Not convicting him is one thing. But nearly half of the Senate (and 88% of GQP in the Senate) are literally trying to set a precedent that a president can do anything at the end of their presidency with no fear of reprisal. They're willing to risk throwing the entire country away, either for one crazy moron or to keep the support of crazy morons (i.e., "their careers"). None of these 44 is fit to serve. Because they all put one person (Trump or themselves) ahead of the good of the country, not just now but forever.
Politically, it just makes no sense for them to continue to tie themselves to a guy who lost them the house, senate, and presidency in one single term.
I think fear of the Trump mob is keeping a lot of them from voting for conviction. Those people are unhinged and anyone who steps out against Trump puts himself in the crosshairs of some pretty out of whack folks. Most might send a Tweet or maybe call the congressperson's office, but there are some that could show up at their house and directly threaten and harass them and their families. Combine that with their biggest fear, not being reelected, and you have what happed in the Senate vote. I think the Senate, since they have to appeal to the entire State, makes them more pragmatic. The House is full of a bunch of lunatics who only have to appeal to a small group of people to be elected, so they can be more reactionary.
Not convicting him is one thing. But nearly half of the Senate (and 88% of GQP in the Senate) are literally trying to set a precedent that a president can do anything at the end of their presidency with no fear of reprisal. They're willing to risk throwing the entire country away, either for one crazy moron or to keep the support of crazy morons (i.e., "their careers"). None of these 44 is fit to serve. Because they all put one person (Trump or themselves) ahead of the good of the country, not just now but forever.
What I gathered from the Trump attorneys yesterday was that Trump is now a private citizen so if a crime was committed he should be charged with a crime like a regular citizen would be. I don't disagree with that and wish that DC would grow a pair and charge him as well. The argument he brought forth focused on the grammar used in the article and mentioned that placement of the comma is what makes it unconstitutional for them to try Trump after he left office. Looks like they poached this defense from Dershowitz:
To bolster his argument, Dershowitz points to the language of Article I Section 3, which reads:
“Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.”
Dershowitz specifically highlights that the clause mandates senatorial judgment on removal and disqualification—not or disqualification. Thus, since a former office holder cannot be removed, that person also cannot be disqualified from office.=, the argument goes.
One example offered by Dershowitz is the non-impeachment of an obviously guilty Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal.
“Beyond the constitution, there are strong policy and historical reasons an incoming administration shouldn’t seek recriminations against its predecessor. In some countries defeated former presidents and prime ministers are routinely prosecuted,” he wrote. “For the victorious Democrats to seek revenge against Donald Trump would set a terrible precedent, distract from President Biden’s agenda, and make it hard to heal the country. Better to move on.”
Nixon, of course, resigned and was pardoned by Gerald Ford.
Dershowitz’s constitutional argument is supported by Tulane Law School lecturer and impeachment expert Ross Garber. Garber similarly asserts that the Senate only retains jurisdiction to try a sitting president, but said the case of a different Nixon might make the argument difficult for Trump.
It's a legal loophole, but I think in a court of law this is one of those toss ups based on which judge hears the case. Interpretation of the written law often creates dilemmas. Republicans saw an easy out and went with it. This is how scuzzy people get off all the time. Compare this with the vague ass drug laws in this country which allow the imprisonment of millions every year and it's easy to see the failings of our justice system.
Not convicting him is one thing. But nearly half of the Senate (and 88% of GQP in the Senate) are literally trying to set a precedent that a president can do anything at the end of their presidency with no fear of reprisal. They're willing to risk throwing the entire country away, either for one crazy moron or to keep the support of crazy morons (i.e., "their careers"). None of these 44 is fit to serve. Because they all put one person (Trump or themselves) ahead of the good of the country, not just now but forever.
Politically, it just makes no sense for them to continue to tie themselves to a guy who lost them the house, senate, and presidency in one single term.
I think fear of the Trump mob is keeping a lot of them from voting for conviction. Those people are unhinged and anyone who steps out against Trump puts himself in the crosshairs of some pretty out of whack folks. Most might send a Tweet or maybe call the congressperson's office, but there are some that could show up at their house and directly threaten and harass them and their families. Combine that with their biggest fear, not being reelected, and you have what happed in the Senate vote. I think the Senate, since they have to appeal to the entire State, makes them more pragmatic. The House is full of a bunch of lunatics who only have to appeal to a small group of people to be elected, so they can be more reactionary.
Good assessment. My response is to grow a set of balls and display a sense of courage.
Not convicting him is one thing. But nearly half of the Senate (and 88% of GQP in the Senate) are literally trying to set a precedent that a president can do anything at the end of their presidency with no fear of reprisal. They're willing to risk throwing the entire country away, either for one crazy moron or to keep the support of crazy morons (i.e., "their careers"). None of these 44 is fit to serve. Because they all put one person (Trump or themselves) ahead of the good of the country, not just now but forever.
Politically, it just makes no sense for them to continue to tie themselves to a guy who lost them the house, senate, and presidency in one single term.
It does if they can come roaring back in 2024 and start the 1000 year facist reich
Ha...well logic dictates moving in a different direction coming off all those losses.
At this point I really see them trying anything to keep their foot in the door and take over, would not be surprised to see some of the nuttier congresspersons on the R side go postal in the chambers. I don’t see a real path forward that includes republicans having any power without cheating or taking it by force.
Opinion: Trump lawyer David Schoen’s crazy theory on ‘Hannity’ unmasks the GOP’s ugly core
How the Capitol attack unfolded, from inside Trump's rally to the riot | Opinion
Early
on Jan. 6, The Post's Kate Woodsome saw signs of the violence to come
hours before thousands of Trump loyalists besieged the Capitol. (Joy Yi,
Kate Woodsome/The Washington Post)
It’s
instructive to venture into the confines of Sean Hannity’s universe,
because it often showcases the propaganda being injected into the GOP
base’s veins in its most venomous form. In this regard, Monday night’s
appearance by David Schoen, Donald Trump’s impeachment lawyer, did not
disappoint.
Schoen floated a strange theory
in defense of the former president. It’s worth unpacking, because it
points in a direction that further incriminates Trump. It also
underscores what is becoming of the GOP as it prepares to wholly
exonerate Trump for attempting to incite the violent overthrow of U.S.
democracy.
Schoen
appeared to suggest law enforcement might refrain from further
investigations into the rioters who stormed the Capitol, because they
are showing that the assault was preplanned, supposedly exonerating
Trump.
“Right now, you really are finding out about the preplanning,” Schoen told Hannity.
“And I’m afraid they’re going to back off that investigation, because
maybe — you know — so many people want to tie it to Donald Trump.”
Schoen
added that in Monday’s Senate trial presentation, the House impeachment
managers showed “nothing” that “ties” the assault to Trump.
Impeachment managers display first video evidence at Trump trial
House
impeachment managers played a video sequence of events at the beginning
of the impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump on Feb. 9.
(The Washington Post)
The
“they” who might “back off” appears to be a reference to law
enforcement. If so, the idea that they might stop investigating rioters
to avoid exonerating Trump is rank crackpottery.
But
more important, whoever the “they” is here, the theory underlying this
story is completely divorced from reality — in a way that actually
further incriminates Trump.
Trump’s
legal team wants to argue that because investigators are discovering
that some rioters preplanned the attack, it proves Trump couldn’t
possibly have incited them during his Jan. 6 harangue.
The truth is the opposite: The investigators are turning up evidence that is increasingly damning to Trump, not the other way around.
What the investigations are telling us
We
are learning from the investigations that rioters who preplanned their
attacks did so because they fully understood that Trump had directed
them to do so.
Court
documents show that more than two dozen people charged in the attack
specifically cited Trump and his calls to gather that day in describing
on social media or in conversations with others why they decided to take
action by coming to Washington.
More than two dozen cited Trump.
One woman who recruited for the assault said days before: “Trump wants
all able bodied patriots to come.” A QAnon-supporting man wrote in
advance that if Trump called for attacking the Capitol, he’d do it: He
was following Trump’s marching orders.
Even
the attackers’ own lawyers say Trump inspired them. As one attorney put
it to The Post: “What these people heard, including my client, was an
invitation, a call to arms by the president.”
One
might push back by arguing that they were wrong to believe Trump
indicated any of this. But that, too, is blown apart by the public
record.
Indeed, the House impeachment managers’ report documents numerous examples of Trump explicitly telling his supporters well in advance
to prepare to descend on the Capitol, while directly tying this to the
big lie that the election had been stolen and that they were the victims
of that crime. And an extensive new timeline from Just Security shows many leading pro-Trump voices amplifying the call, also well in advance.
It’s important to emphasize this: In communicating to his supporters for months that the election had been stolen from them, Trump told them in every which way that they were the victims of a tyrannical injustice that could be rectified only by overturning the official election results.
In short, he falsely told them that their own freedom was on the line, and told them to take action in response. They believed him. Trump’s words on the day itself also unequivocally show him inciting the attack, but the lead-up to that day is every bit as incriminating.
GOP’s alternate reality version of the insurrection
It’s deeply perverse that despite all this evidence, virtually all GOP senators will acquit Trump. As Sarah Longwell points out,
the rioters are being prosecuted for the attacks, but the GOP elites
who inspired their crimes — Trump and the GOP senators who themselves
propped up the stolen-election lie — will face zero accountability.
I’d
like to take this idea further. In claiming that ongoing investigations
into the attack are only exonerating Trump — that the actual evidence
being unearthed simply doesn’t exist at all — Trump’s lawyer is hinting
at where the GOP will end up on all this.
Though
there are exceptions, many in the party are gravitating toward an
absolute refusal to acknowledge the slightest wrongdoing by Trump — a
comprehensive refusal to acknowledge the barest existence of any
of the extensive factual record demonstrating unambiguously that Trump
did incite an effort to overturn our democracy, including with
intimidation and violence.
You can see this erasure everywhere. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is now claiming that all this evidence is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Trump’s constitutional crime simply never happened.
Meanwhile, the Wyoming GOP’s censure of Rep. Liz Cheney for voting to impeach falsely claims antifa instigated the riot and treats the belief
of GOP voters in Trump’s absolute innocence as guiding truth. Sen. Josh
Hawley (R-Mo.), who led Trump’s effort to overturn the election in
Congress, continues to do the same.
If
large swaths of the GOP are going to comprehensively exonerate Trump
and their party of any responsibility for the worst assault on our
democracy in modern times, it doesn’t bode particularly well for its
future.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
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Not convicting him is one thing. But nearly half of the Senate (and 88% of GQP in the Senate) are literally trying to set a precedent that a president can do anything at the end of their presidency with no fear of reprisal. They're willing to risk throwing the entire country away, either for one crazy moron or to keep the support of crazy morons (i.e., "their careers"). None of these 44 is fit to serve. Because they all put one person (Trump or themselves) ahead of the good of the country, not just now but forever.
Politically, it just makes no sense for them to continue to tie themselves to a guy who lost them the house, senate, and presidency in one single term.
It does if they can come roaring back in 2024 and start the 1000 year facist reich
Ha...well logic dictates moving in a different direction coming off all those losses.
At this point I really see them trying anything to keep their foot in the door and take over, would not be surprised to see some of the nuttier congresspersons on the R side go postal in the chambers. I don’t see a real path forward that includes republicans having any power without cheating or taking it by force.
Yeah just gonna divide them further and weaken the party moving forward though.
Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
He's the January 6 MVP.
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Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
He's the January 6 MVP.
Didn't he save Mitt before he lead them upstairs?
I don't actually know...I guess I played them out in the order that I heard about them, LOL. Either way, he should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (That's what I'd be saying if Trump hadn't diminished the whole thing by handing it out to his sycophants).
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Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
He's the January 6 MVP.
Didn't he save Mitt before he lead them upstairs?
I don't actually know...I guess I played them out in the order that I heard about them, LOL. Either way, he should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (That's what I'd be saying if Trump hadn't diminished the whole thing by handing it out to his sycophants).
Oh man. He would be the absolute perfect person to receive the first one Biden hands out. Draw a contrast real quick and (hopefully) re establish that highest of standards.
Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
He's the January 6 MVP.
Didn't he save Mitt before he lead them upstairs?
I don't actually know...I guess I played them out in the order that I heard about them, LOL. Either way, he should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (That's what I'd be saying if Trump hadn't diminished the whole thing by handing it out to his sycophants).
Oh man. He would be the absolute perfect person to receive the first one Biden hands out. Draw a contrast real quick and (hopefully) re establish that highest of standards.
he has already received the congressional medal hasnt he?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
I tuned into the impeachment today and mostly my take away was why, other than that the assailants were white, did no officers fire to protect themselves. All the times LE have been trigger happy in times of fear, and when the capitol was under siege by organized lunatics that were there to cause violence, no one was fearing for their lives?
I tuned into the impeachment today and mostly my take away was why, other than that the assailants were white, did no officers fire to protect themselves. All the times LE have been trigger happy in times of fear, and when the capitol was under siege by organized lunatics that were there to cause violence, no one was fearing for their lives?
I don’t think any police officer would’ve wanted to fire the first shot that day, and were probably advised under no circumstances.
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I tuned into the impeachment today and mostly my take away was why, other than that the assailants were white, did no officers fire to protect themselves. All the times LE have been trigger happy in times of fear, and when the capitol was under siege by organized lunatics that were there to cause violence, no one was fearing for their lives?
I don’t think any police officer would’ve wanted to fire the first shot that day, and were probably advised under no circumstances.
what, 15 round mag? gets a few off then overwhelmed and gets it taken?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
man i came here expecting this thread to be lit the last 2 days. i guess it is not worth talking about after the managers have presented such a solid case that it cannot be defended or disputed.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
man i came here expecting this thread to be lit the last 2 days. i guess it is not worth talking about after the managers have presented such a solid case that it cannot be defended or disputed.
The conclusion is forgone. And that’s depressing. POOTWH successfully turned the US into a banana republic.
the funniest thing is all of those rioters that are facing criminal charges are going to go to jail and the person most responsible for bringing them to DC is going to walk away without any issues.
"You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry." - Lincoln
Eugene Goodman was everywhere that day. He led those morons upstairs and away from the reps and sens...then he appears out of nowhere to save Mitt from (well, death, most likely).
He's the January 6 MVP.
Didn't he save Mitt before he lead them upstairs?
He definitely told Mitt to go the other direction. Hard to say what would have happened but tRumpsters probably aren't happy with Mitt even though the fucking idiots likely voted for him eight years ago.
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the funniest thing is all of those rioters that are facing criminal charges are going to go to jail and the person most responsible for bringing them to DC is going to walk away without any issues.
Well, I'd say even if he is not convicted, this will have long lasting damage on him. Unlike the last impeachment, this one is really easy for regular people who do not follow things on a regular basis to understand. The pictures and the videos are heart wrenching and riveting. I'm sure there will be January 6th remembrances moving forward. Get used to seeing those images, along with Trump's words, and images of Marge Green, Hawley, Cruz etc every election cycle for the foreseeable future. This is the republican party. We can not let the American people forget it.
I'm just hoping we'll at least get 4-8 republicans to vote to convict at this point.
does susan collins think trump learned his lesson this time? LOL
I hear she is concerned.
I'd be shocked if she doesn't vote to convict.
She's one of the gang of 6 so far who are breaking rank. I don't see how any who found the impeachment to be constitutional wouldn't convict. The evidence is overwhelming.
Trump’s Senate allies Graham, Lee and Cruz huddle with defense team
By Colby Itkowitz
After
the Senate trial adjourned Thursday, three of Donald Trump’s chamber
allies, Sens. Lindsey O. Graham, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, were seen
entering a room to meet with the former president’s attorneys.
After
their meeting, Trump attorney David Schoen told reporters the senators
were just “talking about procedure,” called them “friendly guys” and
said they did not tip him off to questions they would be asking.
They
discussed “just how this format goes, you know, the question-and-answer
period, all that,” Schoen said. “And then just talking about where
they’re from and all that, but it’s just very nice. I said to them it
was a great honor to have the opportunity to talk to them.”
During
the impeachment trial, the senators are supposed to be impartial
jurors, listening to the evidence from both sides before voting on
whether to convict.
But
most senators, including Graham (R-S.C.), Lee (R-Utah) and Cruz
(R-Tex.), have predetermined Trump’s innocence, as many Democrats have
already decided he is guilty.
Then-Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set a precedent during the
first Trump impeachment of conferring with the defense.
“Exactly
how we go forward, I’m going to coordinate with the president’s
lawyers,” McConnell said then in 2019. “The case is so darn weak coming
over from the House. We all know how it’s going to end. There is no
chance the president is going to be removed from office. My hope is that
there won’t be a Republican who votes for either of these articles of
impeachment.”
Democrats assailed McConnell for violating his would-be oath to do “impartial justice” as a juror in the trial.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
0
brianlux
Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 42,321
I hate to say it but most of these dipshit Republican senators who are sitting through the impeachment trial picking their nose, doodling, and day dreaming about who-knows-what (or even wants to know) have already made up their minds, and all the evidence and video from 1/6 and impassioned speeches in the world are not going to change their already made up minds about not wanting to vote their conscience but, rather, their current status. I wish I were wrong, but I'll be very surprised if Chump is convicted.
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POOTWH was offered the opportunity to appear in the senate chamber and answer questions posed and it refused. Pick a quote from below and defend it. I dare you.
I hate to say it but most of these dipshit Republican senators who are sitting through the impeachment trial picking their nose, doodling, and day dreaming about who-knows-what (or even wants to know) have already made up their minds, and all the evidence and video from 1/6 and impassioned speeches in the world are not going to change their already made up minds about not wanting to vote their conscience but, rather, their current status. I wish I were wrong, but I'll be very surprised if Chump is convicted.
All 100 have made up their minds. I would guess all 50 Dems will vote to convict. The GOP vote is far more interesting. Obviously, there aren’t 17 votes there. I’d guess about five. But I do love how badly so many of these careerists wish they didn’t have to vote.
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Trump’s Senate allies Graham, Lee and Cruz huddle with defense team
By Colby Itkowitz
After
the Senate trial adjourned Thursday, three of Donald Trump’s chamber
allies, Sens. Lindsey O. Graham, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, were seen
entering a room to meet with the former president’s attorneys.
After
their meeting, Trump attorney David Schoen told reporters the senators
were just “talking about procedure,” called them “friendly guys” and
said they did not tip him off to questions they would be asking.
They
discussed “just how this format goes, you know, the question-and-answer
period, all that,” Schoen said. “And then just talking about where
they’re from and all that, but it’s just very nice. I said to them it
was a great honor to have the opportunity to talk to them.”
During
the impeachment trial, the senators are supposed to be impartial
jurors, listening to the evidence from both sides before voting on
whether to convict.
But
most senators, including Graham (R-S.C.), Lee (R-Utah) and Cruz
(R-Tex.), have predetermined Trump’s innocence, as many Democrats have
already decided he is guilty.
Then-Senate
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set a precedent during the
first Trump impeachment of conferring with the defense.
“Exactly
how we go forward, I’m going to coordinate with the president’s
lawyers,” McConnell said then in 2019. “The case is so darn weak coming
over from the House. We all know how it’s going to end. There is no
chance the president is going to be removed from office. My hope is that
there won’t be a Republican who votes for either of these articles of
impeachment.”
Democrats assailed McConnell for violating his would-be oath to do “impartial justice” as a juror in the trial.
this is just such a sham. imagine if we found out that juror #7, 11, and 5 were secretly having dinner with the accused and his lawyers during a murder trial. I know a senate trial isn't the same as a legal trial, and doesn't have the same requirements, but come on....this is ridiculous.
did democrats on the senate convene with clinton and his lawyers during his impeachment?
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Opinion: Trump lawyer David Schoen’s crazy theory on ‘Hannity’ unmasks the GOP’s ugly core
It’s instructive to venture into the confines of Sean Hannity’s universe, because it often showcases the propaganda being injected into the GOP base’s veins in its most venomous form. In this regard, Monday night’s appearance by David Schoen, Donald Trump’s impeachment lawyer, did not disappoint.
Schoen floated a strange theory in defense of the former president. It’s worth unpacking, because it points in a direction that further incriminates Trump. It also underscores what is becoming of the GOP as it prepares to wholly exonerate Trump for attempting to incite the violent overthrow of U.S. democracy.
Schoen appeared to suggest law enforcement might refrain from further investigations into the rioters who stormed the Capitol, because they are showing that the assault was preplanned, supposedly exonerating Trump.
“Right now, you really are finding out about the preplanning,” Schoen told Hannity. “And I’m afraid they’re going to back off that investigation, because maybe — you know — so many people want to tie it to Donald Trump.”
Schoen added that in Monday’s Senate trial presentation, the House impeachment managers showed “nothing” that “ties” the assault to Trump.
The “they” who might “back off” appears to be a reference to law enforcement. If so, the idea that they might stop investigating rioters to avoid exonerating Trump is rank crackpottery.
But more important, whoever the “they” is here, the theory underlying this story is completely divorced from reality — in a way that actually further incriminates Trump.
Trump’s legal team wants to argue that because investigators are discovering that some rioters preplanned the attack, it proves Trump couldn’t possibly have incited them during his Jan. 6 harangue.
The truth is the opposite: The investigators are turning up evidence that is increasingly damning to Trump, not the other way around.
What the investigations are telling us
We are learning from the investigations that rioters who preplanned their attacks did so because they fully understood that Trump had directed them to do so.
In a deep dive into what the investigations are revealing, Post reporters recently found ample evidence of this. Their stark conclusion:
More than two dozen cited Trump. One woman who recruited for the assault said days before: “Trump wants all able bodied patriots to come.” A QAnon-supporting man wrote in advance that if Trump called for attacking the Capitol, he’d do it: He was following Trump’s marching orders.
Even the attackers’ own lawyers say Trump inspired them. As one attorney put it to The Post: “What these people heard, including my client, was an invitation, a call to arms by the president.”
One might push back by arguing that they were wrong to believe Trump indicated any of this. But that, too, is blown apart by the public record.
Indeed, the House impeachment managers’ report documents numerous examples of Trump explicitly telling his supporters well in advance to prepare to descend on the Capitol, while directly tying this to the big lie that the election had been stolen and that they were the victims of that crime. And an extensive new timeline from Just Security shows many leading pro-Trump voices amplifying the call, also well in advance.
It’s important to emphasize this: In communicating to his supporters for months that the election had been stolen from them, Trump told them in every which way that they were the victims of a tyrannical injustice that could be rectified only by overturning the official election results.
In short, he falsely told them that their own freedom was on the line, and told them to take action in response. They believed him. Trump’s words on the day itself also unequivocally show him inciting the attack, but the lead-up to that day is every bit as incriminating.
GOP’s alternate reality version of the insurrection
It’s deeply perverse that despite all this evidence, virtually all GOP senators will acquit Trump. As Sarah Longwell points out, the rioters are being prosecuted for the attacks, but the GOP elites who inspired their crimes — Trump and the GOP senators who themselves propped up the stolen-election lie — will face zero accountability.
I’d like to take this idea further. In claiming that ongoing investigations into the attack are only exonerating Trump — that the actual evidence being unearthed simply doesn’t exist at all — Trump’s lawyer is hinting at where the GOP will end up on all this.
Though there are exceptions, many in the party are gravitating toward an absolute refusal to acknowledge the slightest wrongdoing by Trump — a comprehensive refusal to acknowledge the barest existence of any of the extensive factual record demonstrating unambiguously that Trump did incite an effort to overturn our democracy, including with intimidation and violence.
You can see this erasure everywhere. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) is now claiming that all this evidence is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” Trump’s constitutional crime simply never happened.
Meanwhile, the Wyoming GOP’s censure of Rep. Liz Cheney for voting to impeach falsely claims antifa instigated the riot and treats the belief of GOP voters in Trump’s absolute innocence as guiding truth. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), who led Trump’s effort to overturn the election in Congress, continues to do the same.
If large swaths of the GOP are going to comprehensively exonerate Trump and their party of any responsibility for the worst assault on our democracy in modern times, it doesn’t bode particularly well for its future.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
I don't actually know...I guess I played them out in the order that I heard about them, LOL. Either way, he should be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom (That's what I'd be saying if Trump hadn't diminished the whole thing by handing it out to his sycophants).
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
There are no kings inside the gates of eden
EV
Toronto Film Festival 9/11/2007, '08 - Toronto 1 & 2, '09 - Albany 1, '11 - Chicago 1
what, 15 round mag? gets a few off then overwhelmed and gets it taken?
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
The Golden Age is 2 months away. And guess what….. you’re gonna love it! (teskeinc 11.19.24)
1998: Noblesville; 2003: Noblesville; 2009: EV Nashville, Chicago, Chicago
2010: St Louis, Columbus, Noblesville; 2011: EV Chicago, East Troy, East Troy
2013: London ON, Wrigley; 2014: Cincy, St Louis, Moline (NO CODE)
2016: Lexington, Wrigley #1; 2018: Wrigley, Wrigley, Boston, Boston
2020: Oakland, Oakland: 2021: EV Ohana, Ohana, Ohana, Ohana
2022: Oakland, Oakland, Nashville, Louisville; 2023: Chicago, Chicago, Noblesville
2024: Noblesville, Wrigley, Wrigley, Ohana, Ohana; 2025: Pitt1, Pitt2
I'm just hoping we'll at least get 4-8 republicans to vote to convict at this point.
-EV 8/14/93
I'd be shocked if she doesn't vote to convict.
Trump’s Senate allies Graham, Lee and Cruz huddle with defense team
After the Senate trial adjourned Thursday, three of Donald Trump’s chamber allies, Sens. Lindsey O. Graham, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz, were seen entering a room to meet with the former president’s attorneys.
After their meeting, Trump attorney David Schoen told reporters the senators were just “talking about procedure,” called them “friendly guys” and said they did not tip him off to questions they would be asking.
They discussed “just how this format goes, you know, the question-and-answer period, all that,” Schoen said. “And then just talking about where they’re from and all that, but it’s just very nice. I said to them it was a great honor to have the opportunity to talk to them.”
During the impeachment trial, the senators are supposed to be impartial jurors, listening to the evidence from both sides before voting on whether to convict.
But most senators, including Graham (R-S.C.), Lee (R-Utah) and Cruz (R-Tex.), have predetermined Trump’s innocence, as many Democrats have already decided he is guilty.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) set a precedent during the first Trump impeachment of conferring with the defense.
“Exactly how we go forward, I’m going to coordinate with the president’s lawyers,” McConnell said then in 2019. “The case is so darn weak coming over from the House. We all know how it’s going to end. There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office. My hope is that there won’t be a Republican who votes for either of these articles of impeachment.”
Democrats assailed McConnell for violating his would-be oath to do “impartial justice” as a juror in the trial.
Not today Sir, Probably not tomorrow.............................................. bayfront arena st. pete '94
you're finally here and I'm a mess................................................... nationwide arena columbus '10
memories like fingerprints are slowly raising.................................... first niagara center buffalo '13
another man ..... moved by sleight of hand...................................... joe louis arena detroit '14
-Eddie Vedder, "Smile"
Libtardaplorable©. And proud of it.
Brilliantati©
2013 Wrigley 2014 St. Paul 2016 Fenway, Fenway, Wrigley, Wrigley 2018 Missoula, Wrigley, Wrigley 2021 Asbury Park 2022 St Louis 2023 Austin, Austin
did democrats on the senate convene with clinton and his lawyers during his impeachment?
-EV 8/14/93