Nearly All Gop Senators Vote Against Impeachment Trial For Trump Signaling Likely Acquittal
All but five Republican senators backed former president Donald Trump on Tuesday in a key test vote ahead of his impeachment trial, signaling that the proceedings are likely to end with Trumps acquittal on the charge that he incited the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The vote also demonstrated the continued sway Trump holds over GOP officeholders, even after his exit from the White House under a historic cloud caused by his refusal to concede the November election and his unprecedented efforts to challenge the result.
Trumps trial is not scheduled to begin until Feb. 9, but senators were sworn in for the proceedings Tuesday, and they immediately voted on an objection raised by Sen. Rand Paul questioning the constitutional basis for the impeachment and removal of a former president.
Impeachment is for removal from office, and the accused here has already left office, he argued, adding that the trial would drag our great country down into the gutter of rancor and vitriol, the likes of which has never been seen in our nations history.
But Democrats argue that Trump must be held accountable for the riot, which saw the Capitol overrun and resulted in the deaths of one police officer and four rioters. Pauls argument, they said, suggests that presidents can act with impunity late in their terms.
The final vote was 55 to 45 to kill Pauls objection, with GOP Sens. Susan Collins , Lisa Murkowski , Mitt Romney , Ben Sasse and Patrick J. Toomey joining all 50 Democrats.
How Many Democrats Are In The United States Senate
The next step for impeachment is a trial in the United States Senate, where Senators in Congress upper chamber see evidence and hear witnesses and arguments on whether or not the President should be impeached and removed from office.
However, Mr Trumps accusers are likely to hit a stumbling block in the chamber, which is currently dominated by the GOP.
The Democrat Party owes their success yesterday to a commanding majority of 233 in the 435-strong House of Representatives.
The GOP also showed remarkable unity in the lower house vote, making impeachment a clear party-line decision.
Their resolution will likely hold in the upper chamber, and the Democrats have pinned their hopes on the few Senators who have spoken against Mr Trump in the past.
Just three Senators have a consistent track-record of calling out the President, former Presidential candidate and Utah Senator Mitt Romney, Maine Senator Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Others have expressed concern over the Presidents actions in office, but not consistently.
Trump Calls For No Violence As Congress Moves To Impeach Him For Role In Riot
This time, there will be more. Some Republican senators have called on Trump to resign, and even Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he is undecided at this point.
Trumps impeachment wont lead to his removal even if he is convicted because of the timeline. The Senate is adjourned until Tuesday. The next day, Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president. But theres another penalty the Constitution allows for as a result of a Senate conviction that could be appealing to some Republican senators banning Trump from holding office again.
While there is some debate as to the definition of office in the Constitution and whether that would apply to running for president or even Congress, that kind of public rebuke would send a strong message that Republicans are ready to move on from Trumpism.
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But is this opposition real or just noise? After all, were still a long way from the 2022 primaries, which leaves plenty of time for anger surrounding their votes to impeach Trump to fade.
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At first glance, the seriousness of the primary challengers does vary quite a bit, ranging from the very serious that is, other elected officials, who tend to be stronger candidates to political newcomers like a conservative activist best known for getting married in a MAGA dress. Yet, in most cases, these representatives should all have at least some reason to be concerned about winning renomination in 2022 especially those who hail from more Republican-leaning districts.1
Republicans who voted to impeach face primary challenges
The 10 House Republicans who backed impeachment, including whether they were publicly admonished by state or local Republican Party committees and whether they have a primary challenger
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*Valadao lost reelection in Californias 21st Congressional District in 2018 but won the seat back in 2020.
Admonishment includes a censure or public rebuke by a Republican Party committee at the state, district or county level.
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Bidens Commerce Secretary Nominee Testifies Before Senate
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo of Rhode Island, President Bidens nominee for commerce secretary, testified to the Senate on Tuesday about her plans to help the economy.
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This confirmation hearing is just the starting point for our conversation about vital policy matters, including responding to the economic damage caused by the pandemic, investing in our people and small businesses, ensuring that American workers and manufacturers can compete fairly in the global market. The secretary of commerce will play an important role in strengthening our economy, and trying to defeat the pandemic and recover from its economic impacts. I think this is a critical job of the commerce secretary as we continue to see the impacts of Covid on our economy. Commerce Department has a simple, but vital mission: to spur good-paying jobs, empower entrepreneurs to innovate and grow, and help American workers and businesses compete. These are the same priorities that have guided my own life in my own career. In this time of overlapping crisis, the Commerce Department must be a partner to businesses and workers to help them innovate and grow.
Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, President Bidens nominee to be the next commerce secretary, told lawmakers on Tuesday that she plans to help American communities bounce back from coronavirus, aggressively enforce trade rules to combat unfair practices from China and leverage the power of the government to mitigate climate change if confirmed to a cabinet post.
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Here Are The 7 Republicans Who Voted To Convict Trump
Seven Republican senators voted to convictformer President Trump on the charge of incitement to insurrection, joining Democrats to make it it a far more bipartisan vote than Mr. Trumpâs first impeachment trial. But the final vote of 57-43 fell short of the 67 votes that would have been needed for conviction.
The Republicans voting to convict were Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania.
Romneyâs vote was all but a given, and the votes from Collins and Murkowski werenât unexpected. Perhaps the most surprising vote came from Burr.
But something distinguishes most of the Republicans who voted to convict Mr. Trump most of them arenât up for reelection soon. Murkowski is the only one of the group facing reelection in 2022. Burr and Toomey arenât running for another term.
Collins and Murkowski asked some of the most probing questions on Friday when senators had the chance to pose questions to the defense and to the House impeachment managers.
Collins, Murkowski, Romney and Sasse also joined Democrats in voting to call witnesses Saturday, as did Repubilcan Senator Lindsey Graham. But Democrats ultimately backed off on calling witnesses.
Several of the senators released statements explaining their decisions following the vote Saturday.
Raskin Compares Trumps Actions On January 6 To Lighting A Fire In Closing Argument
Trump lawyer Michael van der Veen, meanwhile, insisted his client did nothing wrong and maintained he was the victim of vengeful Democrats and a biased news media. He called the impeachment proceedings a charade from beginning to end.
While he often seemed angry during his presentation, van der Veen was delighted by the acquittal. Reporters saw him fist bump a fellow member of Trumps legal team afterward and exclaim, Were going to Disney World!
While a close call, I am persuaded that impeachments are a tool primarily of removal and we therefore lack jurisdiction, the influential Kentucky Republican wrote in the email, which was obtained by NBC News.
McConnell, whod rebuffed Democratic efforts to start the trial while Trump was still in office, had condemned Trumps conduct after the riot and said hed keep an open mind about voting to convict something hed ruled out entirely during Trumps first impeachment trial last year.
After voting to acquit, McConnell blasted Trump for his disgraceful dereliction of duty and squarely laid the blame for the riot at Trumps door in what amounted to an endorsement of many of the arguments laid out by House impeachment managers.
Theres no question none that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day, McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor.
Cassidy gave a simple explanation for his vote in a 10-second video statement he posted on Twitter.
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Rep Anthony Gonzalez Ohio
As House members cast their votes on the articles of impeachment, Rep. Anthony Gonzalez from Ohios 16th Congressional District, tweeted a statement asserting that Trump helped organize and incite a mob that attacked the United States Congress in an attempt to prevent us from completing our solemn duties as prescribed by the Congress.
When I consider the full scope of events leading up to January 6th including the presidents lack of response as the United States Capitol was under attack, I am compelled to support impeachment, he wrote.
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9. Rep. John Katko, New York’s 24th: Katko is a moderate from an evenly divided moderate district. A former federal prosecutor, he said of Trump: “It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection.” He also noted that as the riot was happening, Trump “refused to call it off, putting countless lives in danger.”
10. Rep. David Valadao, California’s 21st: The Southern California congressman represents a majority-Latino district Biden won 54% to 44%. Valadao won election to this seat in 2012 before losing it in 2018 and winning it back in the fall. He’s the rare case of a member of Congress who touts his willingness to work with the other party. Of his vote for impeachment, he said: “President Trump was, without question, a driving force in the catastrophic events that took place on January 6.” He added, “His inciting rhetoric was un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense.”
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Few Who Sought Clemency From Trump Through Official Channels Were Granted It
Of the nearly 240 pardons and commutations issued by President Donald J. Trump, only 25 came through the rigorous process for identifying and vetting worthy clemency petitions an action overseen by the Justice Department, according to a tally kept partly by a former United States pardon attorney.
For example, Eliyahu Weinstein got word that two-thirds of his 24-year sentence for investment fraud was going to be commuted by Mr. Trump after the White House chief of staff called a well-connected Washington lobbyist who had been hired to lead his clemency push.
Lawrence McCarroll, who is serving a 33-year sentence for a nonviolent drug offense, learned from his mother that the petition he had filed with the Justice Department and the letter he had sent to the president had failed to win him a commutation of the remaining six years of his sentence. His mother emailed from her home in Kenosha, Wis., to tell him his name had not appeared in news reports about Mr. Trumps final round of clemency.
The contrast between the treatment of Mr. Weinstein and Mr. McCarroll underscores the two very different systems for determining who received clemency during Mr. Trumps presidency.
Trump Impeached For Second Time In 12 Months
The subsequent events on Capitol Hill, immediately after the speech, when hundreds of pro-Trump protestors stormed the seats of US lawmaking – the House of Representatives and the Senate – resulting in the deaths of five people have caused outrage worldwide and heaped more pressure on Trump to bring to an early end one of the most divisive four-year terms in US history.
The president eventually bowed to demands to guarantee a peaceful transition after months of unfounded claims of electoral fraud and a string of failed lawsuits aimed at forcing recounts in key states. Trump was already on thin ice after a recording of a conversation he held with Georgias secretary of state instructing that sufficient votes be found to reverse Bidens win there was made public.
. announces the House Impeachment Vote.
Now, with Biden days from taking office, Trump has seen 10 Republicans vote for his impeachment – along with all Democrats – with the final count coming out at 232-197. This now passes to the Senate.
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7. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, Washington’s 3rd: Herrera Beutler was swept in with the Tea Party wave in 2010, but her district is a moderate one. Trump won it 51% to 47%. Herrera Beutler gained prominence several years ago for giving birth to a child three months early, born without kidneys and a rare syndrome. Her daughter, Abigail, became the first to survive the often-fatal condition. The now-mother of three and congresswoman from southwest Washington state declared on the House floor her vote in favor of impeachment: “I’m not choosing sides, I’m choosing truth.”
8. Rep. Peter Meijer, Michigan’s 3rd: Meijer is a freshman, who won his seat with 53% of the vote. He represents a district that was previously held by Justin Amash, the former Republican-turned-independent who voted in favor of Trump’s impeachment in 2019. Meijer, a Columbia University grad who served in Afghanistan, is a social conservative in favor of restrictions on abortion rights and against restrictions on gun rights and religious freedoms. But he said Trump showed no “courage” and “betrayed millions with claims of a ‘stolen election.’ ” He added, “The one man who could have restored order, prevented the deaths of five Americans including a Capitol police officer, and avoided the desecration of our Capitol, shrank from leadership when our country needed it most.”
Letters To The Editor Aug 20 2021
Ten House Republicans crossed party lines on Wednesday and voted to impeach President Trump which is 10 more than the amount to go against him the first time around.
The GOP lawmakers aligned with Democrats to formally charge the outgoing commander-in-chief with inciting violence against the government of the United States in last weeks storming of the Capitol by supporters he had addressed during a rally near the White House.
No Republicans voted in 2019 to impeach Trump the first time.
Here are the 10 GOP members who voted to impeach on Wednesday:
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Blinken Is Confirmed By Senate As Secretary Of State
On Tuesday, the Senate voted to confirm Antony J. Blinken as the nations 71st secretary of state.
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Mr. Blinken is just the right person to rebuild and reassert Americas national security prerogatives on the global stage, and reestablish the first instrument of American power: diplomacy. For four years, the failed diplomacy of the Trump administration weakened our alliances, strengthened and emboldened our adversaries and tarnished Americas reputation abroad. We must reaffirm our commitment to NATO and other critical alliances around the world. In my judgment, the JCPOA was a colossal failure and a real blunder for American policy overseas. In talking with Mr. Blinken, he does not share that view, and obviously is going to work with the president carrying the presidents water to get us back into the JCPOA. I think thats a mistake. The yeas are 78, the nays are 22. The nomination is confirmed.
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony J. Blinken as the nations 71st secretary of state, installing President Bidens longtime adviser who has a mission to rejoin alliances that were fractured after four years of an America First foreign policy.
However, Mr. Blinken also told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last Tuesday that Mr. Trump was right to take a tougher tone against China, an overarching strategy that is certain to remain.
All are departures from the foreign policies under Mr. Trump.
transcript
Why Is Trump On Trial
Trumps second impeachment stems from his involvement in whipping up a mob on 6 January that went on to assault the Capitol building while a joint session of Congress was convened to certify Joe Bidenâs Electoral College win. The invasion of the Capitol led to five deaths and the temporary suspension of the vote certification until the assailants could be removed. The House voted to impeach him for a second time a week after the events and just a little over a week from him leaving office.
GOP Sen. Mitt Romney says his impeachment vote will be âbased upon the facts and the evidence as is presented.âRomney also says he believes âthat what is being alleged and what we saw, which is incitement to insurrection, is an impeachable offense. If not? what is?â
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