I did my first two open discussion threads on my SubStack last week. Heard from so many of you that you loved it, so I’m going to keep doing them!
In the future, they’ll be for subscribers only but now they’re open to all…but you should subscribe now so when I do make them for subscribers only, you’ll be notified when one of these goes up.
Here’s where we are…
Sources tell the New York Times (and other reporters have confirmed this as well) that Mitch McConnell believes that Trump has committed impeachable offenses and he’s pleased that the House is going to vote on impeachment.
Liz Cheney, the #3 Republican in House leadership, has released a scathing statement saying that she will be voting to impeach President Trump.
The acting US Attorney in DC held a press conference today where he said that people would be shocked by what his office has discovered took place during the violent insurrection. He says that his office is pursuing charges against hundreds of people.
Other members of congress have come out saying that impeachment is divisive….
Meanwhile Trump says that what he did last Wednesday was absolutely perfect and that any attempt to impeach him will be seen as a massive slight against him and his supporters.
BREAKING NEWS (adding this here): Axios says that Mitch McConnell is leaning towards convicting Trump.
So what the hell happens now? And what do you think should happen?
So what the hell happens now? --> House sends impeachment articles to Senate, no action taken there prior to 20th. Trump leaves. McConnell determines if there are enough votes to bar Trump from running in 2024. It either passes quickly or dies quickly in the Senate.
This is the most realistic scenario, although it's clear that McConnell is giving cover to House GOP members to vote for impeachment. McConnell is trying to calm the donor class while avoiding the implosion of his party. People have short memories, but a large contingent of GOP members' incitement to insurrection coupled with voting to de-certify electors, while Trump excitedly watched the riot rage for hours is an image that will be hard to erase.
Seriously? Of course. The rioters all attended the 'pre-coup' rally. Had Trump said "thank you for your loyalty. we lost this election--there was no fraud or theft" that would have been the end of it. The white supremacists and neo-Nazis would have lost too much 'cover' to attempt the assault without the brainwashed Trump supporters.
How GOP moves forward will be interesting...so far anti Impeachment argument is process driven..we don’t have time..why rush this. This might be the way out for GOP reps not to vote for it. Speeches on the floor have condemned DJT words. Some have said they aren’t impeachable though. Striking as they are arguing this in the chamber which is a federal crime scene...
Neither the public, the GOP donor class, nor history will regard 'process arguments' as sufficient when weighed against the horrific visuals watched by the world. As more information is revealed, we are learning that the rioters were armed not only with weapons but with detailed floor plans, inside information as to Democratic leadership locations, and allegations of direct coordination of insurrectionist leaders with GOP House members. When the full details of 1/6 are known, these 'process or not-impeachable' GOP members will either be outcasts or members of a marginalized Trump party.
I think we'll likely see Biden/McConnell's plan go through, with a half-day trial compromise after Trump leaves office. I'm of the opinion it's the right move, as it crushes Trump going forward without lighting a powder keg before the 20th.
I don’t think we can trust McConnell to work with Biden. His goal is to win back the Senate in 2024. Slowing down Biden appointments and financial and pandemic agendas will contribute to that goal. Let’s keep our powder dry.
It's true he is a purely transactional politician. I wonder how many chips he thinks he will be owed if he supports the Dem effort to remove TMP, who is out the door anyway. On the other hand, McConnel is 80 years old, and crippled from polio, and just had to be carried off the floor by aides and Capitol Police in order to save him from the TMP barbarians. So maybe the Grinch found Christmas.
But now with the Senate 50/50 - he's no longer the Majority Leader, right? Once they are sworn in, Harris is the deciding vote if it's split. We are not beholden to McConnell any longer.
Mr.Trump's behavior is predictable. He is a deranged, narcissistic sociopath, as was Adolph Hitler. He has used Hitler's playbook. It is imperative that he be held accountable, and banned from holding public office again.
We, as a nation, need to listen to those who know whereof they speak. Arnold Schwarzenegger's statement is one we should take seriously.
We have a problem in this country with White Supremacists who still think they can win the Civil War. Trump did not create them; he is simply convenient for them. We need to deal with our White Supremacy problem, and our Trump problem, before the world has to step in and help us, as the world had to step in to deal with Hitler and his Nazis.
This isn’t complicated. The president has been lying to the country about the election for months. Almost half the country believed his lies and believed him when he told them their voices weren’t being heard. Then he told them to actively attack his/their own government and they did. A person who does these things to/in his own country is a traitor. Traitors shouldn’t be free and they def shouldn’t be President.
Just read about the "reconnaissance mission" members gave the day before the attack, and AOC's IG live. I am stunned. I don't see how there isn't a huge investigation and members arrested. Obviously, I am hoping McConnell convicts, but sadly wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't happen, because, of course. This is next level bs, and we're only hearing it days later. Why???
I think McConnel et al. are taking a lot of heat from home. The imagery did not sit well with a lot of middles. People, believe it or not, do not want a civil war in this country. And, those people who are able to make intelligible phone calls to their reps can put all this together in their own heads. He might just get impeached. It’ll be on January 19 or 21.
Hawley went to Stanford, Yale, and taught at St. Paul's and he has made the two most common mistakes I have seen lately by several people. What the 1st amendment covers and what Orwellian means. (Or just thinks his constituents don't)
We impeach the President; and send the articles to the Senate. Yes, the trial won’t begin until the day before Trump leaves office, at the earliest but at this point I think it’s less about getting Trump out of office & more about punishing him and making sure that there are consequences for Presidents who incite insurrections.
There are some misconceptions especially about when a trial starts in the Senate. There are pre-trial matters, witness lists to exchange, subpoenas to serve, depositions, trial scheduling and then the trial dates. There was talk about not handing the Senate the Articles of Impeachment for 100 days so President Biden could get settled into office. Chief Justice Roberts presides over a trial. The Supreme Court docket has to be cleared for him to be at the Senate even by Zoom. This doesn't happen before he leaves office. The last impeachment trial took days and was shortened when the Senate refused testimony on Trump's behalf. Schumer argued for it and McConnell denied the Dems the opportunity to present it. This time Trump will demand to defend his "perfect & appropriate conduct while in office," while blaming others and possibly inciting more riotous outcries from his supporters. So, say it all goes forward and 2/3 of the Senate votes to convict. He is already out of office. There would be some collateral consequences. No pension. BFD. $200k would be a BFD to me. Not so much to a Trump. They would possibly sanction him further by prohibiting him from assuming any federal office in the future. No federal benefits like healthcare. Oh well, he never delivered healthcare to the US ppl so that is fair play. Yeah, it doesn't do a whole lot. 2x impeachment strikes for the history books instead of just one.
House votes to move with 25th Amendment... Pence has already issued a letter to Nancy to oppose it. Next, impeachment is on the horizon, as the blue wave picks up steam in the House, of which is expected to come ashore again tomorrow. Impeachment moves forward, then it is in the hands of the Senate. If the kitchen gets too hot, then Trump will start to panic and gather all the pardons necessary for his family, and anyone willing to pay... like the prices at a Trump hotel. Then, Trump talks to Mike, Mike agrees to pardon Trump as if he's repenting for his sins. Trump gets pardoned, then he resigns... If things play out like this, then Trump will rule his party for the next 4 years, until the Republican Party splinters into two, while Democrats consolidate power and ride that blue wave to towards a sunset. And Trump will set that party on fire, for having "betrayed" him as he contemplates running in 2024. However, if impeached, you'll never hear about Trump until he trumps up his own television network. Mind you, I didn't mention the litigation waiting for his doorstep in Mar-A-Bye-GO...
Evie reminds me of V for Vendetta... the irony. -> "3 USC §102, called the "Former Presidents Act," which entitles those who serve as presidents to things like a pension, an office space, office staff and money for travel and security...
But a former president removed by impeachment wouldn’t qualify for that.
"It defines 'former presidents,' the people entitled to these things, as anyone whose term in office ended by some means other than being impeached and removed," Kalt said. "In other words, if his term ends on the 20th at noon, he gets these benefits under current law. If he resigns he gets them too."
Trump at this point is just luggage he can’t even win elections in Georgia trumps useless to them now. McConnell wants those almighty suburban voters trump scared away.McConnell is gonna upset trump voters but what are they gonna do vote Democrat? It’s gonna be for the best to impeach him to get the republicans out of this conspiracy mindset.
I think all of his wrongdoing needs to be exposed by any means necessary. I don't have high hopes that he will be removed before the 20th but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be impeached and shamed. All these Rs asking for unity reminds me of an abusive spouse...hey I know I hit you but if you call the cops it might make me hit you again.
A lot of their base vote blindly for them for faith-based reasons. This is why so many that abhor Trump voted for him anyway, to push forth their anti-abortion etc agenda. This is a very unique situation and I think a lot of Trump supporters are going to expect their elected officials to do the right thing and pivot. (except for those that have been swayed by Qanon).
House just approved a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th amendment. Earlier, Pence said he would not invoke the 25th, and I doubt he will change his mind. Impeachment, I pray senate will vote yes to impeach. Hope springs eternal. He should have been removed immediately. A lot of destruction (records, documentation, digital) and violence can occur between now and the inaugural.
Prayfully, not on the inauguration. Perhaps the ceremony should be done inside and more secretly??? Lots of maniacs out there.....just looking for something to destroy.
Given his record for not taking responsibility for anything and his view of doing everything he's ever done 'perfectly' - we cannot take his word for how much is his responsibility.
The phrase 'a massive slight against him and his supporters' really irks me, honestly. His supporters are the ones who caused this. They perpetrated it. People have died, are now infected with COVID, lost their jobs... And I can only imagine how the world is viewing us. I can see the headlines from around the world, but we are no longer in the position we were even five years ago because of his actions during his Presidency.
Words matter. Simple as that. Because of his need to be loved, the words he chose made a certain group of people love him who are prone to violence. He literally asked his supporters to come to Washington on 6 Jan. They came. He told them to march to the Capital. They did. Unfortunately, he didn't tell them what to do once they got there. So some of them decided they were going to go /into/ the Capital and address Congress (and worse). And apparently, some had already decided this beforehand. We all saw the gallows and zip-tie guy.
According to reports, he was glued to the television. He refused to allow the National Guard to move in for a significant period of time. He reluctantly gave a statement, but it was a soft one. And one he has since said he regrets doing (as usual).
I feel like I am babbling here - because we all know the details. There were no Antifa/BLM/whatever paid actors committing these crimes. They were all there because he called them to be there.
Bottom line: NONE of this would have happened had he not sown the seeds and watered them. I can bet families have not been this divided since The Civil War. HE did this. I want him impeached so he never gets the chance to do it again.
Impeach him. Not doing so is just more appeasement. But don’t go parading around saying it’s an indictment on the whole Republican Party and conservatives
I fear his dunkerheaded children will parade around the cult once he’s gone. He will be gone, but the shit stain he left will be generational. It’s a forgone conclusion at this point.
I know it’s petty thing but if more Republicans don’t get behind impeaching this lunatic I hope that Democrats freeze out EVERY LITTLE THING they want to do the same way Mitch and his goon squad have for the past 4 years. You can not have your cake and eat it too.
I hope he is impeached and removed. He and his supporters need to know that there are consequences to their actions. It’s sad that McConnell is only now going with the majority. He should have been the leader he was elected to be. This is not going to redeem him and I think that’s what he’s hoping. The republicans have a lot of work to do to redeem themselves for keeping this monster in the White House. So many of us saw what Trump was when he announced he was running, during his campaign and even more so as President. He should have been stopped a long time ago.
We need to rid the cancer in the WH. Our opinions are just that.
Just opinions.
Keep this in mind. Those domestic terrorists, who crashed the Capitol, are not supporters of our country.They are supporters of the dictator in the WH.
the problems we are experiencing now stem from the reconstruction era. none of the seditious rebels were held accountable, instead, they were given statues, had streets named after them etc. we must hold those responsible for this terrorist attack accountable, including those in Congress who enabled this to happen. if we don't, this will happen again. My hope is that McConnell's greed for power will lead to a conviction. i am sure the likes of cruz, hawley, rubio will also vote for conviction because it will take trump out of the 2024 election. of course, i am shocked by the way the terrorists destroyed. disrespected the Capitol and our democracy, but i am not at all surprised. trump must be convicted and stripped of any benefits afforded our past presidents. our democracy depends on this happening. period.
Thank you for having the open forum and this discussion. I believe that once the congressmen & senators who actively encouraged the insurrection are publicly exposed there won’t be much resistance to finding trump guilty in the impeachment trial.
PAY ATTENTION......LEARN.........TAKE THESE ACTIONS OCCURING AS A LESSON FOR 'OUR FUTURE' AND 'FUTURE GENERATIONS'....in my long, long life, I never thought it would ever come to this........
Those who backed inflammatory rhetoric for the past four years are preaching unity. The COVID deniers are saying our priority should now be fighting the pandemic - acts of self-preservation from people who know they are on the wrong side of history and fear the political consequences. Republicans with a conscience joining the impeachment of arguably the most divisive figure in American history is the ultimate act of unity.
Impeachment passes House but not Senate. I dont think he resigns because he would see that as weakness. He leaves at the end of his term and hopefully SDNY prosecutes. The divide we have in the country will get worse when others use the Trump playbook-lie, repeat the lie, never stop lying.
This is al so disheartening that it is hard to think about it clearly. The impeachment would keep him from taking on any public government role again which is very important, but it won't keep him from leading his followers into some future debacle.
I am split in this personally. I feel that Trump probably deserves impeachment, but it isn’t really that useful. The man will be next to 80 years old in 4 years. Although the momentum is growing for it to actually happen. I think if Trump realizes they have the votes, he resigns.
I think it is extremely interesting that the day it becomes clear he will be impeached Trump goes to Alamo Texas and Marjorie Taylor Greene wears a mask that says Molon Labe ("Come And Get Them" in Greek made famous by King Leonidas at Thermopylae). Not sure what the fascination in last stands that end horrendously is all about.
I listened to the President speak, and I read all of his tweets I did not hear or read where he "called for violence." Per usual, I've heard those on the left regurgitating the lies they heard from the talking heads on CNN and MSNBC. Exactly which statement made by the President was insurrection or sedition? When he told the people to "Remember, we are the party of law and order", when he told the people to "Keep fighting for honest elections", or was it when he told everyone to "Go home in peace and love, and never forget this day"?
If they don't impeach TMP taxpayers will be funding a $200K federal pension, as well as medical care, Secret Service detail, and other ex-president percs... for as long as he lives.
Yes, agree. First step is impeach and then Senate must convict. It is unfortunate that Pence would not agree to the 25th. Also unfortunate that Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV) objected to Unanimous Consent, which would have allowed Republicans to vote anonymously.
If Congress does nothing there are no consequences for TMP inciting a riot on the Capitol and attempting a coup. A common thief doesn't get to argue exoneration because he's got a lot of thug friends in the neighborhood who will be upset if he goes to jail. If he walks away free and clear how do you explain that, especially to kids? As for me, I never thought I would agree with Liz Cheney or Mitch McConnell on anything. But clearly there is a moral imperative to take some kind of action here, which transcends political differences.
Erin Marrow Hawley and Heidi Cruz must be considering their futures. Heidi has a large Goldman Sachs portfolio and Erin Marrow Hawley is a former Supreme Court clerk.
Everything since the riot has felt like a slow boil from when the VP started giving orders to the Pentagon for reinforcements. Everyone in that room/on those calls can be considered politically reliable minus Rep McCarthy who was, reportedly, a puddle of ooze. They had to stop the insurrection, it didn't just stop on its own.
Enough National Guardsmen to secure the government weren't in place till the end of the past weekend and FBI needed time to track down and piece together everything. There's been a steady drip of reported stories that the scope and planning is shocking but can't be discussed right now.
From the social nuking a week ago to putting the metal detectors for the House today, to about an hour ago it was announced that Guardsmen are now authorized to carry fire arms has been about bottling up what is an active insurrection.
The timing of impeachment and conviction, I think, will eventually line up with security preparations. The isolation and secrecy needed to conduct and execute plots works in the favor of small d democrats in combating now compromised cells.
I saw a comparison, forget who rn, of the meeting between Avon and Stringer reminiscing right before they move on each other and the meeting at the White House between Trump and Pence this week.
P.S. The confirmed reporting from the NYT regarding Leader McConnell on impeachment turns the heat up again.
Trump will drag an impeachment trial out and make it into a spectacle. For example, he might call every one of the criminally accused from 1/6/20 as defense witnesses to ostensibly claim they were not influenced by DJT. With criminal cases pending, each would most likely be accompanied by his/her attorney and assert his/her 5thA right. Redundant, tedious and time consuming. This is the most litigious man in America, Mr. Appellate Shit-Stained Briefs. To what end? The Senate may or may not convict. That McConnell is in favor and Liz Cheney is gun-ho, is huge. The Teflon man is going to face legal consequences once he is out of office in the State of New York. No pardon there. I don't think he can be preemptively pardoned for fraudulent dealings with the IRS. One more week of mayhem. All efforts need to be made to quell the storm and to keep people safe.
Maybe, but he is the "victim," the accused with due process rights. The testimony they blocked the last time was testimony that would have helped to impeach him, not testimony he views to be in his favor. McConnell shut out testimony that would have hurt Trump then. Trump will so scream his due process rights have been violated if not permitted to put on an adequate defense and then expect more rioting.
Honestly, McConnell is a master manipulator of media...he is trying to burnish his legacy as well as torture Trump just a leeetle. He knows that the only way to influence Trump is to make him believe he is in legal danger — so he is trying to extract whatever concessions he can get from Trump to present to the party
Passes impeachment. If McConnell is on board, it passes conviction. This is his chance to reign in the party again and prevent it from being overtaken by the Q-squad. Also, I doubt McConnell has a desire to run again after this term, so he could spend his time setting up for a successor instead — likely AG Cameron.
Adding to my comment about McConnell et al. taking heat from home, the sting of all that donor money washing away. That’ll be the finish nail in all of it. And, it’ll happen (impeached on 19th or 21st) quicker than the drop of a guillotine. And the “grand old” elephant party will move on down the road, pockets fat as ever.
I hate to say zero, so I’ll say 10% chance he’s impeached. Nobody loves theater and self promotion more than members of Congress. I could be wrong, but it would take a Herculean effort to impeach him. In my opinion, it would take Cornyn to get the number to where it needs to be and that’s NOT happening. He still has a “chance” to win if he decides to run again in 2024, albeit shrinking chance. If he votes to impeach, he places the nail in his own coffin.
I feel Like nothing is gonna happen to him. The Republicans really don’t care about “the people” all that stuff they said last week was to save their ass from media. The impeachment trial would happen after his term ends so wouldn’t that be hard to make happen since Biden will be having senate approvals for his admin picks? Or am I wrong?
Yashar — when do you think they’ll release the shocking video they referred to in the press conference?
Also, very curious to see how many GOP reps surprise us with a “yes” to impeach vote tomorrow. So far we’re at, what? 4? I believe I read 10-20 were anticipated. Wondering if they’ll make themselves known beforehand.
He gets the boot(hopefully) . It feels like there's really is momentum for it to happen. If the McConnell stuff is true I think it could happen this week. They can bring the senate back early right? What a crazy time in history.
I think that liberals putting their hopes with McConnell is absolutely going to turn out poorly for them. There is -100 chance he would vote to impeach.
Again, the House is going to impeach. There will not be a vote to impeach in the Senate, that is not their job. Their job is a trial that determines whether or not to convict Trump once he has been impeached by the house.
I guess there are few of us left the had Civics in high school followed by Political Science freshman year in college.
Um, I think the last four years have educated our voting age population class in re. to Congressional procedure than any Civics 101 course. Just saying.
I would have hoped, but many consistently get it wrong.
It’s like assault, so many get it wrong that most dictionaries now perpetuate the incorrect usage. Assault is a credible threat of harm. Battery is actually striking the blow. Still, almost everyone gets it wrong.
No apology necessary, you are in the majority, almost everyone gets it wrong. I, probably, am overly assertive when it comes to specificity of language. My stumble is I can’t spell (dyslexic) and botch punctuation.
McConnell doesn’t provide cover for R’s in states like TX. That would be a stand alone vote if Cornyn decided to vote alongside the Speaker (if he does indeed vote to impeach.) Cornyn wouldn’t survive politically.
That’s true but there are republicans like sasse and The one from Alaska who hinted at impeachment. Idk I feel like there is a better shot then the Ukraine impeachment.
I’ve seen where 17 (some say 18) R’s are needed. It would be a tall task getting there. Like I said above, it doesn’t happen w/o Cornyn. Numbers don’t add up and I simply don’t think he can politically afford to vote to convict. He holds ALOT of power in terms of conviction.
That’s only if everyone is there. If 20+ suddenly find themselves claiming a self quarantine, giving themselves an excuse to not be there for the vote, it would only take a handful to pass. The rule is 2/3 of members present.
So what the hell happens now? --> House sends impeachment articles to Senate, no action taken there prior to 20th. Trump leaves. McConnell determines if there are enough votes to bar Trump from running in 2024. It either passes quickly or dies quickly in the Senate.
This is the most realistic scenario, although it's clear that McConnell is giving cover to House GOP members to vote for impeachment. McConnell is trying to calm the donor class while avoiding the implosion of his party. People have short memories, but a large contingent of GOP members' incitement to insurrection coupled with voting to de-certify electors, while Trump excitedly watched the riot rage for hours is an image that will be hard to erase.
Could Trump have stopped the riots??????
Seriously? Of course. The rioters all attended the 'pre-coup' rally. Had Trump said "thank you for your loyalty. we lost this election--there was no fraud or theft" that would have been the end of it. The white supremacists and neo-Nazis would have lost too much 'cover' to attempt the assault without the brainwashed Trump supporters.
....I would Dumpo encouraged the rioters as much as he could......emails?? posting divisive statements??? Just his _((* appearance.....
How GOP moves forward will be interesting...so far anti Impeachment argument is process driven..we don’t have time..why rush this. This might be the way out for GOP reps not to vote for it. Speeches on the floor have condemned DJT words. Some have said they aren’t impeachable though. Striking as they are arguing this in the chamber which is a federal crime scene...
Neither the public, the GOP donor class, nor history will regard 'process arguments' as sufficient when weighed against the horrific visuals watched by the world. As more information is revealed, we are learning that the rioters were armed not only with weapons but with detailed floor plans, inside information as to Democratic leadership locations, and allegations of direct coordination of insurrectionist leaders with GOP House members. When the full details of 1/6 are known, these 'process or not-impeachable' GOP members will either be outcasts or members of a marginalized Trump party.
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
....not impeachable enough??????????????
I think we'll likely see Biden/McConnell's plan go through, with a half-day trial compromise after Trump leaves office. I'm of the opinion it's the right move, as it crushes Trump going forward without lighting a powder keg before the 20th.
Put the guy in a straight jacket and cart him off in an ambulance
I don’t think we can trust McConnell to work with Biden. His goal is to win back the Senate in 2024. Slowing down Biden appointments and financial and pandemic agendas will contribute to that goal. Let’s keep our powder dry.
It's true he is a purely transactional politician. I wonder how many chips he thinks he will be owed if he supports the Dem effort to remove TMP, who is out the door anyway. On the other hand, McConnel is 80 years old, and crippled from polio, and just had to be carried off the floor by aides and Capitol Police in order to save him from the TMP barbarians. So maybe the Grinch found Christmas.
But now with the Senate 50/50 - he's no longer the Majority Leader, right? Once they are sworn in, Harris is the deciding vote if it's split. We are not beholden to McConnell any longer.
True. McConnell and Biden worked together for decades. They can do it again.
As an outsider looking in, it's fvcking hard.
Let him off - he's a legend to his fans, they'll love him more.
Impeach him (please) - more "proof" to his fans that the world is against them, they'll love him more.
I prefer the latter, it will help the rest of the world damp down our own respective fvckwits.
You're not alone, fortunately / unfortunately as the case may be...
🤞
Mr.Trump's behavior is predictable. He is a deranged, narcissistic sociopath, as was Adolph Hitler. He has used Hitler's playbook. It is imperative that he be held accountable, and banned from holding public office again.
We, as a nation, need to listen to those who know whereof they speak. Arnold Schwarzenegger's statement is one we should take seriously.
We have a problem in this country with White Supremacists who still think they can win the Civil War. Trump did not create them; he is simply convenient for them. We need to deal with our White Supremacy problem, and our Trump problem, before the world has to step in and help us, as the world had to step in to deal with Hitler and his Nazis.
AMEN
This isn’t complicated. The president has been lying to the country about the election for months. Almost half the country believed his lies and believed him when he told them their voices weren’t being heard. Then he told them to actively attack his/their own government and they did. A person who does these things to/in his own country is a traitor. Traitors shouldn’t be free and they def shouldn’t be President.
Just read about the "reconnaissance mission" members gave the day before the attack, and AOC's IG live. I am stunned. I don't see how there isn't a huge investigation and members arrested. Obviously, I am hoping McConnell convicts, but sadly wouldn't be surprised if that doesn't happen, because, of course. This is next level bs, and we're only hearing it days later. Why???
I think McConnel et al. are taking a lot of heat from home. The imagery did not sit well with a lot of middles. People, believe it or not, do not want a civil war in this country. And, those people who are able to make intelligible phone calls to their reps can put all this together in their own heads. He might just get impeached. It’ll be on January 19 or 21.
McConnell only reacted when donors started cutting off the money spigot.
Liz has taken the opportunity to separate herself and possibly take #1 spot in the House.
Boebort might be in some serious legal jeopardy.
I hope so. She is unstable and needs to understand that rules apply to everyone, even her Q Karen victimhood
Mad I misspelled her name, I have affectionately been calling her Qbert.
This right here. It's all about the money.
Boebert has a fuzzy background. She was a high school dropout, but claimed to get a GED last year without any documentation.
Hawley went to Stanford, Yale, and taught at St. Paul's and he has made the two most common mistakes I have seen lately by several people. What the 1st amendment covers and what Orwellian means. (Or just thinks his constituents don't)
Goes on an extended paternity leave for his newborn daughter.
.RUNNING AWAY???
Hero of the working man against the coastal elites
We impeach the President; and send the articles to the Senate. Yes, the trial won’t begin until the day before Trump leaves office, at the earliest but at this point I think it’s less about getting Trump out of office & more about punishing him and making sure that there are consequences for Presidents who incite insurrections.
Seems like the bare fvcking minimum...
Yeah, but it’s about all we can do.
At least he'd never be able to run for office again.
Yeah, but I think that's only if the Senate votes to convict.
They have to move separately on that issue. It is not a given with a conviction.
Really? I thought it was. But I'm going off what I'm reading in the news.
Yeah that's what I meant - impeachment apparently does nothing.
There are some misconceptions especially about when a trial starts in the Senate. There are pre-trial matters, witness lists to exchange, subpoenas to serve, depositions, trial scheduling and then the trial dates. There was talk about not handing the Senate the Articles of Impeachment for 100 days so President Biden could get settled into office. Chief Justice Roberts presides over a trial. The Supreme Court docket has to be cleared for him to be at the Senate even by Zoom. This doesn't happen before he leaves office. The last impeachment trial took days and was shortened when the Senate refused testimony on Trump's behalf. Schumer argued for it and McConnell denied the Dems the opportunity to present it. This time Trump will demand to defend his "perfect & appropriate conduct while in office," while blaming others and possibly inciting more riotous outcries from his supporters. So, say it all goes forward and 2/3 of the Senate votes to convict. He is already out of office. There would be some collateral consequences. No pension. BFD. $200k would be a BFD to me. Not so much to a Trump. They would possibly sanction him further by prohibiting him from assuming any federal office in the future. No federal benefits like healthcare. Oh well, he never delivered healthcare to the US ppl so that is fair play. Yeah, it doesn't do a whole lot. 2x impeachment strikes for the history books instead of just one.
House votes to move with 25th Amendment... Pence has already issued a letter to Nancy to oppose it. Next, impeachment is on the horizon, as the blue wave picks up steam in the House, of which is expected to come ashore again tomorrow. Impeachment moves forward, then it is in the hands of the Senate. If the kitchen gets too hot, then Trump will start to panic and gather all the pardons necessary for his family, and anyone willing to pay... like the prices at a Trump hotel. Then, Trump talks to Mike, Mike agrees to pardon Trump as if he's repenting for his sins. Trump gets pardoned, then he resigns... If things play out like this, then Trump will rule his party for the next 4 years, until the Republican Party splinters into two, while Democrats consolidate power and ride that blue wave to towards a sunset. And Trump will set that party on fire, for having "betrayed" him as he contemplates running in 2024. However, if impeached, you'll never hear about Trump until he trumps up his own television network. Mind you, I didn't mention the litigation waiting for his doorstep in Mar-A-Bye-GO...
That's why he needs to be impeached
You are absolutely right, but me might resign, IF, he sees that coming, but who knows
But if he resigns, would he still be able to get all the perks a conviction would remove? (Though somewhere in here someone said that's more extra)
Evie reminds me of V for Vendetta... the irony. -> "3 USC §102, called the "Former Presidents Act," which entitles those who serve as presidents to things like a pension, an office space, office staff and money for travel and security...
But a former president removed by impeachment wouldn’t qualify for that.
"It defines 'former presidents,' the people entitled to these things, as anyone whose term in office ended by some means other than being impeached and removed," Kalt said. "In other words, if his term ends on the 20th at noon, he gets these benefits under current law. If he resigns he gets them too."
Source: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/verify/if-president-trump-is-impeached-he-forfeits-his-pension-travel-fund-security-detail-is-that-true/65-3d189015-2897-46a1-8ac7-aa923d243cf1
Trump at this point is just luggage he can’t even win elections in Georgia trumps useless to them now. McConnell wants those almighty suburban voters trump scared away.McConnell is gonna upset trump voters but what are they gonna do vote Democrat? It’s gonna be for the best to impeach him to get the republicans out of this conspiracy mindset.
Trump voters hate republicans right now too, so it honestly doesn’t matter.
Exactly those suburban voters are willing to vote Democrat so he’s gonna want to bring them back to republicans and to get rid of trump is a start.
ASAP
I think all of his wrongdoing needs to be exposed by any means necessary. I don't have high hopes that he will be removed before the 20th but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be impeached and shamed. All these Rs asking for unity reminds me of an abusive spouse...hey I know I hit you but if you call the cops it might make me hit you again.
............just 'lock him up' and throw away the key.......no publicity....no pictures....zilch....nada....bye bye.....
Impeach him as soon as possible. Maybe have him committed as he is obviously a danger to himself and others.
A lot of their base vote blindly for them for faith-based reasons. This is why so many that abhor Trump voted for him anyway, to push forth their anti-abortion etc agenda. This is a very unique situation and I think a lot of Trump supporters are going to expect their elected officials to do the right thing and pivot. (except for those that have been swayed by Qanon).
Geez, was it really worth tearing down democracy to get a few pro-life judges on the bench?
Single issue voter
House just approved a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th amendment. Earlier, Pence said he would not invoke the 25th, and I doubt he will change his mind. Impeachment, I pray senate will vote yes to impeach. Hope springs eternal. He should have been removed immediately. A lot of destruction (records, documentation, digital) and violence can occur between now and the inaugural.
Prayfully, not on the inauguration. Perhaps the ceremony should be done inside and more secretly??? Lots of maniacs out there.....just looking for something to destroy.
A Cheney and John Woo being key figures in putting a check on executive power is surreal
And don't forget Barr. How did that theory of protecting executive power at all costs work out for America, Attorney General?
*Yoo not Woo
Given his record for not taking responsibility for anything and his view of doing everything he's ever done 'perfectly' - we cannot take his word for how much is his responsibility.
The phrase 'a massive slight against him and his supporters' really irks me, honestly. His supporters are the ones who caused this. They perpetrated it. People have died, are now infected with COVID, lost their jobs... And I can only imagine how the world is viewing us. I can see the headlines from around the world, but we are no longer in the position we were even five years ago because of his actions during his Presidency.
Words matter. Simple as that. Because of his need to be loved, the words he chose made a certain group of people love him who are prone to violence. He literally asked his supporters to come to Washington on 6 Jan. They came. He told them to march to the Capital. They did. Unfortunately, he didn't tell them what to do once they got there. So some of them decided they were going to go /into/ the Capital and address Congress (and worse). And apparently, some had already decided this beforehand. We all saw the gallows and zip-tie guy.
According to reports, he was glued to the television. He refused to allow the National Guard to move in for a significant period of time. He reluctantly gave a statement, but it was a soft one. And one he has since said he regrets doing (as usual).
I feel like I am babbling here - because we all know the details. There were no Antifa/BLM/whatever paid actors committing these crimes. They were all there because he called them to be there.
Bottom line: NONE of this would have happened had he not sown the seeds and watered them. I can bet families have not been this divided since The Civil War. HE did this. I want him impeached so he never gets the chance to do it again.
What else is going to come out in the next few days that we don't understand now about this?
What if there was another attack or some horrific act of violence and Republicans are still saying nothing or fluff statements?
It's insane to watch the delayed response to this and the lack of understanding of risk moving forward.
The pathetic grifters responding identically to McConnell represent the crowd they want to get rid of in the Republican Party. Now is his chance.
Move forward with impeachment. Let Republicans vote their conscience. We are watching along with the rest of the world.
Impeach him. Not doing so is just more appeasement. But don’t go parading around saying it’s an indictment on the whole Republican Party and conservatives
I fear his dunkerheaded children will parade around the cult once he’s gone. He will be gone, but the shit stain he left will be generational. It’s a forgone conclusion at this point.
I know it’s petty thing but if more Republicans don’t get behind impeaching this lunatic I hope that Democrats freeze out EVERY LITTLE THING they want to do the same way Mitch and his goon squad have for the past 4 years. You can not have your cake and eat it too.
I hope he is impeached and removed. He and his supporters need to know that there are consequences to their actions. It’s sad that McConnell is only now going with the majority. He should have been the leader he was elected to be. This is not going to redeem him and I think that’s what he’s hoping. The republicans have a lot of work to do to redeem themselves for keeping this monster in the White House. So many of us saw what Trump was when he announced he was running, during his campaign and even more so as President. He should have been stopped a long time ago.
We need to rid the cancer in the WH. Our opinions are just that.
Just opinions.
Keep this in mind. Those domestic terrorists, who crashed the Capitol, are not supporters of our country.They are supporters of the dictator in the WH.
Liz Cheney should deal with her dads fake war first.
the problems we are experiencing now stem from the reconstruction era. none of the seditious rebels were held accountable, instead, they were given statues, had streets named after them etc. we must hold those responsible for this terrorist attack accountable, including those in Congress who enabled this to happen. if we don't, this will happen again. My hope is that McConnell's greed for power will lead to a conviction. i am sure the likes of cruz, hawley, rubio will also vote for conviction because it will take trump out of the 2024 election. of course, i am shocked by the way the terrorists destroyed. disrespected the Capitol and our democracy, but i am not at all surprised. trump must be convicted and stripped of any benefits afforded our past presidents. our democracy depends on this happening. period.
Thank you for having the open forum and this discussion. I believe that once the congressmen & senators who actively encouraged the insurrection are publicly exposed there won’t be much resistance to finding trump guilty in the impeachment trial.
PAY ATTENTION......LEARN.........TAKE THESE ACTIONS OCCURING AS A LESSON FOR 'OUR FUTURE' AND 'FUTURE GENERATIONS'....in my long, long life, I never thought it would ever come to this........
Those who backed inflammatory rhetoric for the past four years are preaching unity. The COVID deniers are saying our priority should now be fighting the pandemic - acts of self-preservation from people who know they are on the wrong side of history and fear the political consequences. Republicans with a conscience joining the impeachment of arguably the most divisive figure in American history is the ultimate act of unity.
Impeachment passes House but not Senate. I dont think he resigns because he would see that as weakness. He leaves at the end of his term and hopefully SDNY prosecutes. The divide we have in the country will get worse when others use the Trump playbook-lie, repeat the lie, never stop lying.
This is al so disheartening that it is hard to think about it clearly. The impeachment would keep him from taking on any public government role again which is very important, but it won't keep him from leading his followers into some future debacle.
I am split in this personally. I feel that Trump probably deserves impeachment, but it isn’t really that useful. The man will be next to 80 years old in 4 years. Although the momentum is growing for it to actually happen. I think if Trump realizes they have the votes, he resigns.
I think it is extremely interesting that the day it becomes clear he will be impeached Trump goes to Alamo Texas and Marjorie Taylor Greene wears a mask that says Molon Labe ("Come And Get Them" in Greek made famous by King Leonidas at Thermopylae). Not sure what the fascination in last stands that end horrendously is all about.
I listened to the President speak, and I read all of his tweets I did not hear or read where he "called for violence." Per usual, I've heard those on the left regurgitating the lies they heard from the talking heads on CNN and MSNBC. Exactly which statement made by the President was insurrection or sedition? When he told the people to "Remember, we are the party of law and order", when he told the people to "Keep fighting for honest elections", or was it when he told everyone to "Go home in peace and love, and never forget this day"?
If they don't impeach TMP taxpayers will be funding a $200K federal pension, as well as medical care, Secret Service detail, and other ex-president percs... for as long as he lives.
No - they have to convict him. He was already impeached a year ago for Ukraine.
Yes, agree. First step is impeach and then Senate must convict. It is unfortunate that Pence would not agree to the 25th. Also unfortunate that Representative Alex Mooney (R-WV) objected to Unanimous Consent, which would have allowed Republicans to vote anonymously.
:|
But - the good thing about the 25th: he can't pardon Trump
If Congress does nothing there are no consequences for TMP inciting a riot on the Capitol and attempting a coup. A common thief doesn't get to argue exoneration because he's got a lot of thug friends in the neighborhood who will be upset if he goes to jail. If he walks away free and clear how do you explain that, especially to kids? As for me, I never thought I would agree with Liz Cheney or Mitch McConnell on anything. But clearly there is a moral imperative to take some kind of action here, which transcends political differences.
I think that once Trump leaves in whatever form that is McConnell & Cheney will go back to the soulless jackholes we've all come to dislike.
Erin Marrow Hawley and Heidi Cruz must be considering their futures. Heidi has a large Goldman Sachs portfolio and Erin Marrow Hawley is a former Supreme Court clerk.
Everything since the riot has felt like a slow boil from when the VP started giving orders to the Pentagon for reinforcements. Everyone in that room/on those calls can be considered politically reliable minus Rep McCarthy who was, reportedly, a puddle of ooze. They had to stop the insurrection, it didn't just stop on its own.
Enough National Guardsmen to secure the government weren't in place till the end of the past weekend and FBI needed time to track down and piece together everything. There's been a steady drip of reported stories that the scope and planning is shocking but can't be discussed right now.
From the social nuking a week ago to putting the metal detectors for the House today, to about an hour ago it was announced that Guardsmen are now authorized to carry fire arms has been about bottling up what is an active insurrection.
The timing of impeachment and conviction, I think, will eventually line up with security preparations. The isolation and secrecy needed to conduct and execute plots works in the favor of small d democrats in combating now compromised cells.
I saw a comparison, forget who rn, of the meeting between Avon and Stringer reminiscing right before they move on each other and the meeting at the White House between Trump and Pence this week.
P.S. The confirmed reporting from the NYT regarding Leader McConnell on impeachment turns the heat up again.
Trump will drag an impeachment trial out and make it into a spectacle. For example, he might call every one of the criminally accused from 1/6/20 as defense witnesses to ostensibly claim they were not influenced by DJT. With criminal cases pending, each would most likely be accompanied by his/her attorney and assert his/her 5thA right. Redundant, tedious and time consuming. This is the most litigious man in America, Mr. Appellate Shit-Stained Briefs. To what end? The Senate may or may not convict. That McConnell is in favor and Liz Cheney is gun-ho, is huge. The Teflon man is going to face legal consequences once he is out of office in the State of New York. No pardon there. I don't think he can be preemptively pardoned for fraudulent dealings with the IRS. One more week of mayhem. All efforts need to be made to quell the storm and to keep people safe.
Can't they stipulate they won't hear from those folks though? I mean, they were able to block testimony from the first impeachment.
Maybe, but he is the "victim," the accused with due process rights. The testimony they blocked the last time was testimony that would have helped to impeach him, not testimony he views to be in his favor. McConnell shut out testimony that would have hurt Trump then. Trump will so scream his due process rights have been violated if not permitted to put on an adequate defense and then expect more rioting.
Awesome
Honestly, McConnell is a master manipulator of media...he is trying to burnish his legacy as well as torture Trump just a leeetle. He knows that the only way to influence Trump is to make him believe he is in legal danger — so he is trying to extract whatever concessions he can get from Trump to present to the party
Passes impeachment. If McConnell is on board, it passes conviction. This is his chance to reign in the party again and prevent it from being overtaken by the Q-squad. Also, I doubt McConnell has a desire to run again after this term, so he could spend his time setting up for a successor instead — likely AG Cameron.
Adding to my comment about McConnell et al. taking heat from home, the sting of all that donor money washing away. That’ll be the finish nail in all of it. And, it’ll happen (impeached on 19th or 21st) quicker than the drop of a guillotine. And the “grand old” elephant party will move on down the road, pockets fat as ever.
I hate to say zero, so I’ll say 10% chance he’s impeached. Nobody loves theater and self promotion more than members of Congress. I could be wrong, but it would take a Herculean effort to impeach him. In my opinion, it would take Cornyn to get the number to where it needs to be and that’s NOT happening. He still has a “chance” to win if he decides to run again in 2024, albeit shrinking chance. If he votes to impeach, he places the nail in his own coffin.
You are thinking about conviction in the Senate. 100% the house will impeach. They are two separate actions.
Axios just reported there’s more than a 50 percent chance McConnell goes for impeachment that’s pretty crazy.
I feel Like nothing is gonna happen to him. The Republicans really don’t care about “the people” all that stuff they said last week was to save their ass from media. The impeachment trial would happen after his term ends so wouldn’t that be hard to make happen since Biden will be having senate approvals for his admin picks? Or am I wrong?
Well Trump was able to have 'acting' people for years. They can wait a lil' while longer
Yashar — when do you think they’ll release the shocking video they referred to in the press conference?
Also, very curious to see how many GOP reps surprise us with a “yes” to impeach vote tomorrow. So far we’re at, what? 4? I believe I read 10-20 were anticipated. Wondering if they’ll make themselves known beforehand.
Also, what time are they expected to vote?
He gets the boot(hopefully) . It feels like there's really is momentum for it to happen. If the McConnell stuff is true I think it could happen this week. They can bring the senate back early right? What a crazy time in history.
....our world reputation is going down the drain......hopefully it can be fixed.....thanks trumpsters.
I think that liberals putting their hopes with McConnell is absolutely going to turn out poorly for them. There is -100 chance he would vote to impeach.
Again, the House is going to impeach. There will not be a vote to impeach in the Senate, that is not their job. Their job is a trial that determines whether or not to convict Trump once he has been impeached by the house.
I guess there are few of us left the had Civics in high school followed by Political Science freshman year in college.
Um, I think the last four years have educated our voting age population class in re. to Congressional procedure than any Civics 101 course. Just saying.
I would have hoped, but many consistently get it wrong.
It’s like assault, so many get it wrong that most dictionaries now perpetuate the incorrect usage. Assault is a credible threat of harm. Battery is actually striking the blow. Still, almost everyone gets it wrong.
Common law definitions. There have been changes under the modern criminal code.
Gosh I’m so sorry.
No apology necessary, you are in the majority, almost everyone gets it wrong. I, probably, am overly assertive when it comes to specificity of language. My stumble is I can’t spell (dyslexic) and botch punctuation.
He couldn't get his ppl to stop their ridiculous objections to the electoral votes & procedure.
Axios just reported that there is a more than 50 percent chance that McConnell votes to convict which is crazy
McConnell doesn’t provide cover for R’s in states like TX. That would be a stand alone vote if Cornyn decided to vote alongside the Speaker (if he does indeed vote to impeach.) Cornyn wouldn’t survive politically.
That’s true but there are republicans like sasse and The one from Alaska who hinted at impeachment. Idk I feel like there is a better shot then the Ukraine impeachment.
I’ve seen where 17 (some say 18) R’s are needed. It would be a tall task getting there. Like I said above, it doesn’t happen w/o Cornyn. Numbers don’t add up and I simply don’t think he can politically afford to vote to convict. He holds ALOT of power in terms of conviction.
That’s only if everyone is there. If 20+ suddenly find themselves claiming a self quarantine, giving themselves an excuse to not be there for the vote, it would only take a handful to pass. The rule is 2/3 of members present.