The Democrats have gaslighted Americans. The term “gaslighting” refers to the phenomenon in which “someone insists so strenuously on a false version of events that those listening start doubting the reality right in front of their eyes.” Over time, the victims start to believe the fiction which is being told to them. This technique has been used by dictators and tyrants throughout history as a means of gaining and maintaining power.

The events of the last week have a certain illusory quality about them. Facts don’t matter. The Democrats’ narrative matters.

They skate over the very real evidence that, at the very least, Hunter Biden’s cushy job and his appointment to the board of Burisma Holdings while his father, the Vice President of the United States at the time, served as the Obama administration’s “point man” in Ukraine, represented a conflict of interests. And that Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in U.S. aid to the country unless they fired their Prosecutor General. Evidence points to the fact that Shokin was about to investigate his son as the reason Biden wanted him fired. Biden maintains the reason was because he believed that Shokin was corrupt. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that Biden insisted that the Ukrainian President fire this man or he would hold back the funds which the country needed desperately.

Although existing evidence makes it pretty clear that Shokin was fired because he was about to interrogate Hunter Biden, I’m constructing a “least bad” scenario.

Fact 1: Hunter’s dealings represented a conflict of interest. The Obama Administration was concerned about the optics of this going into the 2016 election.

Fact 2: Biden leveraged U.S. aid to force the firing of a Ukrainian official.

Fact #1 shows poor judgement as opposed to a violation of the law.

Fact #2 may very well be a violation of the law. I am not a lawyer, but it does sound like extortion or bribery to me. At the very least, it’s unethical and corrupt and it’s something that would sway the decision of an American voter.

So, the Democrats, ignoring the Bidens’ actions, have taken the mendacious, second and third-hand claims of a highly partisan whistleblower (in name only) who hides behind the protection of his whistleblower status and they’ve gone from zero to impeachment.

The fact that President Trump immediately released the actual transcript of the call, showing how far removed the reality was from their dire and disingenuous fabrication, hasn’t stopped them. Though they would have preferred he hadn’t done so, they have continued on their mission to destroy his presidency.

The well-known Bible verse comes to mind: “Why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to notice the beam in your own eye?” (Matthew, 7)

The fact that Biden is a potential political rival of Trump’s is irrelevant. There is actual evidence of, at the very least, unethical conduct by both Bidens and quite possibly illegal activity.

Obama clearly wanted Hillary Clinton to succeed him in office in 2016. It was well-known he did everything he possibly could to discourage Biden from running. That made Donald Trump Obama’s political rival. The Obama FBI opened a counterintelligence investigation of their political rival based on a set of lies prepared by foreign ex-spy Christopher Steele whose work was paid for by the Democratic National Committee and his preferred candidate’s campaign. They went so far as to send spies into the Trump campaign. According to former U.S. attorney and current National Review writer Andrew McCarthy, only a president can order a counterintelligence investigation to be initiated. The mission to end Trump’s candidacy involved dozens of Obama Administration officials.

Contrast that with President Trump’s request to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into behavior that had the appearance of genuine impropriety and for which a past investigation had been ended for dubious reasons. The U.S. has a long-standing treaty with Ukraine which encourages cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of crimes. One might even argue that, knowing of the Bidens’ misdeeds, Trump had an obligation to get to the truth.

The Democrats are taking a huge political risk by trying to impeach Trump over such a minor issue. The reason may be the awareness that none of their current presidential candidates have a strong chance of defeating Trump in 2020.

Also, they know that DOJ IG Michael Horowitz’ report, due any day, will not be kind to them and that John Durham’s report will be a disaster for them. It will likely see many creatures of the deep state discredited and some in legal jeopardy.

For two years, they counted on the Mueller investigation to deliver the goods. After their hopes were dashed, they had to come up with something else. The clock is ticking.

They chose an especially weak “crime” which has been unraveling by the day.

Yet, with straight faces, they act as if Trump is the most heinous, dangerous politician in U.S. history. And this total fiction is reinforced 24/7 by the mainstream media.

Nancy Pelosi was interviewed over the weekend at the Texas Tribune Festival by Evan Smith, the Tribune’s CEO and founder. They were discussing the possibility that impeachment could hurt Democrats’ chances of holding the House majority in 2020.

Smith asked, “do you have any anxiety at all about any of the stuff we’re talking about or anything that we’re not talking about impacting your ability to hold control of the House in 2020?

Pelosi replied, “Doesn’t matter.”

Smith found that to be an odd answer and said, “It doesn’t matter?”

To which the Speaker responded, “Our first responsibility is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

I used to wonder if Democrats believed their own lies. I think now that they do. The anger and frustration which they have felt since the days of Trump’s candidacy has turned into rage and has completely consumed them. It’s made them sick inside.

They’re running out of time and their options are limited. So, they will continue trying to gaslight Americans although it’s not working as well as it used to since the failure of their Russian collusion conspiracy. They’ve become sloppy and reckless and many voters have caught on to them. But, they will continue their fight.

For what else can they do?