Lawyering, Politics

“We’ve Heard From Enough Witnesses”: Democrats Oppose Calling Witnesses While Schumer Leaves It To The House Managers

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced yesterday that he would leave the question of whether to call witnesses to the House managers to decide. In the meantime, various Democratic senators said that there is no need for witnesses despite the House repeatedly acknowledging that it does not know critical facts related to Donald Trump’s state of mind. The position of Schumer and the Democrats is in strikingly contrast to their positions in the last two impeachments.

Schumer has stated that the question of whether witnesses will be called is up to the House managers: “We let the managers make the decisions and I try to implement them.”

That is not the position taken by Schumer 21 year ago when he and the Democrats opposed hearing from witnesses. They refused to leave it up the House managers. Indeed, they did not want to have a trial at all and demanded dismissal and then opposed calling witnesses despite the demand of House managers. Ultimately, they allowed a few depositions and no live testimony.  In the first Trump impeachment, no witnesses were called.  Democrats wanted some witnesses but opposed others demanded by the defense.  They did not leave the question to the House managers.

What is striking this time is that there was literally no record in the House. None. There was no hearing, no investigation. Just a snap impeachment. As we have discussed, the House could have held days of hearings and still impeached Trump before leaving the White House on January 20th. (A Senate trial before Trump left office was not an option). They refused. Then four weeks passed where they could have called key witnesses to answer  myriad of questions, they again refused and decided to go forward without such direct evidence.

At the trial, both the House and the defense highlighted critical questions that have remained unanswered due to the lack of such testimony.  Yet, the Democratic senators do not want to hear witnesses anymore than the House. This is not because of prudential objections to the use of a snap impeachment. They have indicated that they do not need such answers to pronounce guilt.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said she heard from enough people through “interviews and video presentation.” Of course, she did not hear a single line of sworn testimony because there is no such testimony despite the availability of direct testimony from witnesses who have already given public statements. Yet, she declared “I feel like we’ve heard from enough witnesses.”

Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said “I think the case has been made. I don’t know what witnesses would add.”  That may be true since no one has even deposed a witness. This is a case of ignorance being bliss when it comes to a desire for conviction.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tried a different tact and said that the accused has the burden.  She said Trump could come and “give his explanation of the day,” but “otherwise, it feels like to me we’re done.”

Of course, the burden is on the House and they presented an entirely circumstantial case on Trump’s state of mind despite a dozen witnesses who could confirm what he said and did in these critical hours. Indeed, the Senate did not even see confirmation on details whether Trump delayed deployment of National Guard or whether the fault of the delay rests equally or more with others, including Congress, on the preparation for and response to the protest and later riot.

The trial therefore will remain circumstantial by design and popular demand.

273 thoughts on ““We’ve Heard From Enough Witnesses”: Democrats Oppose Calling Witnesses While Schumer Leaves It To The House Managers”

  1. No hearings in the house, no evidence, no defense, no witnesses in the Senate. When you are running a kangaroo court those pesky details just get in the way.

    1. tony, the evidence could not be more clear and is in the videos showing the events of Jan 6 and Trump’s words and actions (or lack of action after his Jan 6 speech) – incl tweets – for months before and leading up to and on Jan 6th. What further evidence do you imagine is necessary?

  2. Turley: “That is not the position taken by Schumer 21 year ago when he and the Democrats opposed hearing from witnesses.“

    Um, your position on the constitutionality of retroactive impeachments has “evolved” by your own admission and served “coincidentally” to give the majority of Trumpists a cop-out to avoid convicting Trump despite the fact that your position is ridiculed as “legally frivolous” by the vast majority of constitutional scholars, both liberal and conservative. Despite your constant refrain that there was insufficient evidence of guilt, you plainly lost that argument with the majority of Senators as evidenced by McConnell’s scathing condemnation of Trump’s conduct.

    Turley has certainly lived up to the expectations of his employer, Trump TV, if that is any satisfaction to him….

  4. “Trump defense attorney Michael van der Veen speaks with @LanaZak after the Senate’s acquittal vote: “What happened at the Capitol on January 6 is absolutely horrific. But what happened at the Capitol during this trial was not too far away from that.”

    Watch van der Veen rip the Fake News Media a new one:

    2. At 5 minutes he talks about Democrat impeachment managers “doctoring evidence”…..”shocking” what they did…

      1. We watched FBI attorney Clinesmith “doctor evidence” and get a slap on the wrist. He should have gone to prison. The public trust carries a heavier burden, but as we see here, they almost always get away with it.

    3. He’s had it with the lying Democrat House managers and the corrupt biased “news” media. Takes off his mic and throws it on the floor. Mic drop. Red-pilled America moment, right there.

      1. Turley calls it “anger management” problem. Others call it being “red-pilled” and seething. This is why Trump was elected.

        1. Trump said he wanted to give the country back to “the people” and for this he has been persecuted. His supporters are now being persecuted as domestic terrorists, and worse. MAGA isn’t going away, just fyi GOP.

    4. “what happened at the Capitol during this trial was not too far away from that.”

      Nonsense.

    6. Yeah, he showed that reporter – constrained by her job from ripping back – not to ask any questions, especially asking him to clarify his point. It’s easy to go off on someone with professional standards when you are completely lacking any. He was the perfect attorney for Trump – seething jerk with the personal appeal of John Malkovich.

      Red meat for the mindless.

  5. (music to tune of The Night They Rode Ol Dixie Down)
    The Night! They Rode Ol Trumpster Down!
    The people are saying:
    He’s a nasty dog! His mom raised him on a log!

  6. I can’t fault you here , except for perhaps your lack of clarity in detailing why the Democrats didn’t call witnesses. It’s obvious they do not want certain people under oath and publicly questioned. That much seems pretty obvious. The question is why.

    2. Every Democratic Senator voted in favor of witnesses. Most Republican Senators did not. Instead, they agreed to entering Jaime Herrera Beutler’s statement into evidence as if it were testimony under oath. Trump’s lawyers could have insisted on them voting on other witnesses being deposed. They didn’t. As you said, “It’s obvious they do not want certain people under oath and publicly questioned. That much seems pretty obvious. The question is why.”

  7. “When you strike at a king, you must kill him.”

    – Ralph Waldo Emerson
    ___________________

    Oh, look now.

    There’s President Donald J. Trump, standing tall.

    He’s tan and rested and ready to

    Make America Great Again!

    1. He isn’t standing tall. Biden is President, and Trump is being investigated for criminal acts (as in NY, with his taxes) and facing civil suits (as with the two defamation suits based on accusations against him for sexual harassment and rape).

  8. The entire second sham impeachment actually has little to do with Donald Trump. The Republican Party has essentially joined hands with their fellow corrupt Democrat political hacks to convey their joint message to the Republican base and other American patriots: Fall into line with our corrupt one-party system or you will be silenced and punished. And when we rig elections, that’s none of your business. We determine the outcome of elections, not you, the public. Here’s some political commentary from an intelligent observer on the ongoing fraud against Americans:

  9. “It is not enough to simply beat Trump. He must be destroyed thoroughly. His kind must not rise again.”

    — Tweet by Obama adviser David Plouffe (@davidplouffe), June 13, 2016

    1. Well Jonathan, are you still jerking off on zoom calls, you disgusting turd? You have no shame by coming back to your day job. Pervert.

      1. Greg, You’ve got the wrong guy. The dolphin-flogger was CNN’s Jerrfrey Toobin. Jonathan Turley keeps his hands above the desk when he is interviewed.

  10. The only question that remains is whether the democrats can “STEAL” the Senate trial for impeachment conviction, which they lost, just like they “STOLE” the election, which they lost.

  11. The 57 guilty votes represent over 2/3 of the American people.

    That would actually be a better standard than 2/3s of the Senators.

    1. Senators/Congress/Judges…. Gawd D*mn American Hating Commie/fascist , most of the lot, only got into office by Disenfranchising us Americans out of our Votes in one Stolen Election after the Next!

      More proof of Nationwide Election Voting comes into the public daily:

      Mathematician Reveals How 2020 Election Was Manipulated To Reverse Landside And Choose Loser

      Feb 12, 2021

      https://banned.video/watch?id=602702647257aa039f80514d

      1. I spent 30+ years designing /implementing communication software.
        The speakers were dead-nuts on in their evaluation of the data impossible to be anything other that copying.
        Kudos to those that passed on the similarity of the values.
        Numbers themselves don’t lie.

    2. You as a lefty again horribly misjudge politicians vs reality of the people. Keep at it bruh…it will be your political demise.

    3. Still stupid about federalism I see. We are not a nation. We are individual states with a federal govt. States have the power.

      1. LMAO. We’re a constitutional federal republic. The federal government has power over some things, and states have power over other things.

  12. Pelosi is the first Speaker of the House to bring two failed impeachments. Loser.

    They are terrified that evidence that Trump won the election will keep coming out and then what will they do? They are trying to tie Trump, and us, down before that happens.

    1. No one’s terrified that evidence that Trump won the election will come out.

      Personally, I’m looking forward to the evidence that will come out in the DVS and Smartmatic defamation trials.

      1. I wonder if those cases will ever go to trial. They seem better designed to strike terror than to actually win in litigation. But I don’t really know. I will watch with interest.

        1. They only need to go to discovery, if the judge has not been purchased already by the deep state.

          If Sydney Powell was telling the truth, perhaps the judicial branch or the military will finally act to support the Constitution.

              1. “Yep. “Will” bankrupt her.”

                She has raised already million$, with more coming in daily.

                When you screw over 75 million voters, preceded by 6 months of purposefully coordinated rioting in every major city in the country, there is a price to pay.

                That has nothing to do with Trump, and everything to do with the rule of law.

                2. Smartmatic’s suit against Fox News, Giuliani and Powell asks for $2.7 billion in damages. Dominion’s suit against Powell asks for $1.3 billion in damages. Good luck to her raising that.

                  “That has… everything to do with the rule of law.”

                  Yep. As I said, I’m looking forward to the evidence that will come out in theses suits.

          2. Sydney Powell used the manual for the voting machine for some of her allegations. It would be amusing to see them disavow their own manuals.

            I am not so sure they are trying to win so much as hammer her with process. It is a known tactic when you have a big war chest. But it could backfire and hurt badly when going after someone like Sidney Powell. Even Sullivan’s reputation was badly tarnished in his clash with her. He came out looking like a shabby, petty, vengeful judge with a less than full grip on the law.

            1. I think Powell is the one who came out looking like a shabby, petty, vengeful lawyer with a less than full grip on the law. As you should know, people’s opinions vary a lot.

              I think both companies want vindication. We’ll see.

              As for “Sydney Powell used the manual for the voting machine for some of her allegations,” I just searched her website (sidneypowell.com) and found a single statement with the phrase “Dominion manual”. She said “In the logs we identified that the RCV or Ranked Choice Voting Algorithm was enabled (see image below from the Dominion manual).” The image only shows that there is an RCV profile. Why would they “disavow” an image? She made this statement in suits in GA and MI. I found no statements with the phrase “Smartmatic manual.”

              What allegations involving the manual are YOU referring to? Quote them (or don’t, in which case I’ll conclude that you have nothing).

      2. 400 EX-INTEL OFFICERS INVESTIGATING 2020 ELECTION
        Robert Caron, who began his career with the CIA, told the Epoch Times, the network includes 400 intelligence officers, analysts and operatives in the military, law enforcement and judiciary from the FBI, CIA, Military Intelligence, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency and other agencies. “THE FRAUD WAS SO MASSIVE AND SO BLATANT, DESPITE WHAT THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA AND DEMOCRATS SAY, WE NEED TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC THAT’S WHY MORE AND MORE PEOPLE FROM THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE COMING OUT, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF”.

  13. The number of people in the area was very high. I was surprised to learn during the Senate trial that the breach of the barricades at the Capital Building began an hour before Trump finished his speech. I didn’t hear any documented evidence that those listening to the speech actually participated in the violence at the Capital, a mile away, as I had assumed. Without this, the complaint against President Trump is that he fiercely questioned the integrity of the election.., and the claim that some people have the extraordinary power to read minds, or at least President Trump’s mind.

    I have not attended any rallies or protests. I haven’t called for any violence. That is contrary to my beliefs. President Biden is my President for the next four years. President Trump did not convince me that there was massive fraud in this election. I already believed this.., and I think probably 40 to 50 million voters also believed this.., and still do! President Trump did not deceive me with lies and I don’t believe he deceived them. He represented what I believe. It is an insult to suggest that I’m a mindless marionette, but I get this all the time from those who think they are elite and I am a dumb sheep that needs to be led.

    It has always been a love/hate relationship with President Trump. When he urged Vice President Pence to overturn the election, just as democrats have tried to do in the past, it was not one of those love moments. The news that demonstrators were storming the Capital was devastating. It was an extreme betrayal! They don’t represent me! It was a terrible day!

    Perhaps it’s unwise in today’s culture to share a sincere attempt to be objective about the future. If ballots are mailed out without accountability in future elections and no efforts are put into place for bipartisan validation of ballots received, I believe it is very likely there will be a civil war. I won’t advocate it and I won’t be a part of the movement. I think people need to realize that Trump did not deceive all the unhappy voters. He represented them. I repeat, I will not lead any call to violence.., but I think a person would have to be a little shallow to not foresee this possibility.., and it scares me.

    1. You can watch the cell phone data show people go from the rally to the Capitol. Time lapse video here –
      https://twitter.com/nytopinion/status/1358468243418198016

      It’s not as though the had to remain physically at the rally in order to listen to Trump’s speech. FWIW, a number of the people who’ve been arrested have said that they felt they were answering Trump’s call to act.

      1. I have friends who heard that same “call” and who went to DC and remained peaceful and have denounced the violence.

        They are all professionals….Doctors, Lawyers, and other licensed folk.

        So what is your point?

        Some people hear voices that are not real….some like so many Leftists will support BLM and the violent protests that accompany every Police shooting of a person of Color no matter what the evidence is that proves it a justifiable shooting.

        There were people from both ends of the political spectrum that forced their way into the Capitol….were the Lefties listening to Trump and doing so out of support for him?

        1. “There were people from both ends of the political spectrum that forced their way into the Capitol”

          I’m aware of only one person on the left, John Earl Sullivan, who had been previously condemned by people on the left as an agent provocateur. Please name some of the others on the left who you’re referring to. To help you, here’s a list of all of the people who’ve been identified with a criminal complaint so far –
          https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases

      2. There’s no deception in time-lapsing the video. Oh, heck no.

        Do you also have an “emotion meter” to quantify what the crazies “felt.”

        You are full of ——–.

        There is no point in debating with fabrications and lies.

        The underlying truth is that your welfare state is unconstitutional – y’all just don’t get “free stuff” from other people’s money.

        Without your lying and cheating the Constitution, y’all have no reason to vote or want to win elections.

        There’s no point to voting when the Constitution denies you the power to steal and spend other people’s money.

        You just can’t stand that so you steal elections.

      3. “[T]hey felt they were answering Trump’s call to act.”

        The Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, claimed that a voice incited him to murder prostitutes. The voice apparently “emanated from the gravestone of a long-dead Polish man called Zapolski. It was ‘a voice similar to a human voice, like an echo.'” The voice “told him that prostitutes were ‘the scum of the earth and had to be got rid of.'”

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