Rep. Herrera Beutler’s written testimony admitted into evidence in impeachment trial
The written testimony of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash, was admitted into evidence on Saturday.
Month: February 2021
Trump trial (briefly) thrown for loop after GOP actions force House managers to request a witness
On Saturday morning, lead House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin stepped forward to surprise the Senate with a request for a deposition. The possibility of calling witnesses was always theoretically part of the process, and this was always the point where it was supposed to happen. But until this morning, there had been an assumption that witnesses would be skipped in favor of a “get past this” strategy that would see closing arguments this morning, and a final vote on Donald Trump’s conviction by this afternoon.
However, at least three things happened in the last 24 hours to change those assumptions. First, Trump’s legal team put on a show that was loaded with lies, aspersions, and irrelevant statements that had nothing to do with the case. Second, late Friday, even more information appeared on a phone call between Trump and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, which underscored Trump’s depraved indifference to the events in the Capitol. Finally, a letter from Mitch McConnell was leaked, showing that he was still determined to hide behind the faux constitutionality defense, and would not be voting for Trump’s conviction or encouraging others to do so.
All of that made it almost inevitable that the House managers would ask for at least one witness on Saturday morning. But it still seems to have caught everyone off guard.
Saturday, Feb 13, 2021 · 5:30:11 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
One and done may actually be none and done.
As soon as Rep. Raskin asked to be allowed to depose a witness, Trump’s legal team went ballistic in shock. Attorney Michael van der Veen stepped up and spiraled into a rant so ridiculous that it ended with senators laughing at him and Sen. Pat Leahy having to call for order—and tweak van der Veen for his uncivil language.
Once the realization set in that the House managers were doing the unexpected, a vote was held on whether to debate calling witnesses. That vote passed 55-45 with Republican Sens. Collins, Murkowski, Romney, and Sasse joining all Democrats. At the last minute, Sen. Lindsey Graham changed his vote to “aye,” but this was clearly done as a rat-f***ing move, so that the defense can call nonsense witnesses and Graham can claim to have been in favor of witnesses all along.
It’s clear that the House managers want to hear from Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, who recounted McCarthy’s statements about his phone call with Trump, and Friday night confirmed those statements. Trump’s legal team has countered with a threat to call hundreds of witnesses, including Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris. Van der Veen went on to insist that they would all have to show up for in-person depositions in his office in “Phillydelphia” … which led to much of the chamber chuckles.
Following the vote, the chamber broke down into a series of small groups as senators tried to work out rules for what comes next. The Senate could move forward, voting on each witness in turn. It could agree to give each side a fixed number of witnesses. It might even set up a committee to collect depositions, while the rest of the Senate returns to normal business—though that last option is unlikely because it would not allow Republicans to claim that the impeachment trial was slowing the regular work of the Senate. Republicans seem suddenly anxious to pass COVID-19 relief.
After a series of time-killing maneuvers, the Senate finally took an official break. Action will resume at 12:30 ET, though there is not guarantee that anything will have been worked out by that point.
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‘Blame you’: Johnson and Romney get heated after vote for impeachment witnesses
Republican Sens. Ron Johnson and Mitt Romney had a heated exchange on the Senate floor Saturday after Romney voted to allow witnesses in former president Donald Trump’s impeachment trial.
A "visibly upset" Johnson (R-Wis.) turned to Romney (R-Utah) and the two went “back and forth” with Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) between them, according to pool reports.
“Blame you,” Johnson told Romney. Voices were “definitely raised,” according to the report, with Johnson pointing at Romney at one stage.
Asked about the confrontation by reporters, Johnson declined to get into it, saying “those are private conversations.” A reporter then noted that reporters heard it.
"That's grotesque you guys are recording," Johnson said, to which a reporter noted they were allowed to witness the proceedings.
Johnson, a Trump ally, told reporters that the vote will merely “inflame the situation.”
“We never should have this impeachment trial. It's not healing, it's not unifying, it's like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it,” Johnson said. “I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and [then] let’s rip the wound back open, let's rub more salt in it.”
Spokespeople for Romney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Romney was the only Republican to vote to convict former Trump in his first impeachment trial, and has voted that Trump's second Senate trial is constitutional.
Johnson and Romney weren’t alone in clashing as tensions escalated among congressional Republicans.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), who recently issued a statement detailing a call between Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy during the Jan. 6 insurrection, drew the ire of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).
“The gift that keeps on giving to the Democrats,” Greene wrote. “First voting to impeach innocent President Trump, then yapping to the press and throwing [McCarthy] under the bus, and now a tool as a witness for the Democrats running the circus trial.”
“The Trump loyal 75 million are watching,” she added.
On Saturday, House impeachment manager and Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called to subpoena Herrera Beutler.
Fight over witnesses could delay Trump trial conclusion
The Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump was thrown into confusion Saturday as lawmakers voted to consider hearing witnesses, a step that could extend the proceedings and delay a vote on whether the former president incited the deadly Capitol insurrection.
Trump impeachment trial curveball: Senate wants to hear from witnesses
Former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial got an unexpected extension as senators voted Saturday morning to open the door to witnesses in light of new reporting overnight on Trump's state of mind during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
Ron Johnson, Mitt Romney reportedly got into a heated discussion after impeachment witness vote
House managers call for witnesses to be deposed in 2nd Trump impeachment trial
‘Philly-delphia’: Trump attorney’s calls for depositions in home city draws laughter
The Senate broke out in laughter Saturday after Trump defense attorney Michael van der Veen called for in-person depositions of witnesses in "Philly-delphia."
House impeachment manager Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) called Saturday to subpoena Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.) via Zoom after she issued a statement detailing her claims that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had a fiery phone call with former President Donald Trump as the violent insurrection was underway at the Capitol Jan. 6.
Herrera Beutler said Trump rebuffed McCarthy's calls to put an end to the violence. McCarthy pushed back, and Trump responded, "Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are," Herrera Beutler said.
In response to Raskin's call to testify, van der Veen called for the trial to end Saturday without witnesses. But if there will be witnesses, he said he will need "over 100 depositions," including of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris.
"None of these depositions should be done by Zoom. We didn't do this hearing by Zoom. These depositions should be done in person, in my office, in Philly-delphia," van der Veen said, to laughter in the chamber.
"I don't know why you're laughing," van der Veen said.
"It is civil process. That is the way lawyers do it," van der Veen said. "We send notices of deposition."
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the Senate president pro tempore who is presiding over the trial, called for order in the chamber.
"I haven't laughed at any of you, and there's nothing laughable here," van der Veen said.