Despite the denial by both U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin that there was no collusion between them or interference by Russian officials in the 2016 election, few believe them, except Republicans.
Even some members of the GOP are pushing for Congress to investigate FBI Director James Comey’s firing by Trump. They believe Comey's firing is linked to his probe on ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s connection with the Russians during the campaign period.
As a result, disenchantment with Trump keeps on growing as calls for his impeachment is pushed further. On Saturday, activists gathered at the Washington Monument to press for an independent investigation into the alleged Russian meddling, Breitbart reported.
Global conspiracy to destroy liberal democracy
Among the speakers at the “March for Truth” rally was Democratic Maryland Congressman Jamie Raskin who accused Putin of being the leader of a global conspiracy. The conspiracy aims to destroy liberal democracy by using puppets such as Trump and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The other speakers claimed that it was Russian interference that helped Trump win the election.
They accused the president of using fake news campaigns, paying Russian trolls on social media, and Kremlin funding Russian news outlets.
Impeachment initiative gains ground
Meanwhile, on Friday, Time reported that a new poll by POLITICO/Morning Consult said 43 percent of voters want Congress to already start the process of impeachment, higher than the 38 percent the previous week. The survey found that 54 percent of respondents who backed the impeachment believe Trump is not fit for the presidency and must be removed from his position. It is regardless if the president committed an impeachable offense or not.
The poll was held between May 25 and May 30. 1,991 registered voters served as survey respondents.
Investigation further widens
Last week, reports said the investigation has expanded to include UKIP leader Nigel Farage. On Sunday, The Independent reported that there is a separate criminal investigation of Paul Manafort, the former campaign manager of Trump. Manafort resigned from the campaign after it was revealed he had lucrative business deals in Ukraine years ago.
Manafort allegedly received millions of dollars from pro-Russia sources and used to work closely with a Russian billionaire and Russian politicians. Because of these links, some Russian officials discussed ways of influencing Manafort during the 2016 campaign, according to reports from U.S. intelligence officials.