- The Washington Times - Wednesday, November 6, 2019

The attorney representing the Ukraine whistleblower tweeted about starting a “coup” against President Trump that would end with his impeachment almost as soon as he took the oath of office.

Mark S. Zaid wrote on his certified Twitter account on Jan. 30, 2017, Mr. Trump’s 11th day in power, that “#coup has started. First of many steps. #rebellion. #impeachment will follow ultimately. #lawyers.”

Mr. Zaid’s tweet was in response to the firing of Sally Yates as acting attorney general for refusing to follow Mr. Trump’s orders on immigration policy. His use of the word “coup” mimics claims by Trump supporters — often mocked by liberals — that an elected president is being illegally overthrown.

Mr. Trump referred to the story at a campaign rally in Louisiana on Wednesday night, calling the attorney a “sleazeball.”

“It’s all a hoax, it’s a scam,” the president said.

According to a report on Fox News, Mr. Zaid also repeatedly crowed about how “we” and the media will force Mr. Trump from office.

“I predict @CNN will play a key role in @realDonaldTrump not finishing out his full term as president,” he wrote in one tweet and “we will get rid of him, and this country is strong enough to survive even him and his supporters” in another.”

Both tweets were posted in July 2017, almost two years before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was even in office to speak with Mr. Trump on the phone.

The Trump reelection campaign said the tweets prove that Democrats’ complaints about impeachable offenses have always been about bad-faith searches for a pretext.

“I’m shocked - shocked! - to learn this,” wrote Andrew Clark, the Trump re-election campaign’s rapid response director, likely with a hint of sarcasm.

Added Donald Trump Jr.: “Of course he did. Everyone knows the coup started on November 9, 2016. Quit your fake sanctimony! Everybody who’s been watching this [b.s.] for three years sees what a farce it has been all along.”

• Dave Boyer contributed to this report.

• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.

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