Trump Senate impeachment trial live updates: Questioning begins
Lawmakers on Wednesday will turn to the question and answers part of the President Trump's Senate impeachment trial.
Month: January 2020
Engel: Bolton ‘strongly implied that something improper had occurred’ with Yovanovitch’s ouster
Rep. Engel's revelation comes amid a fierce partisan clash over whether the Senate should call Bolton as a witness in the Trump impeachment trial.
Fallon explains why some in GOP don't want impeachment witnesses
Republicans have surrendered on Trump’s guilt. They’re making a last stand with ‘So what if he did?’
Reporting on whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has secured enough support to shut down the possibility of witnesses in the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump is all over the map. Some reports have insisted that “10 or 12” Republicans are actually looking fearfully at the overwhelming public opinion in favor of witnesses, while other reports have been just as insistent that McConnell has waved enough head-pikes to successfully keep rebellion clear of dastardly facts.
But whether or not Bolton ever takes the stand in the Senate, one thing has become absolutely clear: Republicans have completely given up on the idea of claiming that Donald Trump did not extort Ukraine to gain a personal political advantage. Forget the “perfect call.” Republicans up and down the line may still be afraid to gain the Twit-ire of Trump by declaring his guilt, but the official position has moved completely away from the idea that Trump did nothing wrong and solidly into camp “So what?”
To see where Republicans are takes no more than reading the first sentence of this quote from Sen. Mike Braun of Indiana: “Let’s say it’s true, okay? Dershowitz last night explained that if you’re looking at it from a constitutional point of view, that that is not something that is impeachable.” The explanation of Alan Dershowitz, a criminal attorney playing constitutional expert on TV (with underwear on), was clearly ridiculous on its face, and hundreds of experts have said so explicitly.
But the terrible fact for a Republican Party facing a severe fact shortage is that the public is more easily confused on this point than they are on Trump’s guilt. In other words, every real constitutional expert in the nation is united around the idea that abuse of power and obstruction of justice are valid reasons for a politician to be impeached and removed. But it’s easier to pretend that that is not true than it is to keep pretending that Donald Trump did not commit extortion in the face of not just Bolton’s testimony, but also the mass of evidence presented by House managers.
Bolton’s evidence may be the tipping point, but Republicans are aware that the case against Trump has been both overwhelming and compelling from the outset—which is why the “defense” of Trump was primarily focused not on proving his innocence, but on pretending that extorting foreign involvement in an election is a perfectly valid activity.
Now, no matter how Republicans eventually vote, no matter how hard Trump tries to suppress Bolton’s manuscript, it’s clear enough that this information is going to come out. Which makes it absolutely pointless to defend Trump on the basis that he did nothing wrong.
That’s why even Lindsey Graham has given up on sticking his fingers in his ears and pretending that he has heard no evidence against Trump. Instead, Graham says, “For the sake of argument, one could assume everything attributable to John Bolton is accurate and still the House case would fall well below the standards to remove a president from office.”
”Let’s say it’s true, okay?” says Braun. ”For the sake of argument,” says Graham. If there have ever been bigger verbal white flags, they were probably waved on a battleship where someone was signing a treaty of surrender.
Republicans aren’t going to the “So what?” position because they feel it’s strong. They know it’s not strong. They’re going there because it is all they have left.
Ted Cruz: “Quid pro quo doesn’t matter. It’s a red herring. It doesn’t matter if there was a quid pro quo or not.”
xTed Cruz now says it doesn’t matter if the President engaged in a quid pro quo pic.twitter.com/EQLbkosG41
— Acyn Torabi (@Acyn) January 29, 2020
Collins, Murkowski, Romney get first GOP impeachment question
A crucial group of Republican senators got the first question as the Senate dove into a mammoth question-and-answer session in the impeachment trial of President Trump.Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah...
Bette Midler Comes Unglued – Calls For ‘Regrexit’ Movement In Which Trump Supporters Leave GOP ‘Flock’
By PopZette Staff | January 29, 2020
Bette Midler is a renowned entertainer who has been famous for decades because of her singing and acting abilities. Unfortunately, she is now just as well known for having one of the worst cases of Trump Derangement Syndrome in Hollywood, as she frequently uses her Twitter account to launch deranged attacks on the president and his supporters.
Midler was up to her usual anti-Trump antics once again on Tuesday night, when she took to Twitter to slam the president’s supporters as “bigots” as she also urged them to leave the Republican Party.
“#RepublicanRegretters! Your hearts must be sore indeed to realize how low you have fallen, under the spell of the DTs!!” Midler began her rant. “Do yourself and your country a favor and #REGREXIT the #GOP!!
RELATED: Hillary Clinton Goes Hollywood – Whines About Women Directors Being Snubbed At Oscars
#RepublicanRegretters! Your hearts must be sore indeed to realize how low you have fallen, under the spell of the DTs!! Do yourself and your country a favor and #REGREXIT the #GOP!! Join TrueBlue, and remember the #REALYOU!
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 29, 2020
Midler went on to continue her rant early this morning, writing, “Wow! Hate what’s happened to the beloved Party of Lincoln! Afraid to tell the bigots you know? Feeling you are alone? It’s not hard! Just give the flock a small, rueful wave buh-bye, pick up your ethics, morals, values, traditions,&
#Regrexit! Wow! Hate what’s happened to the beloved Party of Lincoln! Afraid to tell the bigots you know? Feeling you are alone? It’s not hard! Just give the flock a small, rueful wave buh-bye, pick up your ethics, morals, values, traditions,& #FLEE!! #yourebeingfleecedbyTRUMP
— Bette Midler (@BetteMidler) January 29, 2020
This is far from the first time Midler has gone after Trump and those who support him. Back in November of 2018, Midler fantasized about the deaths of Trump and his family members in a tweet that has since been deleted.
“Trump Trump Trump Bob Mueller’s marching, Trump Trump Trump And here is why Trump Trump Trump He’s gonna hang you Hang the fam’ly GOOD AND HIGH!” she wrote, according to Breitbart.
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The fact that Midler, a woman who has been overpaid for decades simply for singing and playing pretend, thinks she can lecture the rest of us about politics shows just how narcissistic Hollywood liberals really are.
Midler and her fellow liberal elite celebrities can’t stand the fact that unlike Barack Obama, Trump did not become president to kiss up to Hollywood stars. Instead, he took office to help working class Americans, and that’s exactly what he’s done over the past three years.
Midler can whine about Trump all she wants to, but it’s not going to stop the rest of us from reelecting him come November.
This piece originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
Read more at LifeZette:
Rocket Strikes U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
More GOP Senators Could Defect in Impeachment Trial
Bolton Manuscript Leaked, Romney and Collins May Vote Against the President
The post Bette Midler Comes Unglued – Calls For ‘Regrexit’ Movement In Which Trump Supporters Leave GOP ‘Flock’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
House managers and Trump defense take questions in impeachment trial: Live coverage #1
After six days of opening arguments in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump, senators now get the chance to ask questions. Questions are submitted in writing to be read by Chief Justice John Roberts, with answers generally limited to five minutes.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:20:04 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerAnd we’re underway with questions coming in from Senators, through John Roberts, and out to the legal teams.
And on the very first question, Trump’s legal team is already falling back on the position that even if he did it, Trump’s actions are not impeachable — and he’s even less impossible if there was a possibility that there was some other motivation for Trump’s actions.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:20:48 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerAnd Trump’s team is, on question one, smearing Joe Biden. Because why not.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:22:32 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerTrump’s team now arguing not that Trump actually had a valid motive, but there only has to be the possibility of a valid motive. Which is like saying it’s not that he killed the man in self-defense. It’s that self-defense is a thing so … case dismissed!
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:29:34 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerSchumer sends a question to the House managers asking about the claims that have been learned from Bolton’s book. Provides the House team a platform to argue for Bolton, Mulvaney, and other first-hand witnesses.
Schiff: “There’s no way to have a trial without witnesses.”
Schiff uses the question to also flip the script on the previous response from the Trump team, then goes back to the restaurant conversation between Trump and Sondland. Shows that Trump asked about investigations, not “burden sharing” who would be the perfect to talk about with the ambassador to the EU.
Schiff: “Don’t wait till the book. Don’t want till March 17 then it’s in black and white.”
Schiff shows a video of Cipollone saying “Who doesn’t want to talk about the facts, impeachment shouldn’t be a shell game.” This question and answer session is going to be brutal.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:31:18 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerAnd the next question to Trump’s team: “Would you please address the assertions that the House managers made in the response to the previous question.”
These people are going to go at it hammer and tongs.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:34:51 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerPat Philbin denies Mulvaney’s press conference statement by referencing his post press-conference lawyer-written statement retracting his press conference statement.
Philbin makes the claim that House “didn’t even try” to get Bolton’s testimony, and that asking Senate to have witnesses would cause things to drag on for months … because Trump would ask for witnesses.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:39:45 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerNext question to the House managers hammers exactly the point that Philbin just lobbed “did the House ask Bolton to testify.”
Schiff: “Senators, the answer is yes, of course the House asked John Bolton to testify.” Walks through the steps: asked Bolton, he refused. Asked Kupperman, he refused. Asked Hill, she agreed. Asked Vindman, he agreed. Subpoenaed Kupperman, he sued. Bolton made it clear he would also sue. Schiff shows the argument being made in court that the House has no standing to sue for testimony.
Schiff: “It takes your breath away, the duplicity. …. They can no longer contest the fact. So now they have fallen back on … a constitutional fringe power that a president can abuse his power with impunity.”
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:41:15 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerSchiff points at the acceptance of abuse of power as “the biggest danger of all.”
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:44:59 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerStack of Republicans give the Trump team another chance to Trump-splain what the House is asking for, rather than asking the House team.
Philbin standing up again to defend the Trump team position. Despite his deputy assistant position, it seems that Philbin is the only one on Trump’s team who is capable of making a defense of their case. Defense in this case meaning to defend Dershowitz’s idea of what is allowed in impeachment.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:50:48 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerQuestion from Feinstein on links between military assistance and investigations.
Jason Crow answers that there is overwhelming evidence, despite the earlier attempt to dismiss the press conference statements, Crow points directly at Mulvaney. Crow also notes that the “no quid pro quo” conversation that Republicans love, also includes Trump telling Sondland to get Zelensky to a microphone and make him announce the investigations.
Crow points out, again, the people who should have been involved in any other motive were not informed of any other reason for Trump’s actions.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:54:08 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerA softball to the Trump team “isn’t it Trump’s place to set foreign policy instead of a bunch of deep state bureaucrats who only want to see America be France West?”
Possible that I made up everything in that question after the word “instead.” But it was accurate to the spirit. And Philbin is sticking with that spirit by talking about those “unelected” staffers who don’t answer to the people. And then Philbin tries to define the House case as supporting staffers over Trump.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 6:56:21 PM +00:00 · Meteor Blades Romney's #2 is quite the twist. If Trump did have a personal political purpose withholding the aid but he also had national interest purposes, should he be removed? I believe that is the serial-killers- aren't-serial-killers-24/7 defense argument. Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 7:01:09 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerSo far Democrats have asked questions of only the House managers and the Republicans have only asked the Trump team. No one has tried to throw the other side a fastball.
Shaheen provides the opportunity to talk again on the subject of criminal law vs. impeachable offense, offering a set of other abuses of power that Trump might undertake.
Sylvia Garcia takes the answer, pointing out that such claims have already been dealt with in both the impeachment of Bill Clinton and impeachment inquiry of Richard Nixon. All this discussion of what is impeachable may be esoteric … but it’s all Republicans have left.
With the Bolton revelations, all discussion of Trump’s guilt is just time-filler created for an audience of one.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 7:08:09 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerA question for both sides! And it’s from Cornyn and Blackburn, so you know it’s going to be loopy… “Why did the House not challenge Trump’s claims of executive privilege or immunity” Hmm, surprisingly reasonable, except that they’ve clearly worked this out for the Trump team to have a final word.
Hakeem Jeffries answers that Trump never claimed privilege, but make only “blanket defiance.”
Philbin responds by saying as it has before, that the White House gets to define how the House conducts impeachments. So it didn’t have to talk.
Philbin seems like he’s going to take everything from the Trump side. Or maybe just everything that regards a matter of law. Cipollone or Sekulow may be waiting for more rant-worthy topics.
Wednesday, Jan 29, 2020 · 7:11:45 PM +00:00 · Mark SumnerNext question concerns the idea that the aid was released on time and hits the Trump was better to Ukraine than Obama idea.
Val Demings responds on the cost to Ukraine of this fight. Demings says “it took the work of some senators in this room” to keep the aid available to Ukraine.
Some Democrat needs to ask Trump’s team how much more Europe contributed to Ukraine over July and August to satisfy Trump’s concerns about Burden sharing. And what meetings were held with European leaders on that topic.
Cory Gardner does not want witnesses in Trump impeachment trial
A Colorado Republican facing a tough reelection fight for his Senate seat this November has said he is siding with Republican leadership and does not want to see additional witnesses in the impeachment trial.
"I do not believe we need to hear from an 18th witness," Mr. Gardner told The ...
National Security Council warned Bolton not to publish manuscript
The Senate is weighing whether to have the former national security adviser testify in the impeachment trial.
Kenyan Deputy President’s Ally Impeached in Deepening Rift
