45% of Republicans approve of the storming of the Capitol building. https://t.co/th0ldyK1IC pic.twitter.com/JnFFsZ4obo
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) January 7, 2021
Also, a majority of Republicans blame *Joe Biden* for the storming of the Capitol pic.twitter.com/t3ijBDFely
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) January 7, 2021
Got that? Per Republicans, the storming of the Capitol was good and right and done by patriots, but also was somehow that guy Joe Biden's fault
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) January 7, 2021
Trump is a danger to his own country. He shouldn't be president for one more minute. #ImpeachAgain – Now. https://t.co/qUurJ4NEFi via @usatoday
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 6, 2021
I dislike being forced to agree with Tom Nichols, but… “Trump is a danger to his own country. He shouldn’t be president for one more minute”
… First, Trump is an imminent danger to the safety of the country. The Capitol was overrun by a mob at his behest. By late afternoon, Trump had called on the protesters to go home — while telling them that they were indeed right that the election had been stolen, thus pouring more fuel on the flames even while pretending to calm the waters. There is no responsible argument for leaving such a man in command of the armed forces, for leaving the security of the American nation in his hands for one more minute.
Second, even after this attempt at a violent overthrow of the political order is defeated, Trump is not going to stop. He created the situation in the Capitol, and he will gladly create another diversion — perhaps with a last-ditch attempt to use the U.S. military at home or as part of a desperate attempt to embroil America in a foreign conflict — if he thinks it is the only way to protect himself from the legal and financial peril he will face on Jan. 21.
Finally, impeachment for multiple crimes against the Constitution and the American people is the only course left for lawmakers, especially Republicans of the president’s own party, who want to demonstrate their fidelity to the Constitution and protect the supremacy of the rule of law in the United States. The Constitution has to mean something. If the president of the United States goes unpunished after unleashing a mob against elected legislators merely because he wishes to invalidate an election, then this is a far larger problem than a day of protest that got out of hand.
We should never have come to this point. Of course, now that all is lost, born-again constitutionalists like Vice President Mike Pence and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (soon to become minority leader) have rediscovered the notion of duty and strict obedience to the Constitution. They are too late, and it is to their shame that they did not act sooner. Trump has made it clear for months, even years, that he would never accept a defeat and that he would never voluntarily leave office. They knew the danger and they chose to take their chances in order to keep their grip on power…
Democrats, whatever the limits of their usual disorganization, have tried for four years to stop Trump from running roughshod over our system of government. Biden ran a campaign that took the high road and called for national unity. They have done their part. Now it is time for the Republicans to do theirs…
Another guy I don’t trust, but he does have a reputation as a competent/skillful lawyer:
This is key. The text is poorly drafted on this point, but when you think about it, it's the only sensible construction. https://t.co/FoZdnFkUHA
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 7, 2021
Anyway, once Trump objects, the VP and cabinet within the four days can notify Congress that they still think Trump unfit, and that triggers a period during which the VP remains acting president while the Congress decides whether (by a 2/3 vote of both houses) …
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 7, 2021
Ideally, Congress would sumultaneously proceed with expedited impeachment and removal proceedings that would result in an impeachment conviction that would not only totally remove Trump from office, but—this is the added value—prohibit him from ever holding federal office again.
— George Conway (@gtconway3d) January 7, 2021
Insurrection Open Thread: There Is No Reasoning With These PeoplePost + Comments (214)
