Pro-Trump Republicans want to gaslight you over Ukraine. This is the time to resist

There are some terms that have become so ubiquitous in popular culture as to be rendered meaningless. In 2019, it might feel like “gaslighting” is one of them. But right now, there is no other way to describe what Republicans are trying to do to the American people regarding clearly illegal actions by President Donald Trump.

Trump, Republican members of Congress and other surrogates want us to question what we know to be true: that Trump agreed to a call with newly-elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, during which he suggested that Zelensky should investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter’s business dealings in the country in exchange for US military aid. The stakes are far too high to allow Trump and co to be successful. But in order to thwart their efforts, we must take some important steps.

We’re treading familiar ground here: Since day one, the Trump administration has favored fabrications over reality, starting with then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer disputing the number of people who attended his boss’s inauguration ceremony, right down to Trump’s recent unfounded claim that there’s “a lot of illegal voting going on” in California. It’s not surprising that the whistleblower’s complaint, coupled with a partial transcript of the July call between Trump and Zelensky, have resulted in Trump himself fully denying wrongdoing. But, most depressingly, many of his GOP comrades in the House and Senate are getting in on the action as well.

On Wednesday afternoon, Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said, "I’ve looked at the transcript; I don’t see anything there.” Tuesday night, Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) tried to convince TV viewers that what Trump did was all above board, to which host Chuck Todd replied, "I'm trying to present this fairly without gaslighting the nation.” And as the situation came to a full boil Wednesday night, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) tweeted that it was “a nothing (non-quid pro quo) burger.” A truly masterful turn of phrase.

It’s tempting to dismiss the desperate musings of a party currently backed into a deep, dark corner, but to do so would be at our own peril. Despite House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s declaration on Tuesday that she supports an impeachment inquiry, this is far from a done deal. The timeline for the inquiry has not yet been set, and the more time that elapses, the more opportunities there are for even our Democratic representatives to be gaslit by their colleagues.

It may feel like this situation is far above our collective pay grade, but we, ordinary citizens, actually play an essential role in making sure impeachment is pursued and the rule of law is upheld. Now is the time to remind our representatives exactly who they work for. Just as the months leading up to the 2018 midterm elections and the fight around saving Obamacare in summer 2017 allowed Democrats to collectively rally round a single, important cause, it’s time for us to tap back into that spirit and make clear that we will only settle for proper impeachment proceedings.

This requires something that may seem quaint: making phone calls. Personally phoning your congressperson’s office is the most direct way to either thank them for their support of impeachment, or encourage them to get on board. Democrats in the House currently favor impeachment by a slim majority, with 17 members holding out. Regardless of where your representative stands, they need to hear from you consistently until Trump is on the witness stand.

When Trump stood behind a podium on Wednesday at a press conference (supposedly to defend himself), MSNBC anchor Nicolle Wallace cut away from his languid remarks, saying, “We hate to do this, really, but the president isn’t telling the truth. These allegations against Joe Biden and Hunter Biden have been investigated by the Ukrainians… [who] view this issue as investigated and adjudicated. And what’s amazing is what Trump appears to be trying to do is turn his impeachment into a big deflection.” It’s moments like these that remind us all of the importance of stopping a display of gaslighting before it can really take hold.

In the coming weeks and months, some Republicans may deem it unwise to hitch their wagons to a truck careening off a cliff. But based on the initial defensive responses by Trump loyalists at all levels, it will be left to Democrats to keep their eyes on the prize: cementing the president’s criminality, and if all goes well, getting him out of office.