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.
From a principled conservative lawyer:
“Former U.S. solicitor general and conservative stalwart Theodore Olson said the U.S. Senate has overwhelming evidence to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial on the charge of inciting a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last month.
The Senate should convict and disqualify Trump, Olson told The National Law Journal this week. What would a conviction take, Olson said, “if it isn’t encouraging, condoning and inciting an attempt at a violent overthrow of the government of the United States in the Capitol Building at a time when Congress is performing one of the most important constitutional responsibilities given to it?”
A partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Washington, Olson, who served as solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration and is considered a dean among U.S. Supreme Court advocates, has long been viewed as an influential voice in legal circles….”
https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2021/02/12/ted-olson-backs-case-for-trump-conviction-at-impeachment-trial/?slreturn=20210113115326
and video:
https://twitter.com/i/status/1360309975080435713
“Former U.S. solicitor general and conservative stalwart Theodore Olson said the U.S. Senate has overwhelming evidence to convict former President Donald Trump at his impeachment trial on the charge of inciting a deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol last month.
Your principled conservative lawyer was insisting some years back that conventional matrimonial law was ‘unconstitutional’.
“Olson was a founding member of the Federalist Society.[29] He has served on the board of directors of American Spectator magazine.[30] Olson was a prominent critic of Bill Clinton’s presidency, and he helped prepare the attorneys of Paula Jones prior to their Supreme Court appearance.[5] Olson served Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign as judicial committee chairman.[29] In 2012 he participated in Paul Ryan’s preparation for the Vice Presidential debate, portraying Joe Biden.[31] He is one of the outspoken advocates for gay marriage in the Republican Party.[32]…”
Ted’s a three time loser (tragically the last one died in 9/11) in marriage now betrothed to Wife 4: a life-long Dim – his second of that variety. Sounds like Stockholm Syndrome or PW.
Trump fan’s should beware of condemning those who’ve married multiple times.
It does not matter if witnesses are called, Moscow Mitch has said he will not convict. Law and order, forgitaboutit. The rule of law, don’t need it. Accountability, who cares? The republican party has decided long ago to ignore reality and facts and evidence. {Of course their rules only apply for republicans} The next wave of QOP or some other bat-s**t craziness idolatry that someone dreams up will get thrown under the wheels just as fast as Trump threw Pence under. The next wave of ‘the party” won’t be funny.
Here’s what we know with absolute certainty:
Trump incited the mob that attacked the Capital. They not only said he did, but they were covered in Trump paraphernalia and waving Trump flags, and headed to the Capital directly from a speech by Trump.. The only question – and barely one for any sensate and logical adult human – is whether Trump intended to incite them. Was this a mistake made by the mob?
The preponderance of the evidence – and lacking a confession, the only way Senators can make the judgement they have to make – is overwhelming that there was no mistake. From months of quotes, Trump’s intent on Jan 6 was to keep the Congress from exercising it’s constitutional duties. We know that. Was he imprecise on his instructions to the mob as to how this would happen? Did he think the mob he gathered – promising it will “be wild” – would sing the national anthem and go home? Who believes that? So we also know with certainty that if he did not mean for the attack to occur, he was then responsible for the “misunderstanding” and that means he was still responsible for the mob – he set it up.
So, we know at best in his defense, Trump was responsible for the mob trying to sack our Capital and possibly murder elected officials but he didn’t intend that to happen. Given the overwhelming evidence. that is highly unlikely, but granting it is remotely possible, he should be convicted anyway. The only relevant question is if he should ever be allowed to hold public office again. At best he’s an incompetent and dangerous fool, and at worst an enemy of the US.
+10
EB
if this “trial” allows you to form an OPINION that evidence has been proven, that due process has been protected, that jurisdiction has been satisfied, that the riot was the direct result of a cause from a speech made by President Trump and not some other causeS…emphasis on CAUSES…plural. And that all of these rioters identify and are connected to a Trump purpose ..and that Intent has been proven.
wow…case closed then.
in the future, we will just depend on your supernatural extralegal opinions to establish justice.
why waste time right?
you’re fired!
regitiger, the case was proven with videos and documentary evidence. If you think Trump should be held responsible for a mob attacking the Capital to achieve his own announced ends, you probably think OJ is innocent.
edit: “If you think Trump should NOT be held responsible for a mob attacking the Capital to achieve his own announced ends, you probably think OJ is innocent.
it’s funny you should example the VERY ISSUE.
If THIS TRIAL has a SHRED of legitimacy, it would have demonstrated the same due process protections, jurisdictions and constitutional grounding, and witnesses deposed and cross examined, as with the OJ trial.
are you NOW so convinced these defects were not just careless mistakes…but GROSS ABOMINATIONS against rule of law, standards and orderly limits placed in EVERY SINGLE CRIMINAL AND CIVIL trial?
why should the senate impeachment trial be NOT BE HELD to a standard that even OJ trial seemed to have achieved as with all other cases where an allegation of crime is made?
it’s NOT ABOUT THE VERDICT STUPID!
get this through you thick skull.
you team tossed the constitution on the ground and shit on it. repeatedly..and then defended doing it…
that should shock you..it should make you shudder.
it should MAKE YOU PLACE BLAME FOR THE OUTCOME SQUARELY ON THE BACKS OF THOSE WHO CREATED THIS PREDICTABLY CORRECT OUTCOME.
regitiger, the purpose of an impeachment is not to throw somebody in jail where they lose almost all their rights. It is an attempt by the country to remove from office and possibly ban him from future office due to harm to our institutions. None alleged in the past were as obvious and gross as this one, nor could there be any more evidence necessary to anyone fair minded – woah! not so fast you GOP tools!. The fault for the impeachment conviction failing was the GOP Senators who would never buck their crazed base and now they can live with that.
By the way, Mitch is on the floor now, gutting Trump and denouncing the election fraud Big Lie. He just said Trump is responsible for the mob and capital sacking. I guess he’ll blame his vote on “he’s not the president anymore”. This from the guy who refused to bring ittoi the floor while he was and he could..
So regitiger, the story is the GOP’s excuse is a technicality, not the admitted fact that Trump is a sub-human slime.
technicality says the constitutionally ignorant and due process defying, trial by popular circus.
take a step back…take a breath…you really think ANY part of this shameful massive defect is legitimate?
in your mind, again illustrating the defective poison of these corruptors, it doesn’t matter HOW we come process, as long as the results are the “right ones”.
I could GIVE A FLIPPING DAMN what mitch has to say…and you know what…I defend his right say whatever he wants, as long as I ALSO HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS TO SAY HE IS A REPROBATE AND HAS TO BUSINESS HOLDING ANY POWER NOR ANYONE ELSE WHO VOTED THAT THIS WAS “CONSTITUTIONAL”…
you see, these are special people…with exceptional protections of free speech…extraordinary protections apply…
and I reserve MY RIGHTS whether they identify or not to say he should be tarred and feathered…..in the same unceremonious constitutionally wrecking process as he argues.
right?
isn’t that how we handle it in Amerika?
please clap your hands.
💀To Pretend, Or Not To Pretend,
“What Difference, At This Point, Does It Make?” Is The Question.💀
.
You really don’t think this feckless little piece of political theater is about an impeachment “trial” do you?
If you do then you are naive, have forgotten, or never understood the true intent of Obama’s Fundamental Transformation Mandate, even though he and his fellow Death Cult Apostles in and out of government constantly hinted at or outrighty stated exactly what they were going to do and did it.
Or maybe you haven’t been paying attention to the speed of the mandates progress as the Freedom hating left uses the full force of US government resources and power and the moral values, mindset and hope of “Good People,” hesitent to engage in effective resistence and dissent that will bring nationwide mass carnage of open Civil War and so still cling to and respect Constitutional Values and Laws, against Itself, to orchestrate This Country’s descent via controled chaos into anarchy.
The Democrat Communist have Weaponized US Greatness and have now fundamentally transformed The Greatest Governing Document ever written from the Key that unlocked the chains of tyranny into chains that hobble Freedom by using the power derived from it against This Country and It’s Own People.
The real goal of the Big Lie Impeachment skit is to evangelize in the Name of Domination.
To inculturate the masses with a state controlled religion that divinizes and demands submission to and worship of a hierarchy of leaders and government that has as it’s new constitutional foundation, seizure of absolute power by any means necessary, unfetteted abuse of that power, a lawless justice system of deception and darkness as a control mechanism, eradication of human rights and establishing a subclass of rightless citizens destined for slavery or extermination.
All easily done by incrementally repealing and/or removing what we already have, value and love and replacing it with what we would never accept in pure unadulterated form and eliminating anyone or anything that has even the remotest possibility of stopping the trajectory by lying their hypocritical asses off or whatever other means are necessary.
Under the New Religion, Two New Commandments replace The Rule of Law.
.
1. Thou Art Guilty By Accusation And/Or Not Being A Member Of The Club Or A State Sanctioned Entity.
.
2. Thou Art Innocent By Being A Member Of the State Club And/Or A State Sanctioned Entity.
.
Complete lack of actual criminal behavior (or an actual definitive law)
or
irrefutable proof of actual criminal behavior or how detrimental that criminal behavior to the survival of the lives of The People, This Country or the continuity of civilized human life itself, is irrelevant.
LMAO. Once I reached “he [Obama] and his fellow Death Cult Apostles,” I stopped reading.
Of course you stopped reading when you reached reality, facts and the point where the shoe started to fit perfectly. That’s usually the standard drop out point for lefties searching for “Truth.”
Believing that Obama is one of many “Death Cult Apostles” isn’t “reality,” “facts” or “Truth,” Dawn.
As someone like yourself Anonymous who considers setting up American Citizens exercising their Constitutional Rights to be murdered by their own government an acceptable path for The Democrat Party to take this country down, your judgement on what is reality, facts and Truth is not something I regard very highly.
You’re either lying or stupid if you think the Democrats are not deliberately taking this country down the road to anarchy, Civil War and tyranny by their illicit, power abusing actions.
How sad that you have to lie and suggest that I support murder.
“You’re either lying or stupid” … she says, looking in the mirror, right after having lied.
Let me see if I understand: House managers had no direct evidence to prove the article of impeachment. They laid out a case of feelings. The defense team countered with a case showing Democrats doing the same thing and more of what Trump was accused of doing.
Now they want witnesses because of an alleged conversation between McCarthy and Trump that happened during the riot. That has nothing to do with the charging document. If true, It may reflect on Trump’s state of mind while the event was unfolding, but it won’t change the facts prior to.
A good thing out of this may well be an unscripted investigation that exposes the security failures due to incompetence, and/or worse, a planned failure.
Grab some popcorn.
It’s going to be interesting – possible parade of Horribles
Turley was just on Neil Cavuto show – check it out
No. You are not correct. They had plenty of evidence. They realized that they still won’t get conviction so they want more nails. Testimony that Trump was actively refusing to help during the attack would be quite damning. And it does go directly to Trumps state of mind since it would show he was in favor of the riot.
even IF that is PROVEN to be true…
will you concede that state of mind AFTER such a riot has zero bearing on the incitement claim?
arrow of time after all applies. There are many cases where a person can hold a careless attitude about a crime that has occurred. But that in no way proposes or can be proven a former intent that directly incited that crime? otherwise, lets just pretend every single official who stood back while riots occured all summer long and then nearly immediately reveled in what can only be called support to such crimes? I don’t see that here at all. Even if true, proven to be true…”maybe they are more upset that you are”…barely crawls across any level of legal definition that suggests there was anything more than opinion….
does Kamala Harris’ actions to bail out criminals and paying their fees construct direct support of criminality ? does that crawl across the line of state of intent to support anarchy and lawlessness? Did Trump bail out any of these? What DID he do? He condemned this riot! Kamala did precisely the opposite.
the point here, is where do you draw the line in this quest for accountability?
is it a free speech arena….and does it rise to a crime for telling a house member an opinion?
did President Trump receive any request ? From McCarthy or any other?
what ARE the lawful authorities AND constitutional limits placed on a President to conduct law enforcement in a city…in DC?
these questions are going to be addressed. These questions are largely already answered.
does it look bad for President Trump…sure…if you have already made up your mind that every fact is known and the evidence shown thus far has been established.
to suggest this trial can be predicted at this point is unrealistic as it is unhealthy…legally unhealthy…and rationally unhealthy.
but that seems to be the state of the left media…they have already arrived at conclusions…as they have demonstrated for 5 years now.
that is a pattern of abuse that one cannot ignore.
this is not a normal trial…the flaws and defects are the direct result of a rush to judgement…an outcome preferred no matter how it is achieved.
that’s called corruption.
the left is fueling the very thing they are accusing the President of having allegedly committing.
they are achieving a mob state within the chambers that even the rioters could never pull off.
right before your eyes.
“Now they want witnesses . . .”
They’re the turtle on the fence post. Don’t know how they got there; don’t know how to get down.
No, Olly, if you think the “House managers had no direct evidence,” you clearly don’t understand and perhaps weren’t watching the entire trial.
The trump wing of the repo party is alive and well to the detriment of the repo party. They will never (NEVER) win a national election with a candidate supported by the trump wing of the party. And as of now, they cannot nominate a person that is not a member of the trump wing of the party. So be it. Let’s see how that works out for them in 2022, That will be the key to how they do in 2024. As of now, they are headed to the dust bin of history.
They’re marching to the cliff Baby with their odious leader who most Americans can’t stand, and never have. The damage to the country will be from down ballot races.
C-Span just said that there will be a separate vote about which witnesses to call.
The Senate just voted to all witnesses, with the bulk of the Rs voting not to. Will JT now post about how bad it is for the Senate to call witnesses?
Was Turley’s post a “snap judgement”
LOL!!!!
EB
+10
EB
The Senate just voted in favor of subpoenaing witnesses and documents, 55-45.
I might be wrong. That’s how the C-Span video was captioned, but what Leahy just said indicates that it might instead have been a vote on whether to debate subpoenaing witnesses. So I’m now uncertain what they just voted on.
Go 2 more days. The case *has* already been made. But putting trumpy bear up would be pre-season training for him in what awaits him legall in NY, GA and the District. Also put up McCarthy so he can pout. Tuberville’s not used to this and will be scared to lie. And Pence. Do it to call the repubs bluff because that’s the only thing they have going for them at this point.
Will it change a single repub vote? Maybe 5-10. I’ve thought the safe zone for McConnell in all this is somewhere around 15 votes. Just short of enough to remove/bar. Let some of the ever expanding purple state senators have a get out of jail free card.
Reality is, trump is done either way. There seems to be this amnesia about him, and the country is still traumatized by his presence, but he’ll be caught up in defending himself legally such that he won’t be able to garner the energy for a campaign in 3 years. Plus, odds are even up he won’t be in health good enough for it.
The other thing is, Biden will have had enough success containing the pandemic, providing aid in the immediate and getting vaccination kicked into high gear. The economy will rebuild. Trump will be seen as the viciously skidmarked pair of old boxers that he truly is. The lynch mob he stirred up will be that much closer to an exit from the planet due to age, alcoholism and meth addiction. They’ll still thrive in the comments section if you’re still doing your blog, Jon, but the rock Trump let them crawl out from under of will look appealing for them to crawl back under. Yes, they’re aggrieved and disaffected, but there also deplorable, caught in a world of fantasy and racist. It’s time for them to head back to their inner cabal. (Hey Turley blog mutants! Have a great day! While I completely respect your right to free speech it doesn’t mean I take the dumb s&*t you say seriously).
Sure, put up a few witnesses.
Elvis Bug
It does not matter the Rs will not vote to convict Trump. McCarthy was refused help by Trump during the attack and still voted against impeachment. And the evidence was not circumstantial, they had lots of tweets and videos of Trump doing exactly what he was accused of..
It does matter. The record matters. Best to gather testimony, even if the Republicans will never convict, no matter what witnesses say.
Testimony will be taken, and the complete historical record will be developed anyhow. My guess is there will be a formal in-depth investigation that will take a year or more, and then the rest of the documents, interviews, and memoirs will trickle out of the next few decades.
Highlighting the fact that the impeachment process can never really be an effective restorative again because it’s become so bogged down in the type of partisan politics that didn’t exist when the founders were figuring things out. I say, jettison impeachment altogether, take away the OLC guidelines against indicting sitting presidents (with specified conditions of course) and move on to modern reality.
The republican party has effectively jettisoned high crimes and misdemeanors as being worthy of removal from a job. Yay Mitch McConnell!! Yay Turley!!
Elvis Bug
Rescinding the OLC memo won’t eliminate the possible need for impeachment. Legal scholars agree that a sitting President can be indicted, but also that he can’t be criminally tried while in office. So there needs to be a process for removing an unfit President from office. Judges have been removed via impeachment trials.
I know, I know…, it always grates that just removing the guidelines wouldn’t address high crimes. Just trying to limit the damage to the process is what I’m struggling with — because to me the process seems almost beyond recall at this point.
EB
I think the problem is with many of the Senators, not with the process.
I’d like the House and Senate to change their rules so that it’s illegal for members to lie while in a formal proceeding (hearing, trial, etc.), even if they’re not under oath. That’s already the law for people giving testimony.
+10
Totally agreed.
EB
Since this 2020 election, the Democrats have changed all the rules of voting to suit their needs and the Republicans have done little to stop them. Now, with all the levers of the Federal government in their hands, they continue to make rules as they go, and they continue to bend and sometimes break the Constitution and laws they swore to uphold. They are shameless and cannot be trusted with all the power they have been given.
How the impeachment process proceeds was delineated in a document to which both parties agreed. The decision as to whether or not call witnesses is up to both sides. No one is changing rules.
Hypocrisy AND mendacity.Surprised no one has used this line
“Didn’t you notice a powerful and obnoxious odor of mendacity in this room? There ain’t nothin’ more powerful than the odor of mendacity. You can smell it.” Tennessee Williams – cat on a Hot Tin Roof
I don’t give a rats hind end about baby trumps state of mind. He spent months telling lies about the election. After the election he lost, he went to court 62 times with lies and no evidence, The one (one, 1) time he won in court was to let the observers be a few feet closer. He never showed any evidence of fraud, none, zero, no evidence. On the doorsteps of the court house they talked about all this evidence, in rallies they talked about all this evidence, Inside the court house, nothing, nada. zip. zero. So was it a big lie? Yes Then he called people to come to DC on January 6 for a wild time. On the 6th he told them to fight. Yep, once he said peacefully, over 20 times he said fight for your country. People arrested for the mayhem on the 6th have said they did it for trump, they did it because trump told them to do it. They bought they were fighting to keep him in office.
If this is not impeachable, nothing is. Can Biden call off the election in a little under 4 years and just install himself as the next president? How about installing Kamala? That would go well with all the white supremacy idiots that still support trump
We will pay dearly for no conviction. I fear for our country when an election is ran like this.
Sad, so sad.
No forensic audits then Mr Biden is never ever my president
baby romper , Did I just hear “whaaaa , whaaa whaaa”….yeah WE all did. How’s that Lord Darth Biden of china hypocrisy unity working for America ?. How’s that left steering of the economy into the ditch by his handlers going ?. Shedding jobs adding regulation and talk of more mask oppression… more some animals are more equal than other animals bunk too. And nasty Ducklo….yepper one week off making lord darth biden of china’s words about firing such toads on the spot meaningless propaganda banter.
And yet you whine about a fake fraudulent “impeachment” designed never to do anything but give these azzhats a podium and destract from what they are doing behind the scenes. And soft minded people like you fell for this diversion hook line and sinker.
You just had an Election run like this….and we have Biden in the White House and the Democrats took the Senate barely.
Do. you smell the odor of mendacity the fellow mentioned earlier?
What you fear has already happened.
“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 6th Amendment states that “The accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor”. As a fellow citizen of the United States, it would seem even the President does not lose his rights when he is faced with a trial.
This was not a trial, this was an impeachment with rules determined by the Senate.
Yes, rules are determined by the Senate, however, to my knowledge the Senate never before allowed their Chamber to be used as a Kangaroo Court. While rules are determined by the Senate, there have always used precedence to get to a fair conclusion. Thus, making up rules that would lead to the conclusion they desire, would be something akin to a dictatorship and not a Democracy.
They aren’t making up any rules. They’re the same rules they used in previous impeachment trials.
Baby rumper….it’s not even an impeachment. No rules followed no presiding judge and so on and so on. It’s a smoke and mirrors stunt with zero reality and all left nut symbolism…a big look squirrel…and you and your ilk fell for it.
Article II, Section 4:
“The President…shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Only the Red Queen has convictions without a trial. As you can see, the rules are not determined by the Senate but by the Constitution. This is a trial and the 6th Amendment does apply.
You left off the first part of the 6A that says “In all criminal prosecutions,”. This is not a criminal prosecutions so that 6A does not apply. You can’t cry that the consituion is being violated then go an misquote it.
Treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors aren’t criminal? Inciting a riot isn’t criminal? If it ain’t criminal then there ain’t cause for an impeachment.
An impeachment trial is not a criminal trial, regardless of the articles of impeachment. In a criminal trial, the result can be imprisonment. Trump cannot be imprisoned as a result of this trial.
Article II, Section 4 doesn’t apply to this particular impeachment trial, as Trump isn’t “the President.” Biden is the President. Trump is a former President, and other sections of the Constitution apply.
What other sections?
“An impeachment trial is not a criminal trial, regardless of the articles of impeachment. In a criminal trial, the result can be imprisonment. Trump cannot be imprisoned as a result of this trial.”
That doesn’t make sense. For Trump to be impeached, he must be impeached *for* Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors. The Section also notes “on Impeachment for, *and* Conviction of” the aforementioned possible crimes. *And* means that crimes had to have been determined for there to be any reason for impeachment. If no crimes were committed, what, then, is the reason to impeach?
“Besides providing the authority for impeachment, the U.S. Constitution details the methods to be used. The two-stage process begins in the House of Representatives with a public inquiry into allegations. It culminates, if necessary, with a trial in the Senate…The reluctance of lawmakers to use this power is a measure of its gravity; it is generally only invoked by evidence of criminality or substantial abuse of power.”
https://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/impeachment
If people do not want him to ever be president again, then they won’t vote for him in sufficient numbers for that to happen.
High crimes and misdemeanors (necessary for impeachment) don’t have to be statutory crimes (for which one can be prosecuted in a court of law and possibly sent to prison). For example, if a foreign country invaded, and the President did nothing to protect the country, it’s not a statutory crime, but it’s a high crime.
“If people do not want him to ever be president again, then they won’t vote for him in sufficient numbers for that to happen.”
That’s what happened this time, and it resulted in a domestic insurrection with loss of life and physical damage to the Capitol. As Rep. Lieu said in the trial, he isn’t afraid of Trump being elected again, he’s worried about what might happen if Trump loses again.
As for the other sections of the Constitution that apply to impeachment, these include Article I, Sections 2 and 3:
“The House of Representatives … shall have the sole power of impeachment.”
“The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments. When sitting for that purpose, they shall be on oath or affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no person shall be convicted without the concurrence of two thirds of the members present.
“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.”
Witnesses would further bolster the Dems case , ie: as reported in the news today concerning the phone call between K McCarthy and Trump, so not sure why they wouldn’t call -time doesn’t seem to be a big factor so is there some kind of political reason for it?
Regardless, for Trump acolytes , the issue of whether there were election irregularities that would change the outcome will not go away.
A federal commission regarding the election and the establishment of best practices for future elections is needed.
If you think for one minute the left , Lord Darth Biden of china and his handlers would ever support let alone initiate any look into the election fraud mess they engineered you are daft. There will be no commission , no looky see there under their control…ever.
These left wing apparatchiks walk in lock step , and coordinate with their media sycophants to lie , push lies , and detroy anyone in their way to get their way. And between soros and the chicoms they are funded quite elaborately as well as being topped off by the big tech oligarchies of Fascist book , Twatter and goofoogle. A perfect storm of hypocrisy and money shell games for power. This isn’t Kansas anymore toto…is fascism 101 brought to America by the demented demoratz and their foreighn money baggers funding the direction these elites take us.
I second the motion for a federal commission to study election protocols. Security cameras at various polling sites revealed all kinds of mischief! That should be the focus now.
The Democrats will soon tell us that witnesses requested by Republicans are unreasonable. Write this down. Make a little note. I can’t wait for Nancy’s testimony about why she thought that there should be more uprisings in more American cities or Kampala’s sworn testimony concerning why she thought the riots should continue and why she bailed out the peaceful protesters. This is going to be fun.
There is only 1 person that can determine the House Managers state of mind.
That would be Nurse Ratched.
A clown show, Show trial….That is ALL this is.
If the House Managers decide to call witnesses, then the hypocrisy will be even more apparent because I doubt the Dems in the Senate will allow the kinds of witness Trump’s team would want to bring in. That’s really why the Dem Senators don’t want witnesses. They know that “We the People” will only take just so much hypocrisy for just so long,