ron Paul's farewell address to Congress

Forget the Russians: It's the Federal Reserve Seeking to Meddle in Our Elections

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend