Senate Acquits Trump In Impeachment Trial — Again

The U.S. Senate on Saturday acquitted former President Donald Trump on an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection.

The acquittal comes more than a month after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were counting the electoral results that certified Trump's loss. Five people died in the riot, including a police officer. Two other officers later killed themselves.

A majority of senators voted to convict Trump — 57 to 43, including seven Republicans. But two-thirds, or 67 votes, was needed to convict. It was the second time Trump was acquitted in an impeachment trial.

The seven GOP senators who voted to convict Trump on Saturday were: 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.

Trump is the first president in U.S. history to be impeached by the House twice, and the first to be tried for impeachment after leaving office.

The verdict closes the book on this Trump presidency, though the Senate, by not convicting and barring him from holding public office in the future, left open the possibility that Trump, a 74-year-old Republican, could run again for president.

Seven GOP senators were patriots and voted to convict. Another ten were required. Moscow Mitch McConnell voted to acquit. He and the other 42 GOP senators voting to acquit are traitors to the United States and its Constitution.

https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/2021/02/13/967098840/senate-acquits-trump-in-impeachment-trial-again

#impeachment #uspol #politics #djt #TwiceImpeached #GOPTreason #Jan6Coup #Insurrection #RichardBurr #BillCassidy #SusanCollins #LisaMurkowski #MittRomney #BenSasse #PatToomey #treason

Senator Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving Democrat, will preside over Trump’s impeachment trial

Senator Patrick J. Leahy, the Senate president pro tempore, is expected to preside over former President Donald J. Trump’s impeachment trial when it formally begins on Tuesday, assuming a role filled last year by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., aides and other officials said on Monday.

The Constitution states that the chief justice of the United States presides over any impeachment trial of the president or vice president. But it does not explicitly give guidance on who should oversee the proceeding for others, including former presidents, and it appeared that Chief Justice Roberts was uninterested in reprising a time consuming role that would insert him and the Supreme Court directly into the fractious political fight over Mr. Trump.

Mr. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, recently reclaimed the mantle of president pro tempore — the position reserved for the longest-serving member of the majority party — when Democrats took control of the Senate. Mr. Leahy, 80, has been in office since 1974.

I've been sufficiently news-lite that though I'd caught news of Senator Leahy (D-VT) being hospitalised, and a brief mention that he was "presiding" over the impeachment, I'd missed the fact SCOTUS CJ Roberts has refused to preside as mandated by the Constitution.

That itself is unprecedented.

And could well throw a wrench into the works, though there is no appeal for impeachment either: "The Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments", so if the SCOTUS CJ refuses to serve the role mandated by his office, the SCOTUS itself cannot hear appeal on procedural, or any other, grounds.

Justice Roberts has declined comment, and I'm unaware of any statement, though the Times links a 2020 article at the conclusion of the first impeachment of the recently unelected President.

Given the current state of the seditious GOP, I anticipate shenanigans regardless.

And given today's symbolic vote with 45 of 50 GOP Senators opposing the impeachment, the needed 17 loyeal constitutionalists appear to be lacking.

#impeachment #politics #PatrickLeahy #JohnRoberts #USConstitution #TwiceImpeached #DJT #unprecedented

Senator Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving Democrat, will preside over Trump’s impeachment trial. (Published 2021)

TRUMP IMPEACHED AGAIN

The House voted Wednesday to impeach President Trump an unprecedented second time, on a charge of “inciting violence” against the U.S. government. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) left open the possibility of voting to convict at a trial, which would occur after Trump leaves office next week.

During debate on the House floor, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Trump “bears responsibility” for last week’s violent takeover of the Capitol but argued against impeachment so close to the end of his term. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called Trump “a clear and present danger” and said “he must go.” ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/13/trump-impeachment-biden-transition-live-updates/

NPR: A majority of the House have voted to impeach Donald John Trump for the second time

Ten Republicans have joined with all Democrats who've yet voted. Voting continues, but the outcome is certain.

#uspol #impeachment #TwiceImpeached #djt #Jan6Coup #politics #NPR

In new video, Trump condemns violence without mentioning his second impeachment

The House has voted to impeach Trump on a charge of "inciting violence," making him the first president in U.S. history to have been impeached twice.

McConnell is said to be pleased about impeachment, believing it will be easier to purge Trump from the G.O.P.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, has told associates that he believes President Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impeach him, believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the party, according to people familiar with his thinking. The House is voting on Wednesday to formally charge Mr. Trump with inciting violence against the country.

At the same time, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader and one of Mr. Trump’s most steadfast allies in Congress, has asked other Republicans whether he should call on Mr. Trump to resign in the aftermath of the riot at the Capitol last week, according to three Republican officials briefed on the conversations. ...

<https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/12/us/impeachment-trump-25th-amendment#mitch-mcconnell-trump-impeachment.

#impeachment #Jan6Coup #MitchMcConnell #djt #TwiceImpeached

House Votes 223-205 to Call on Pence to Strip Trump of Power (Published 2021)

Lawmakers adopted a resolution that would compel Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment after President Trump incited a mob attack on the Capitol last week. In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi earlier in the evening, Mr. Pence...

Donald John Trump is the first twice-impeached President of the United States of America

"House Democrats Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump'

House Democrats on Monday introduced an article of impeachment against President Trump for inciting a mob that attacked the Capitol last week, vowing to press the charge as Republicans blocked a separate move to formally call on Vice President Mike Pence to strip him of power under the 25th Amendment.

The dual actions came as Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her caucus sought to ratchet up pressure on Mr. Pence to intervene and push Mr. Trump to resign. If they did not, the Democrats promised immediate consequences for Mr. Trump’s role in an attack that put the lives of the vice president, members of Congress and thousands of staff working on Capitol Hill at risk as officials met to formalize President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s victory.

“The president’s threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action,” Ms. Pelosi said on Monday. ...

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/11/us/joe-biden-trump#pence-impeachment

#TwiceImpeached #DonaldJohnTrump #sedition #insurrection #Jan6Coup #Politics #uspol

Transition Highlights: House Democrats Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump (Published 2021)

House Democrats are accusing President Trump of “inciting violence against the government of the United States.” President-elect Joe Biden has chosen his C.I.A. director, William Burns, a career foreign service officer.

Pelosi threatens House could move to impeach Trump if he doesn’t resign ‘immediately.’

Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California threatened on Friday that the House could move to impeach President Trump over his role in inciting a violent mob attack on the Capitol if he did not resign “immediately,” appealing to Republicans to join the push to force him from office.

In a letter to members of the House, the speaker invoked the resignation of Richard M. Nixon amid the Watergate scandal, when Republicans prevailed upon the president to resign and avoid the ignominy of an impeachment, calling Mr. Trump’s actions a “horrific assault on our democracy.”

“Today, following the president’s dangerous and seditious acts, Republicans in Congress need to follow that example and call on Trump to depart his office — immediately,” she wrote. “If the president does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action.”

Ms. Pelosi also said she had spoken with Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about “preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes.”

A spokesman for General Milley, Col. Dave Butler, confirmed that the two had spoken and said the general had “answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority.”

But some Defense Department officials have privately expressed anger that political leaders seemed to be trying to get the Pentagon to do the work of Congress and Cabinet secretaries, who have legal options to remove a president. ...

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/01/08/us/trump-biden#trump-impeachment-pelosi

JFDI

#Jan6Coup #NancyPelosi #TwiceImpeached #politics

Pelosi Threatens Impeachment if Trump Doesn’t Resign ‘Immediately’; Twitter Permanently Suspends Him (Published 2021)

Senator Lisa Murkowski became the first Republican senator to call for President Trump’s resignation. President-elect Joe Biden introduced top members of his economic team. The House could vote on impeachment next week.