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Politics & Foreign Affairs, Society

The Phone Call That Could End Trump’s Presidency

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The conversation that took place on July, 25, 2019, between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump, has resulted in a push by the House Democrats to impeach Trump. This is how a thirty-minute phone call could lead to a pivotal moment in American history.

What at first seemed to be an ordinary phone call between two world leaders, minutes later took a turn with one single line: “I would like you to do us a favor.”

Although what was said during the call is no secret, thanks to the rough transcript released by the White House, Trump’s infringements are pretty evident.

At the time of the call, Joe Biden was Trump’s biggest opponent. With polls showing that most voters favored Biden to Trump significantly more (with Biden leading by 10%), one could conclude that Biden posed an existential threat to Trump’s re-election — which is why what Trump said next is so vital: “Whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great.”

Trump’s Theory

Things get interesting when we look into what is it precisely that Trump wanted Zelensky to do — because this involves a completely fabricated theory that Trump has proclaimed. This theory claims that, while Obama was in office, Biden pressed to get Viktor Shokin, the former prosecutor general of Ukraine, fired for not putting an end to the widespread corruption in Ukraine.

This, however, is true, and even Biden says so. As the European Union’s envoy to Ukraine Jan Tombinski said, “Due to lack of tangible results” in Ukraine, activists, MP’s, and U.S. leaders were all demanding for Shokin to resign.

But Trump’s theory states that Biden urged to get Shokin fired because he was investigating Burisma — a holding company where Biden’s son, Hunter, was working.

If Trump could somehow get Zelensky to make it seem like Biden had broken the law for his own personal gain, this could lead to Trump winning the re-election.

Long story short, Shokin was fired due to his lack of investigating corruption. Trump’s theory, on the other hand, claims that Shokin was fired exactly because he investigated corruption. Nonetheless, if Trump could somehow get Zelensky to make it seem like Biden had broken the law for his own personal gain, this could lead to Trump winning the re-election.

In the Photo: Protesters at Impeachment March. Photo Credit: Master Steve Rapport 

While having White House officials listen in on the phone call and write down a transcript is standard procedure, hiding the records in a classified computer file is not, despite the fact that there was no reason behind the call being categorized as confidential.

This resulted in multiple staffers raising concerns that Trump had breached regulations, ultimately leading to a C.I.A. officer being notified and sending the following message to the Congress: “I have received information (…) that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.”

Related articles: Trump Tyranny and the Politics of Resistance |  Trump and the Problem of Evil

Although there have been countless scandals revolving around Trump, this one is different. With no hesitation, Trump attempted to have a foreign leader influence the re-elections by investigating his political opponent for his self-serving purpose and then proceeded to have his staff hide the evidence.

One phone call could prove the abuse of power Trump has carried out in order to hold onto his presidency and could bring an end of the Trump administration. And if enough members of Congress see the incriminating evidence as a threat to their own re-election, even Republicans will be compelled to turn their backs on Trump.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Featured Photo: President Donald Trump holding a speech — Featured Photo Credit: The White House
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About the Author /

Alexandra Ragy is a final year Politics and Sociology student at the Universityof Warwick, always on the lookout for finding innovative ways of addressing some of the most pressing problems we face as a society.

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The food industry is coming under increasing scrutiny for its environmental impact, from greenhouse gas emissions, to excessive and detrimental land and water usage, to chemical pollution. Given the challenge of feeding a growing world population whilst simultaneously needing to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts, clearly we need to look at alternatives to “dinner as usual”. The contribution of livestock to global greenhouse emissions is estimated at between 14.5 – 18%. Fortunately, there are companies who are tackling this challenge head on and looking at how emissions from food production can be reduced. With consumer interest increasing in alternatives to meat and other protein sources, we’ve spoken to the founders of three companies. From the seemingly futuristic to the rediscovery of superfood trees, each company tackles this new drive in consumer interest in different ways.

Solar Foods, Finland

Dr Pasi Vainnika is the CEO and co-founder of Solar Foods. The slogan of the company is “Food out of thin air”. Pasi was formerly in charge of the single largest renewable energy program in Finland. However, when he found out that 20-25% of the emissions come from food, he realized that emissions from this sector needed to be addressed, as well as those in the energy sector. But with the growth in affordable and renewable energy – particularly solar energy– it led him and his team to question the possibility of producing food solely from energy, carbon dioxide, and water. It turns out, the answer is yes. Solein is a unique single cell protein. It is produced using a fully natural fermentation process like that of the production of yeast or lactic acid bacteria. The powder, which is produced from the process, is 50% protein, 5-10% fat and 20-25% carbohydrate. Most likely, the first product to reach the consumer market will be a replacement in existing plant-based foods. For example, using Solein in shakes or as an alternative to dairy in milks, yogurts, and even in breads and pasta. In the future, a lasagna could include the protein in all aspects of the recipe: the sauce, in the pasta sheets, and in the filling. Further into the future, there is also the possibility that it could be used as the basis for cultured meat production.
In the Photo: Solein Can be used in smoothies as a protein alternative. Photo Credit: Shawn Fields - Unsplash
To produce a kilo of the protein powder takes 10 liters of water in comparison to the 2500 liters of water for a kilo of soy or 15,500 liters for a kilo of beef. Electricity is the main raw material, and the plan is to source this from renewable energy sources. Additionally, Solein binds carbon dioxide rather than emitting it, easing pressure on land use. The product is currently going through regulatory checks and testing at the moment, with a plan to launch in 2021. NASA and the Soviet Union space programs had started to investigate in similar protein production for their expeditions in the past, but Solar Foods has brought it down to earth.

Higher Steaks, United Kingdom

Whilst some people are switching to plant-based diets and others have reduced their meat consumption, some others still want to keep meat in their diets but are looking for more environmentally friendly options. This is where lab-based meat comes in. Benjamina Bollag, CEO and co-founder of Higher Steaks, a UK-based company, believes that it is important to provide alternatives to meat with a lower carbon footprint, but that taste as close as possible to the real thing. She believes that the change required in human behavior to cut emissions will not happen fast enough otherwise. This approach is confirmed by research they have conducted. 52% of respondents confirmed that they would switch from conventional meat to the Higher Steaks alternative, with 21% saying they would prefer a plant-based diet. There are different ways of producing lab-based meat. The process that Higher Steaks is developing is based on pluripotent stem cells, which are taken from a small skin patch or blood sample. The meat that is grown is then shaped into products. Currently, Higher Steaks is working primarily on pork products.
In Photo: Higher Steaks will eventually release pork as its first lab-cultured meat. Photo Credit: Yvonne Lee Harijanto - Unsplash
The company has yet to conduct a lifecycle assessment of the lab-grown meat, but given the high levels of environmental impact from meat production, it should be safe to say that Higher Steaks products will be more sustainable. In addition, as Benjamina explains, other advantages include the avoidance of antibiotic use, resulting in a product which is better for the consumer as well. The level of fat can also be adjusted, depending on consumer preference. The company is working to have the first products in shops within 3-5 years.

Barukas, Brazil

Barukas proves that you don’t always to have to look to the future for more sustainable food sources. Sometimes it is about rediscovering and making available a food source which has been around for a long time to a wider audience. The baruzeiro tree, native to Brazil, has been a long-time source of nutrition for people living in the Cerrado, the vast savannah at the heart of Brazil. The tree produces a fruit, which contains the baru nut. It was the nutritional profile of the baru nut that initially attracted Seth Tuckerman, who had formerly been the COO of Beachbody, a fitness business. The nuts are high in protein, fiber, minerals, and are lower in fat than typical nuts. The taste is often described as a cross between peanuts and almonds. In fact, Tuckerman’s immediate thought on tasting them was “low calorie almonds”. Tuckerman’s passion is not only about the positive health benefits, but also about the trees and the mutual benefits for the communities where they grew.
In Photo: Baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas
Tuckerman became a co-founder of Barukas Incorporated. They are on a mission to plant 20 million baruzeiro trees – as a start. The trees need little water and – as native trees – they are already ideally suited to the Cerrado conditions. First, Barukas must prove that there is a market for the fruit of the existing trees. As such, the company is encouraging those living in the Cerrado to collect the nuts by guaranteeing to buy them, then creating customer demand for the nuts. Collecting the fruit from existing trees helps to preserve them from being cleared for intensive and invasive agricultural methods such as soy plantations. Likewise, planting new trees helps to reverse the deforestation of Cerrado. A report by the Climate Observatory estimated that the destruction of surface vegetation in the Cerrado released 248 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2016. This is roughly two-and-half times the annual tailpipe emissions from all cars in Brazil.
In Photo: Closer look at the baruzeiro tree. Photo Credit: Barukas.
From talking with these three pioneers, it is now clearer than ever that we need multiple solutions to address how to sustainably feed a growing population. We need to cut the carbon emissions and reduce other environmental impacts such as water and land use associated with food production. Some of these solutions are a little way off in the future, but others are available now. We are what we eat, but our choices will increasingly determine what kind of future we will live in as well.   EDITOR’S NOTE: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com.
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