Republicans (ironic, given how mercilessly they mocked Democrats for doing so for eight years with Obama) are misplacing their hope on "hope". Their argument, it seems, is "how can the President be accused of criminal hope?". And members of the media have fallen for the misdirection, seemingly extracting and repeating the word "hope" out of the President's purported request of Comey.

But the President did not say "I hope Michael Flynn is exonerated". He said "I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go". There is a difference between saying to my wife "I hope we have a delicious dinner" and saying "I hope you can see your way to making a delicious dinner". There is a difference between saying to your child's teacher "I hope Johnny gets an A in your class" and saying "I hope you can see your way to giving Johnny an A in your class".

Republicans, I hope Trump doesn't destroy our democracy. I hope you can see your way to impeaching Trump.