Former President Donald Trump is apparently having some trouble finding legal representation in his upcoming impeachment trial. All five lawyers, including former federal litigators and Trump’s anticipated lead attorneys Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, have quit less than two weeks before the trial is scheduled to begin the week of February 8, unnamed sources told CNN. Other attorneys with the good sense to distance themselves from Trump include South Carolina lawyers Johnny Gasser and Greg Harris and Josh Howard, a North Carolina attorney who worked on the Monica Lewinsky investigation during former President Bill Clinton's time in office, CNN reported.
"A person familiar with the situation called it a ‘mutual" decision,’ New York Times correspondent Maggie Haberman tweeted Saturday. "Bowers has been noticeably muted for someone leading a Trump defense, choosing not to talk to most reporters. The person familiar with the situation said there was no chemistry between Bowers and Trump."
The legal team’s decision to leave reportedly boiled down to a disagreement about legal strategy in the case, with Trump wanting them to argue the clearly unwinnable case that he's a victim of mass election fraud. The reality TV star’s better case is that impeaching a former president is unconstitutional, but even that is a toss-up considering it’s not actually mentioned in the constitution, legal scholars told various news agencies. Trump’s team—and by team, I mean the few remaining people linked to his presidency who aren’t desperately trying to distance themselves from him—is clutching to the constitutionality argument.
"The Democrats' efforts to impeach a president who has already left office is totally unconstitutional and so bad for our country,” Trump’s former campaign adviser Jason Miller told CNN. “In fact, 45 Senators have already voted that it is unconstitutional. We have done much work, but have not made a final decision on our legal team, which will be made shortly."
Despite GOP sentiments these days that impeaching a former president is unconstitutional, Rep. Matt Gaetz argued the exact opposite point on Twitter Dec. 4, 2019, when Trump suggested former President Barack Obama should be impeached for his stance on healthcare. “You actually can impeach a former President, FWIW”, Gaetz tweeted.
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said in a statement The Washington Post obtained that the Senate “lacks constitutional authority to conduct impeachment proceedings against a former president.” “The Founders designed the impeachment process as a way to remove officeholders from public office — not an inquest against private citizens,” Cotton said.
The Post’s fact-checking team, however, gave a less definitive analysis:
“Some argue it’s impossible to impeach former officials. Some say it’s possible — if Congress wants to ban them from holding federal office again. One scholar said a definitive answer would come only after a court battle on these issues.
For now, no court appears to have ruled on this question, the text of the Constitution doesn’t spell out the answer, and past practice in Congress is an inconclusive guide.”
What’s more conclusive is just how much damage Trump did when he made repeated claims of widespread election fraud then challenged his supporters to block Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. “We will never give up. “We will never concede. It doesn't happen,” Trump said at the Save America rally before the riot at the Capitol. “You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that is what this is all about.”
Ten House Republicans joined 222 Democrats in a vote to impeach Trump on January 13, and as it turns out, even supporters of the former president who are charged in connection to the Capitol riot are now arguing Trump made them do it, CNN reported. Jacob Anthony Chansley otherwise known as the “QAnon shaman” who appeared horned, shirtless, and draped in bearskin during the riot, said through an attorney that he was "duped" by Trump, according to CNN. Chansley was arrested earlier this month on federal charges of “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority” and violent entry, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
"You become very self-interested very quickly when you've been charged by the Department of Justice," Elie Honig, a former federal litigator and CNN analyst, said on the news network. "Whatever political mission these people thought they were on while invading the Capitol, now that they might get locked up, they'll point the finger wherever they need to. Political goals now go out the window."
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Earlier this week, we reported that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had slammed her Republican colleagues as the “enemy within the House.” Now, former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) is speaking out to let Pelosi know that she feels this was inappropriate of her to say.
Pelosi used her weekly press conference on Thursday to shame Republicans, saying, “I do believe, and I have said this all along, that we will probably need a supplemental for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives, a threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is happening outside.”
When asked what she meant by “the enemy” within, Pelosi doubled-downed by saying, “It means that we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress.”
Related: Pelosi Claims ‘The Enemy Is Within The House’ As She Calls Out Armed Colleagues As Security Threats
Gabbard went on “The Ingraham Angle” on Friday night to slam Pelosi for these comments.
“This kind of broad, inflammatory rhetoric is like throwing a match into the tinderbox,” Gabbard said of Pelosi’s remarks. As for Pelosi’s claim that Republican lawmakers threatened “violence on other members of Congress,” Gabbard called for Pelosi to get law enforcement involved if the threats are legitimate.
“What Speaker Pelosi is talking about is a very serious thing,” Gabbard told Fox News host Lauran Ingraham. “If there is evidence to back what she is saying … is true, this is a legal issue for law enforcement. Because members of Congress are not above the law either.”
“Isn’t this also inciting?” Ingraham asked. “If you think there is someone among the Republican caucus who’s actively plotting the murder of Nancy Pelosi or other members of Congress, that could then bring violence upon those individuals.”
“That’s really the issue here. If this is a criminal threat, let law enforcement deal with it,” Gabbard replied. “If there is no evidence of what she is talking about, and if it is not true, it is inciting further division and further harm potentially and further destroying the possibility of our country coming together.”
Related: Tulsi Gabbard Hammers Schiff, Brennan As ‘Domestic Enemies’ More Dangerous Than Capitol Protesters
Not stopping there, Gabbard issued a challenge to Pelosi.
“This is why it’s so important for Nancy Pelosi – again if these accusations are baseless – she needs to apologize, not so much to her colleagues but really to the American people who right now, more than ever, need leadership coming from the speaker of the House, who represents all members of Congress and the American people to bring us together,” she said.
“For her and President Biden to deescalate these tensions, to turn down the temperature, to denounce those who are seeking to undermine our civil liberties and our constitutional rights, and who are inflaming these tensions,” Gabbard continued. “To say, ‘Hey, we’re all Americans, and we need to come together.'”
Ingraham then questioned if Democrats were trying to weaponize the Capitol riots that took place earlier this month “to justify future encroachment on civil liberties.” She added that Democrats may be “setting the stage” for “aggressive gun control,” putting a “wall around the Capitol,” or making Washington, D.C. a state.
“I share your same concerns,” Gabbard said in agreement, reasoning that if the “party in charge can extend this kind of government overreach and using the military and intelligence agencies against people who are of the opposing party or hold different views, then what’s to say the next party who comes in and takes charge can’t do the same? That really leaves us with a banana republic, not a democracy.”
This piece was written by James Samson on January 30, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Tulsi Gabbard Torches Pelosi For Describing GOP As ‘Enemy Within The House’ – ‘Like Throwing A Match Into A Tinderbox’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) blasted the Republican Party as a “dangerous cult” after it was reported that names of Democrat lawmakers were found on a list on the person of a man who was caught near the U.S. Capitol with a gun and ammunition.
Police arrested the 71 year-old man at the Capitol on Wednesday for possessing a pistol without a license after he was caught shouting at guardsmen. Officials said afterwards that the man had been at the Capitol riots and had posted memes related to the QAnon conspiracy theory on social media.
Schiff wasted no time in using this to fuel his own agenda as he attacked Republican leaders after CNN found several Facebook posts from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) calling for the execution of Democratic leaders.
“You look at some of these members, including Representative Greene, who have threatened on social media prior to her election other members of Congress,” Schiff told CNN host Wolf Blitzer.
“You have members like her who have suggested that attacks against students, murderous attacks on high school campuses like at Parkland were somehow fake, fraudulent, or false flag operations,” he added. “And they’re being rewarded by [House Minority Leader Rep.] Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) with assignments on the education committee!”
“You know, the GOP leadership is becoming little more than a cult and a dangerous cult,” Schiff continued.
Greene has already responded by saying that the controversial posts were actually written by members of her team, and that she does not endorse them.
Schiff went on to blast McCarthy for visiting former President Donald Trump at Mar-A-Lago this week.
“That is sadly where the GOP leadership is at in Congress, and that’s part of the reason why the Capitol looks like an armed fortress right now,” Schiff lamented.
Schiff added that he is disappointed at the permanent fencing being erected around the Capitol after the riots earlier this month.
“It’s just awful to see the necessary presence of so many troops, National Guard troops, guarding the nation’s Capitol,” he said. “I would have never imagined that would be necessary, and I hope that it won’t be necessary indefinitely.”
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Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff reacts to threats of violence members of Congress are facing following the attack on the US Capitol and concerns over fellow colleagues. “The GOP leadership is becoming little more than a cult and a dangerous cult.” pic.twitter.com/dnzQV24wmD
— The Situation Room (@CNNSitRoom) January 29, 2021
This piece was written by James Samson on January 30, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Adam Schiff Rips GOP Leaders As ‘Dangerous Cult’ Over Threats Made To Democrats appeared first on The Political Insider.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) travelled to Cheyenne, Wyoming on Thursday for a rally in which he went after Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), claiming that the only two things that she’s done in Congress is “frustrate the agenda of President [Donald] Trump and sell out to the forever war machine.”
“There are basically two things that Liz Cheney has done in the United States Congress: frustrate the agenda of President Trump and sell out to the forever war machine,” Gaetz said to a crowd in Cheney’s home state.
Gaetz held this rally at the Wyoming State Capitol in the hopes of inspiring Cheney’s own constituents to reelect a true conservative in her place. Cheney has found herself in hot water ever since she voted to impeach Trump earlier this month in a move that many Republicans saw as a betrayal.
Gaetz claimed that Cheney spent the past four years undermining Trump’s agenda, and that she wants to put our troops in harms way by engaging America in endless wars.
“We were told by Liz Cheney and all of the globalists that if [we] accepted globalism we would export America’s best crops, best products, best services, and instead, all too often we are exporting America’s bravest patriots to die in distant lands,” he said.
“A nation that sends its best to go fight in the worst places in the world should not send its worst to be representatives in the United States Congress,” Gaetz added.
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Gaetz even attacked Cheney for her claims that he wears makeup during television appearances.
“We have to see our leaders for who they truly are,” Gaetz said. “Now, Liz Cheney mocks me for wearing makeup during my television appearances. Makeup only hides the imperfections of the skin; it does very little to conceal the soulless corruption of Washington, D.C.”
At one point in the rally, Donald Trump Jr. called in to encourage Wyoming residents to reelect a new representative instead of Cheney.
“You could send a representative who actually represents you, and you could send Liz Cheney home, back home to Washington, D.C.,” Gaetz said at the end of the rally.
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This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Matt Gaetz Torches Liz Cheney For Not Supporting Trump Agenda – Selling Out To ‘Forever War Machine’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
During her weekly press conference on Thursday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) revealed that the chamber is probably going to allocate more money to members of Congress to provide additional security for themselves.
Pelosi said that the chamber is not only doing this due to the Capitol riots earlier this month, but also because of what she described as the “enemy” within the House.
“We will probably need a supplemental [budget] for more security for members when the enemy is within the House of Representatives — a threat that members are concerned about in addition to what is happening outside,” Pelosi said.
When asked for clarification on what she meant by this, Pelosi proceeded to call out some of her fellow members of Congress.
“It means we have members of Congress who want to bring guns on the floor and have threatened violence on other members of Congress,” she said.
Related: Pelosi Calls On Democrat Lawmakers To ‘Write Their Stories’ Of Capitol Riots
This came hours after 32 members of Congress sent a letter to House leadership claiming that members were facing a “significant uptick in threats of violence and even death.”
The letter, which was led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Dean Phillips (D-MN), asked the House to allocate supplemental funds for security “given the increased threat level,” as well as other increased security measures.
Pelosi said in her presser that she has already asked retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré to lead a review of the U.S. Capitol’s security. She has also issued a new guidance allowing lawmakers to use their office budget funds to purchase things like bulletproof vests and security guards at local events.
“General Honoré is looking to see what really will work in terms of their service here, their service home, their transportation in between,” she said.
Unsurprisingly, Pelosi also didn’t miss an opportunity to once again accuse former President Donald Trump of inciting the Capitol riots.
“This is very, very important,” Pelosi said of the security concerns. “It shouldn’t be.”
“It shouldn’t be that not only is the president of the United States inciting an insurrection but keeps fanning the flames endangering the security of members of Congress to the point that they’re even concerned about members in the House of Representatives being a danger to them,” she concluded.
This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Pelosi Claims ‘The Enemy Is Within The House’ As She Calls Out Armed Colleagues As Security Threats appeared first on The Political Insider.
Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), who has long been known as one of the biggest “Never Trump” Republicans in Congress, spoke out on Tuesday to say that in order for “national unity” to be achieved, Republicans must admit that Joe Biden legitimately won the presidential election.
“There is no question that the nation is divided now, and there is a lot of anger,” Romney said during an online forum presented by the Economic Club of Chicago.
“To the people on my side who say an impeachment trial is going to inflame passions more. I say, first of all, have you gone out publicly and said that there was not widespread voter fraud and that Joe Biden is the legitimate president of the United States?” he added. “If you said that, then I’m happy to listen to you talk about other things that might inflame anger and divisiveness.”
‘But if you haven’t said that, that’s really what’s at the source of the anger right now,” Romney said. “There are many, many Republicans, almost three-quarters, who believe democracy itself has been stolen. That a very passioned perspective. You’ve got to have that get to the rearview mirror before you talk about the next stage.”
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Romney, who has spent the past few years dividing our country and our party even further by relentlessly attacking Donald Trump, went on to say what he feels needs to happen for there to be “national unity.”
“I would also say if you want to see national unity, you really have to rely on truth and justice,” the Utah senator said. “Justice being carried out is something which the American people expect. Five people died with the attack on the Capitol. Five human beings died. There’s no question but that the president incited the insurrection that occurred.”
“To what degree and so forth is something we’re going to evaluate in the trial that will proceed,” Romney said. “How culpable is he? That’s something we will evaluate.”
“But to simply say, ‘Well, we’re gonna just move on because we need to be united,’ would not be, I think, consistent with the history of justice as applied in our country,” he concluded. “And I believe it’s an element of unity, which I look forward to having resolved so that we can move on.”
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This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Romney Says Republicans Must Admit Biden Won Legitimately For ‘National Unity’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
President Joe Biden’s White House reportedly feels “blessed” over the fact that Twitter banned Donald Trump earlier this month.
“The President spent two years ignoring Trump’s distractions and staying focused on the message he wanted to deliver, and it paid off with a commanding win,” an unnamed White House official told Politico, which described Twitter banning Trump as a “priceless gift.”
The official went on to say that the Biden administration will stick to its communications strategy regardless of what Trump does in the future.
“Whether or not Trump slinks back into public view or opens up a Parler account isn’t going to make a difference in how we communicate with the American people,” the official said.
Another source who Politico described as an “outside adviser” said that Biden’s White House feels “blessed” by Trump not being on Twitter.
“Not having to deal with a deranged new tweet every hour? They feel blessed,” the adviser claimed.
Twitter banned Trump earlier this month after accusing him of inciting the riots at the Capitol. Since then, Trump has remained almost completely silent after leaving the White House and heading to Florida.
“It has become abundantly clear since his absence on Twitter how much Trump was driving a media narrative,” said Paul Bentz, an Arizona-based Republican strategist and pollster.
Philip N. Howard, director of the Oxford Internet Institute, celebrated Trump being removed from Twitter as well.
“Trump had an amazing ability to distract from issues. He was able to plant seeds of doubt about entire institutions and regular democratic processes,” he said. “Having him off Twitter allows the conversation about climate change to stay on topic — and about evidence. The conversation about race and social inequality can stay focused on policy ideas.”
“He was a kind of sinkhole in the media ecosystem,” Howard added, “which often trapped professional journalists into covering inane stories or simply burned them out as individuals.”
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Though Twitter banned Trump, however, support for him is not dwindling. A new Morning Consult poll found that an increasing number of Republicans, 50 percent, want Trump to play a “major role” in putting together the future of the GOP.
This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Biden White House Responds To Twitter Banning Trump – They Feel ‘Blessed’ appeared first on The Political Insider.
On Wednesday, actor, director and outspoken leftist Rob Reiner said that the Senate must convict former President Donald Trump, who he called “the new leader of the Confederacy.”
Reiner, popularly known as the Meathead character in “All In The Family,” said this was necessary for Democrats to win “our continuing Civil War.”
Our original sin is at the the root of our continuing Civil War. Donald Trump, the new leader of the Confederacy, heads the Sedition. If he is not held accountable with a Senate conviction, there will be no Appomattox.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) January 27, 2021
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“Our original sin is at the the root of our continuing Civil War. Donald Trump, the new leader of the Confederacy, heads the Sedition,” Reiner wrote.
“If he is not held accountable with a Senate conviction, there will be no Appomattox.”
Appomattox, of course, is the Virginia town where in 1865 Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant.
Reiner is no stranger to trying to push politicians to impeach Trump.
Earlier in January, the Reiner insisted that anyone in Congress who did not try to remove the president as Trump’s days in the White House wound down would themselves be guilty of the federal crime of sedition.
Reiner tweeted not long after the Capitol Hill riot, “Any members of Congress that doesn’t support Impeachment and Removal of this President supports Sedition.”
Any member of Congress that doesn’t support Impeachment and Removal of this President supports Sedition.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) January 8, 2021
When then President-elect Joe Biden was calling for unity and wanted to “heal America” back in December, Reiner said that could only happen if Trump’s family and administration face criminal prosecution.
In September, Reiner said on social media that law enforcement would arrest then-President Trump after the election day, and also added “in 42 days we will arrest the killer.”
“Donald Trump has essentially shot and killed 100s of thousands Americans on 5th Ave, continues to do it every day, and he’s right, his cult doesn’t care,” tweeted Reiner.
“But the rest of US do. In 42 days we will arrest the killer.”
Donald Trump has essentially shot and killed 100s of thousands Americans on 5th Ave, continues to do it every day, and he’s right, his cult doesn’t care. But the rest of US do. In 42 days we will arrest the killer.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) September 22, 2020
In October of last year, Reiner claimed that Trump was “trying to kill as many Americans as possible” by campaigning during the presidential campaign.
Trump’s closing strategy: Blanket the country with super spreader rallies and kill as many Americans as possible.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) October 27, 2020
Then in December, Reiner demanded the arrest of the entire Trump family. With no caveats, one can assume he includes First Lady Melania and son Barron in that demand.
Lest we forget. The GOP run Senate Intel Committee has referred Criminal proceedings to the DOJ against Kushner and Don Jr. We can not let the firehose of corruption gushing from this Crime Family go unchecked. The survival of our Democracy demands they all be prosecuted.
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) December 2, 2020
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How long will Rob Reiner continue to obsess over Donald Trump now that he is out of office?
Something tells us the out-to-lunch Hollywood liberal isn’t done yet.
The post Rob Reiner Calls Trump ‘New Leader Of The Confederacy’ Who Must Be Convicted appeared first on The Political Insider.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-NY) came unglued on the Senate floor on Wednesday as he let loose on the 45 Republican senators who voted that an impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump in the Senate would be unconstitutional.
On Tuesday night, the Senate voted to dismiss a motion put forth by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that having an impeachment trial for a president who is no longer in office violates the constitution.
However, only five Republicans joined Democrats in voting to table the motion, making it incredibly unlikely that Schumer will be successful in impeaching Trump.
Schumer took to the Senate floor the next day to call the 45 Republicans who voted in favor of tabling an impeachment trial “deeply irresponsible.”
“Only five Republican senators were willing to take a principled stand against this reckless and ill-advised effort by members of this body who are eager to excuse President Trump’s campaign to overturn the election and apparently to excuse his incitement of the mob that every one of us experienced in this Capitol,” Schumer said, according to CBS News.
“I would simply say to all of my colleagues, make no mistake, there will be a trial, and the evidence against the former president will be presented in living color for the nation and every one of us to see once again,” he added.
Related: Schumer Promises Quick Impeachment Trial, A Lot Of Witnesses Not Necessary
The House already impeached Trump for a second time for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots earlier this month, and if the Senate does indeed impeach him, he won’t be able to run for office again.
“No one will be able to avert their gaze from what Mr. Trump said and did and the consequences of his actions,” Schumer said. “We will all watch what happened. We will listen to what happened. And then we will vote. We will pass judgment as our solemn duty under the Constitution demands.”
Others Democrats, however, are starting to realize that an impeachment trial may not be the best idea. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) has teamed up with Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to pitch censure resolution against Trump to their colleagues.
“The vote on the Paul motion yesterday was completely clarifying that we’re not going to get near 67 [votes],” said Kaine, who was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in her failed presidential run against Trump in 2016.
“To do a trial knowing you’ll get 55 votes at the max seems to me to be not the right prioritization of our time,” he added. “Obviously we do a trial, maybe we can do it fast, but my top priority is COVID relief and getting the Biden cabinet approved.”
Related: GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Makes Good On Promise To File Impeachment Against Biden
Collins pledged to vote in favor of censuring Trump “in lieu of” an impeachment trial.
“Senator Kaine and I have been working on a proposal for censure. It is still in process but I think yesterday’s vote on the Senate floor shows that it is extremely unlikely that President Trump would be convicted, and that indeed the five votes to even proceed to a trial is probably the high mark on what you’re going to see for Republican support,” Collins said.
“If the outcome of the trial is already obvious — which I believe yesterday’s vote shows clearly…then the question is, is there another way to express condemnation of the president’s activities with regard to the riot and the pressure that he put on state officials?” she added.
This piece was written by James Samson on January 28, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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The post Schumer Unloads On Republicans Refusing To Support Impeachment – Vows To Hold Trial appeared first on The Political Insider.