Three ‘very friendly’ Republican senators met with Trump’s defense lawyers

At the beginning of an impeachment trial, senators swear an oath to “do impartial justice.” Most Republican senators have made clear throughout both of Donald Trump’s impeachment trials that this was a lie—at best, a fig leaf they used to get out of answering questions about how they saw the evidence. Then there’s Lindsey Graham, Mike Lee, and Ted Cruz. Those three met with Trump’s defense lawyers Thursday evening to offer advice.

The “very friendly guys,” according to Trump lawyer David Schoen, were making sure Trump’s lawyers were “familiar with procedure.” Probable translation: Wanted to be sure these clowns didn’t screw this thing up too badly for even Republicans to ignore. Was that ethical, though? “Oh yeah, I think that's the practice of impeachment,” Schoen claimed. 

How badly do Graham, Lee, and Cruz think Trump’s lawyers are going to screw up their defense arguments? Alternatively, how worried are they that some Republicans were persuaded by the House impeachment managers’ case? All but six Republicans already voted against holding an impeachment trial at all on the obviously false grounds that it was unconstitutional, giving them an excuse to vote to acquit without engaging the substance of what Trump did at all. 

Sens. Roy Blunt and Marco Rubio are sticking with that claim, for instance. “My view is unchanged as to whether or not we have the authority to do this, and I’m certainly not bound by the fact that 56 people think we do,” Blunt said. “I get to cast my vote, and my view is that you can’t impeach a former president. And if the former president did things that were illegal, there is a process to go through for that.”

And Rubio: “The fundamental question for me, and I don’t know about for everybody else, is whether an impeachment trial is appropriate for someone who is no longer in office. I don’t believe that it is.”

Do Cruz, Lee, and Graham think Schoen and immediately notorious idiot Bruce Castor need their advice to get through what’s forecast to be a very abbreviated day of arguments? Or are they still trying that pathetically hard to suck up to Trump? They do seem to have gotten the attention of his inner circle, with sleazeball adviser Jason Miller repeatedly mentioning their involvement on Newsmax, making absolutely clear the senators were there to build the case for Trump. “It was a real honor to have those senators come in and give us some additional ideas,” he said.

Republican senators have that “not constitutional” sham to hide behind, and they are energetically doing so. They have state parties ready to attack them the minute they step out of line. Donald Trump has his own defense lawyers, albeit not exactly the prime talent of conservative law. And as of Thursday, he officially has three of the people sworn to do impartial justice actively strategizing to help him get off.

The House impeachment managers, on the other hand, had the truth of what happened, and it was too powerful for Republicans to fully ignore. But that is unlikely to be enough.

Trump impeachment trial overshadows hot topics, controversies in early weeks of Biden admin

As the Senate considers for the second time in barely over a year whether to convict former President Donald Trump of an impeachment charge, he continues to dominate the political world even as he's remained mum through the process. 

Hero Capitol police officer to receive highest honor Congress can bestow, Nancy Pelosi announces

Newly released security camera footage revealed that the Capitol police officer celebrated as a hero for diverting an angry mob away from legislators during the Jan. 6 insurrection also possibly saved the life of a specific legislator who didn’t realize he was in immediate danger. Sen. Mitt Romney didn't know he was approaching a white supremacist mob when he first encountered Officer Eugene Goodman in the hallway of the Capitol building, The Washington Post reported. Rep. Stacey Plaskett presented footage of the scene during the impeachment trial on Wednesday.

"You all may have seen footage of Officer Goodman previously, but there's more to his heroic story. In this security footage you can see Officer Goodman running to respond to the initial breach,” Plaskett said, narrating the footage. “Officer Goodman passes Senator Mitt Romney and directs him to turn around in order to get to safety. On the first floor just beneath them, the mob had already started to search for the Senate Chamber."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she’s introducing legislation to award Goodman and other officers who stood guard during the insurrection with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress can bestow, Pelosi said in a press release. “The service of the Capitol Police force that day brings honor to our Democracy, and their accepting this Gold Medal will bring luster to this award,” she said in the release.

Goodman initially attracted praise when HuffPost reporter Igor Bobic tweeted footage of the officer diverting insurrectionists on Jan. 6. It has since been viewed more than 10 million times. “Just now realizing how much of a close call it was in the Senate,” Bobic tweeted. He told Good Morning America that certifying electoral votes from the presidential election, the act that the terrorist mob was trying to interrupt, is normally a routine practice, but last month, “a commotion” and “yelling” began during the process. "And I ran downstairs to the first floor of the Senate building, where I encountered this lone police officer courageously making a stand against the mob of 20 or so Trump supporters who breached the capitol itself and were trying to get upstairs,” Bobic said.

Here’s the scary moment when protesters initially got into the building from the first floor and made their way outside Senate chamber. pic.twitter.com/CfVIBsgywK

— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) January 6, 2021

Goodman, with no gun in hand and no tactical gear, pushed the mob leader in an effort to bait him and ran in the opposite direction of the Senate Chamber. “They were yelling ‘Traitors. We want justice. This is our America. If we don’t stop this now, we won’t get justice. Trump won,’” Bobic told Good Morning America. At times, the insurrectionists chased Goodman slowly. 

“Officer Eugene Goodman’s heroic actions on Jan 6th saved countless lives & prevented a violent mob from breaching the Senate Chamber,” Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. tweeted Wednesday. “We all owe him a debt of gratitude.” 

Officer Eugene Goodman's heroic actions on Jan 6th saved countless lives & prevented a violent mob from breaching the Senate Chamber. Officer Goodman should be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of his bravery & service. We all owe him a debt of gratitude. https://t.co/CMyoXB2uqj

— Rep. Frank Pallone (@FrankPallone) February 11, 2021

Read Pelosi’s complete letter:

"This week has been an historic one for the Country and the Congress.  We have been reminded of the extraordinary valor of the United States Capitol Police, the men and women who risked and gave their lives to save ours, becoming martyrs for our democracy.

The outstanding heroism and patriotism of our heroes deserve and demand our deepest appreciation, which is why I am honored to introduce legislation to pay tribute to the Capitol Police and other law enforcement personnel who protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6 with the Congressional Gold Medal: the highest honor that the Congress can bestow.  The service of the Capitol Police force that day brings honor to our Democracy, and their accepting this Gold Medal will bring luster to this award.  A draft of this legislation is attached.

We must never forget the sacrifice of Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, MPD Officer Jeffrey Smith and the more than 140 law enforcement officers who sustained physical injuries, or the courage of heroes such as Officer Eugene Goodman.  Indeed, we must stay vigilant against the “silent artillery of time,” as President Lincoln stated in his Lyceum Address – a speech that, fittingly, warned of the dire threat that mob insurrectionists could represent to our Democracy: “If [danger] ever reach us it must spring up amongst us; it cannot come from abroad.  If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher."  We promised the families that we will never forget.”

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Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths

A top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said her team withheld the number nursing home COVID-19 deaths to protect Cuomo government from federal investigation and criticism.

On Thursday, the New York Post reported that New York’s secretary to the governor, Melissa DeRosa, apologized to Democrat state leaders for “political” damage caused by the Cuomo administration’s suppression of information.

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DeRosa: Cuomo’s Government Suppressed Statistics

DeRosa said Cuomo’s team were worried about a federal investigation after former President Donald Trump pointed to the high number of coronavirus-related deaths in New York nursing homes.

This was detailed in a recorded call with state Democrat lawmakers.

According top DeRosa, this concern caused Cuomo’s team to suppress the statistics against requests for such information.

Team Cuomo put protecting the governor above transparency.

This was the conclusion drawn by Democratic Assemblyman Ron Kim, who took part in the conference call.

‘They admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence…’

“They had to first make sure that the state was protected against federal investigation.” Kim told the New York Post.

He said DeRosa’s comments sounded “like they admitted that they were trying to dodge having any incriminating evidence that might put the administration or the [Health Department] in further trouble with the Department of Justice.”

“That’s how I understand their reasoning of why they were unable to share, in real time, the data,” Kim said.

DeRosa apologized to state Democrats for how this all went down. 

“So we do apologize,” DeRose said. “I do understand the position that you were put in. I know that it is not fair. It was not our intention to put you in that political position with the Republicans.”

Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin had made an earlier call for an obstruction of justice investigation into Gov. Cuomo.

The Democrat-friendly mainstream media had praised Cuomo’s conduct as governor during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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AP: New Info Could Be ‘A Potential Blow To (Cuomo’s) Image As A Pandemic Hero’

Gov. Cuomo even wrote a book, “American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic.”  

The total number to date of nursing home deaths related to coronavirus is 15,049, according to New York’s latest information.

The Associated Press wondered whether the Cuomo’s administration’s underreporting of nursing home deaths dealt “a potential blow to his image as a pandemic hero.”

The post Andrew Cuomo Aide: To Avoid Federal Investigation, New York Hid COVID-19 Nursing Home Deaths appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump defense claims Capitol attack wasn’t an insurrection

Donald Trump’s lead impeachment attorney on Friday denied that the violence at the Capitol on Jan. 6 amounted to an insurrection, a stunning claim that contradicts the Justice Department and the bipartisan, broadly accepted version of events.

The assertion from Bruce Castor, Trump’s lead attorney for the Senate’s impeachment trial, was among several that stunned senators and left key Republicans unsatisfied as the former president’s defense team rested its case using just three of the 16 hours it was allotted.

“Clearly, there was no insurrection,” Bruce Castor told senators as part of a presentation that included out-of-context arguments to push back against the House managers’ charge that Trump incited the violence that left five people dead.

FBI court filings against those who participated in the violence at the Capitol referred to the events as an “insurrection,” and Republican congressional leaders have echoed that characterization. Castor’s comments come even after the Trump team said the evidence of advance planning by heavily militarized elements of the rioters suggests that the violence was orchestrated ahead of time, rather than an organic reaction to Trump’s speech earlier that morning.

“President Trump’s words couldn’t have incited the violence at the Capitol,” Castor added.

In their opening arguments and responses to senators’ questions, the Trump defense team refused to disclose details about what Trump knew — or what actions he took — as the violence unfolded on Jan. 6, instead blaming the House for not undertaking an investigation.

And they said there was no evidence that Trump knew that Mike Pence was in danger when he tweeted an attack on the then-vice president — even though the Capitol siege was widely televised and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) told POLITICO he directly informed Trump that Pence had been evacuated moments after. Trump’s lawyers called Tuberville’s account “hearsay.” Tuberville told reporters Friday evening that he stood by his original comments to POLITICO.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the lead impeachment manager, said the “evidence is in the sole possession of their client,” referring to Trump, who last week declined an invitation from the House to testify as part of the trial.

Perhaps more importantly, key GOP senators weighing whether to convict Trump said the former president’s attorneys’ answers were not satisfactory, including Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who asked the lawyers for specific details about when Trump learned that the Capitol had been breached, what actions he took in response, and when.

Trump’s second impeachment trial is barreling toward a rapid close, with a final vote expected on Saturday. The House charged Trump with a single count, incitement of insurrection, last month and rested their case earlier this week.

Republican senators have praised the House managers’ presentations, but most have said the managers failed to connect the violence directly to Trump. Barring an unexpected development, Trump is almost certain to be acquitted, with just a handful of GOP senators joining Democrats to vote to convict Trump.

The trajectory of the trial is not yet certain, though. When the Senate comes into session on Saturday, the House’s nine impeachment managers will inform the chamber whether they intend to seek witness testimony, which would require a simple majority vote. But Democrats have largely indicated that they do not believe additional witnesses are needed to bolster their case against Trump.

“I think adequate evidence has been presented,” Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said.

Each side will then have up to two hours to give closing arguments before potential deliberations and then a final vote.

A central theme of Trump’s defense Friday was the contention that the impeachment article was created out of “hatred” and “vengeance,” and was intended as a tool of political retribution.

“Hatred should have no place in this chamber,” Trump attorney Michael van der Veen said, arguing that Democrats invented the standard of “incitement” that they are asking the Senate to apply against Trump.

Van der Veen falsely claimed that an “Antifa leader” was among those arrested at the Capitol, even though no identified antifa leaders have been arrested and only one rioter of hundreds brought up on charges has been identified as having potential ties to the left. Van der Veen also falsely said Trump’s first tweets amid the Capitol riots was to call for peace — though his actual first tweet was an attack against Pence.

David Schoen, another Trump attorney, accused House Democrats of “manipulating” their evidence against Trump and then displayed an almost 10-minute montage of Democrats and some celebrities using the word “fight,” in an attempt to draw an equivalence between Trump's repeated urging of a rally crowd to “fight like hell” to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election on Jan. 6.

The montage included comments from Democratic senators, who watched in shock as their prior remarks were being broadcast. Inside the chamber, some senators laughed while others shook their heads and passed notes to each other.

The display, which repeatedly insinuated that Democrats had sanctioned violence at riots that broke out over the summer in the wake of the death of George Floyd, at times seemed to engage in score-settling aimed at Trump's longtime political adversaries, dwelling on comments made by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in which she pledged to “fight” for causes she supported.

Democratic senators emerged from the chamber fuming about the Trump team's display.

“Donald Trump was told that if he didn’t stop lying about the election, people would be killed. He wouldn’t stop, and the Capitol was attacked, and seven people are dead that would be alive today," said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). "That’s what I think of those clips.”

Trump’s lawyers lodged an argument that accepts House Democrats’ case about the violence that they played on a loop for the Senate this week. But they said “no thinking person” could conclude that Trump bears culpability for unleashing it, and that his months-long campaign to delegitimize the election results and incendiary remarks the morning of the insurrection are protected by his First Amendment right to free speech.

The former president’s lawyers also reiterated their view — shared by a majority of Republican senators — that the Senate has no constitutional authority to put a former president on trial for impeachment charges. The Senate voted earlier this week, however, that the impeachment trial is constitutional.

Assuming the managers opt against making motions for witness testimony, Saturday’s session will include two hours of closing arguments for each side, followed by deliberations and then a vote on whether to convict Trump of the impeachment charge against him.

Though Trump is widely expected to be acquitted — and Republican senators repeatedly emphasized that the House’s presentation didn’t move them enough to convict — one of the most enduring mysteries of the trial is how Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will vote. He has studiously avoided tipping his hand, though he has said Trump provoked the mob.

A handful of other GOP senators are weighing conviction, but the exact number is unknown because the issue has been largely avoided at party meetings.

Burgess Everett contributed to this report.

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