Fox News guest compares Trump’s rambling impeachment letter to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
'Everybody should go read that letter, it is a masterpiece... it’s a historical document'
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Louise Thomas
Editor
A Fox News guest has compared Donald Trump’s rambling impeachment letter to the Gettysburg Address in a defence of the president’s widely-mocked missive to Nancy Pelosi.
The president accused Democrats of pursuing an “illegal, partisan attempted coup” in a bizarre six-page letter ahead of a vote in which he is expected to become the third president to be impeached in US history.
Although many have mocked Mr Trump’s dramatic rhetoric and erratic use of capitalisation, Mark Simone, a radio personality from New York, had a more generous view of the president’s writing.
Mr Simone described the letter as a “masterpiece” and compared it favourably to Abraham Lincoln’s historic Civil War speech.
“Everybody should go read that letter, it is a masterpiece. It is the Gettysburg Address of smear job false accusations,” he told Fox News’ Lou Dobbs.
“What a response. It’s a historical document,” Mr Simone added.
Lincoln’s address, which is notable for its brevity at just 271 words, is one of the best-known speeches in American history.
Its opening lines are often quoted in US politics: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Mr Trump’s letter is more than 2,500 words long and begins with a much less poetic opening line.
“Dear Madam Speaker: I write to express my strongest and most powerful protest against the partisan impeachment crusade being pursued by the Democrats in the House of Representatives,” the president wrote, before accusing his critics of having “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and comparing his treatment to the Salem witch trials.
Mr Dobbs also praised the letter and complained about Ms Pelosi dismissing the president’s comments.
“The president today wrote a beautiful letter,” Mr Dobbs said.
“She responds with a comment to a reporter with others present saying it was a ridiculous letter.”
Ms Pelosi told reporters on Tuesday night she had not fully read the letter because she was working but she had “seen the essence of it” and thought it was “really sick”.
The House of Representatives is expected to impeach Mr Trump later today over two charges – abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Mr Trump is accused of withholding US military aid and a White House visit to Ukraine to force its leader into announcing an investigation into his 2020 election rival Joe Biden.
He has denied any wrongdoing, despite multiple senior officials testifying about their concerns over his conduct.
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