Impeachment Round Two (3 Viewers)

[Yggdrasill]

I am in the camp that Trump must -not should- be impeached. If not this President, for this behavior, then what bar would have to be cleared to merit impeachment?

Impeachment not only sends a signal to the country and the world that fomenting a coup is unacceptable and will be punished, but it also removes much of the threat Trump could pose going forward as, I understand it, he would lose his pension, his access to daily security briefings, free medical care and other amenities and benefits afforded to former Presidents. If impeached, he would not meet the definition of a Former President under the Former Presidents Act. I don't think it is clear whether he would continue to receive Secret Service protection.

 

[Lapaz]

Well, Democrats actually have some sense of accountability, so Biden would actually be at risk. The Senate Republicans are largely cowards.

Exactly. I think this only means that the next Republican president will be our last president. Democrats should use that concern in all future campaigns. We can’t trust Republicans with the presidency. A new party will be needed to counter the Democrats, because the Republican Party died today.

 

[Xeno]

McConnell is seriously up there saying Trump did it, he was responsible and he voted not guilty anyway.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Listening to McConnell right now makes me want to puke.

 

[Lapaz]

So if I have the details right....

The Ds were prepared to have witnesses called. However, Angus King and Joe Manchin said they would only agree to vote with Ds to have their witnesses called if they agreed to allow Rs/Former POTUS' lawyers to call their witnesses. Hence, Phillydelphia (LOL, what a clown!). So, without the guarantee of a majority vote to get their witnesses, they compromised with Rs to allow the stipulation of the evidence/statement be presented and no witnesses.

So what if Republicans wanted the same number of witnesses?! Their witnesses are usually terrible.

 

[zztop]

They should have done all of this the day after the 6th, when everyone was running for their lives. I knew waiting this long, all those republicans would melt like jellyfish and not have the spine to do the right thing. And of course as time went on "this is the time to heal' bullshirt. And how many time have we seen that or similar wordage (like when a school full of children get murdered - they say now is not the time to talk about gun control, but to heal)

 

[First Time Poster]

McConnell is seriously up there saying Trump did it, he was responsible and he voted not guilty anyway.

Bruh. This dude. Ds, wake the fork up, seriously. That caucas is a lost cause. Stop capitulating to these lying, spineless butt crevasses. He is practically giving a conviction speech after casting a not guilty vote. You cannot work with these cowards until they sterilize their party.

 

[Xeno]

Bruh. This dude. Ds, wake the fork up, seriously. That caucas is a lost cause. Stop capitulating to these lying, spineless butt crevasses. He is practically giving a conviction speech after casting a not guilty vote. You cannot work with these cowards until they sterilize their party.

While claiming a former president can't be convicted in the Senate, because the House delayed delivery of the article, after he informed them they would be turned away if they tried while he was still majority leader. Mitch McConnell is without a doubt the most dangerous, duplicitous person to ever hold power in the United States.

 

[First Time Poster]

They should have done all of this the day after the 6th, when everyone was running for their lives. I knew waiting this long, all those republicans would melt like jellyfish and not have the spine to do the right thing. And of course as time went on "this is the time to heal' bullshirt. And how many time have we seen that or similar wordage (like when a school full of children get murdered - they say now is not the time to talk about gun control, but to heal)

Republicans still held control of the Senate during that time.

 

[First Time Poster]

So what if Republicans wanted the same number of witnesses?! Their witnesses are usually terrible.

I already stated it is my opinion that they should have moved forward anyway but you can't just "so what" that scenario. This is a political process and political calculations have to be made.

Did the Biden administration want this trial extended another month?

Did the Biden administration want the VP, no matter how clownish, to be subjected to a pointless deposition?

Was there any Republicans willing to vote with Ds to depose their witnesses but vote against Rs deposing theirs, offsetting losing King's and Manchin's vote?

Did Ds think the American populace could stomach an extension of this trial and at what cost to their political capital?

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

Hat's off to Cassidy. La. GOP is probably going to push a recall election. You wonder if Mitch could have gotten another nine or so votes (plus himself) but I doubt it.

 

[DaveXA]

While claiming a former president can't be convicted in the Senate, because the House delayed delivery of the article, after he informed them they would be turned away if they tried while he was still majority leader. Mitch McConnell is without a doubt the most dangerous, duplicitous person to ever hold power in the United States.

Well, he did say something interesting. He did state that Trump's actions while President are not immune from civil and criminal prosecution. I would be interested to see if Trump can be charged with insurrection, inciting and traitorous acts in federal and/or DC court. Certainly he'll probably have civil liability exposure because of the deaths of the 5 individuals at the riot.

 

[MT15]

Mitch seemed to be begging the DOJ to go after Trump, didn’t he?

That being said, I saw a tweet that said if cynicism was contagious through a TV screen, I’d be in ICU right now on a ventilator.

 

[DaveXA]

Mitch seemed to be begging the DOJ to go after Trump, didn’t he?

That being said, I saw a tweet that said if cynicism was contagious through a TV screen, I’d be in ICU right now on a ventilator.

Sure sounded like it. I do hope the DOJ does go after Trump. I mean, I don't agree with him, but I can see why he's taking the position he has.

 

[Xeno]

Well, he did say something interesting. He did state that Trump's actions while President are not immune from civil and criminal prosecution. I would be interested to see if Trump can be charged with insurrection, inciting and traitorous acts in federal and/or DC court. Certainly he'll probably have civil liability exposure because of the deaths of the 5 individuals at the riot.

That was never in question. Trump's immunity ended January 20th, though I disagree he ever had it to begin with, that DOJ opinion about indicting a sitting president needs to be challenged. Criminal or civil liability isn't the issue here.

Everything he said was his typical doublespeak. He wants to pretend he's for law and order while being able to keep riding Trump. There's no debate about impeaching a former president, and even if there were he was impeached while he was in office. The articles were delayed because he refused to bring the Senate back into session and explicitly told House managers that they wouldn't even be allowed in the door to deliver the articles. This was exactly how he wanted this to go. He manufactured his own cover story.

 

[DaveXA]

That was never in question. Trump's immunity ended January 20th, though I disagree he ever had it to begin with, that DOJ opinion about indicting a sitting president needs to be challenged. Criminal or civil liability isn't the issue here.

Everything he said was his typical doublespeak. He wants to pretend he's for law and order while being able to keep riding Trump. There's no debate about impeaching a former president, and even if there were he was impeached while he was in office. The articles were delayed because he refused to bring the Senate back into session and explicitly told House managers that they wouldn't even be allowed in the door to deliver the articles. This was exactly how he wanted this to go. He manufactured his own cover story.

Yeah, but all that is pointless now. The question is where do we go from here? Now that Trump isn't President, I think the DOJ doesn't have to worry about charging a sitting President. I'd be surprised if the DOJ doesn't move on this now that the impeachment question is off the table.

 

[First Time Poster]

Sure sounded like it. I do hope the DOJ does go after Trump. I mean, I don't agree with him, but I can see why he's taking the position he has.

The DoJ isn't going after Trump over this. I would be shocked. That is just Mitch posturing and playing politics. Let the Democratic President's DoJ go after the former Republican President so he can dodge criticism from his constituency.

Impeachment was the correct forum to try the President for this and Mitch dodged for political expediency. The constitutionality argument was raised and defeated.

 

[Xeno]

Yeah, but all that is pointless now. The question is where do we go from here? Now that Trump isn't President, I think the DOJ doesn't have to worry about charging a sitting President. I'd be surprised if the DOJ doesn't move on this now that the impeachment question is off the table.

Unfortunately, I expect the DOJ to take their cue from Biden's disposition and decide not to pursue Trump for the sake of moving on. Biden won't tell them to do anything either way but his decision to not weigh in on this trial will probably color the DOJ's decision making.

 

[SaulGoodmanEsq]

Sure sounded like it. I do hope the DOJ does go after Trump. I mean, I don't agree with him, but I can see why he's taking the position he has.

Of course, he didn't want to sully the party by angering Trump's base for Senators coming up for reelection in 2022. He's rather get those people angry at the DOJ.