Disdain for Congress Not Only Reason for Withholding Information
There is wide-spread agreement that President Trump doesn’t consider Congress a co-equal partner. Nor does he believe it has any right to restrict his activities, let alone investigate him. This was abundantly clear in his handling of the killing of Soleimani. He failed to notify the Gang of Eight as required by law, and the explanations subsequently provided by his team were totally inadequate and misleading. This fits a pattern from his earliest days and continues through the Impeachment process.
But there is a second aspect that deserves attention as well. Trump also slights Congress because he rejects the very notion of a “loyal opposition.” This term is generally applied to non-governing parties in a parliamentary system that freely oppose the government’s policies and are actually seeking to replace the party in power, but remain loyal to the greater institutional framework.
This concept rests on a set of mutual obligations. The opposition agrees not to challenge the government’s basic authority but express their opposition through legal means (not rebellion). In return, the government allows their dissent and does not equate opposition to treason.
This concept is a basic pillar of all democratic societies. As Levitsky and Ziblatt point out in their prophetic 2018 book How Democracies Die, the denial of the legitimacy of political opponents is a key indicator of authoritarian behavior.
Only Personal Loyalty Counts
Yet Trump not only rejects this concept, he considers it anathema. There is no such thing as a loyal opponent; opponents are enemies to be crushed, or at least kept at bay. To Trump, the only loyalty that counts is personal loyalty to him, not to some abstract notion such as the Constitution, the law, professional ethics, or the truth. He made that clear to Comey and countless others who have left or been forced out of their positions.
Given this perspective, sharing classified information with Schiff, Pelosi, Schumer, et al., makes no sense. They not only don’t deserve it as members of Congress, as enemies they can’t be trusted. One excuse made for not briefing the Gang of Eight was the expectation that Democrats would leak classified information.
This basic distrust is also reflected in his frequent accusation that his opponents are guilty of “treason.” Putting aside they are not guilty of the crimes he ascribes to them, even if they were, these crimes don’t rise to the level of treason. But to Trump, opposing him is treasonous.
The greater danger is that his rejection of the concept of “loyal opposition” has infected much of his party, the right-wing media, and many of his supporters. Whether this pillar of democracy can survive the Senate trial, the campaign, and the election, regardless of who wins, will be critical to our future.