Category: Donald Trump

Bill Maher Claims Christianity Is To Blame For Capitol Riot

Posted on by LifeZette

During Friday’s episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” host Bill Maher blamed Christianity for the Capitol riots last month.

Maher Blames Christianity For Capitol Riots

Maher, 65, claimed that a belief in Christianity is comparable to a belief in conspiracies like QAnon, and he said this led in part to supporters of former President Donald Trump storming the Capitol last month.

“As long as we’re going to go to the trouble of another impeachment trial, we might as well be honest about what it’s really about: The events of Jan. 6 were a faith-based initiative,” he said.

Not stopping there, Maher alleged that Trump supporters who believe in a “Christian nationalist movement” are firm in their beliefs that God “literally sent [Trump] from heaven to save them.”

He cited comments made by Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who once said that God personally chose Trump for president of the United States of America.

“There’s a lot of talk now in liberal corners about how Republicans should tell their base who still believe the election was rigged that they need to grow up and move on and stop asking the rest of us to respect their mass delusion,” Maher said.

“And, of course, it is a mass delusion. But the inconvenient truth here is that, if you accord religious faith the kind of exalted respect we do here in America, you’ve already lost the argument that mass delusion is bad,” the HBO host continued. 

Related: Bill Maher Panics Over Trump’s ‘Radio Silence’ After Leaving White House. – ‘Does That Not Alarm You A Little?’

Maher Compares Christianity And QAnon

He then directly compared Christianity and QAnon.

“It’s fun to laugh at QAnon, with the baby-eating lizard people and the pedophile pizza parlors, but have you ever read the book of [Revelation]? That’s the Bible,” he said. “That’s your holy book, Christians. And they’ve got seven-headed dragons and locusts that have the face of men and teeth of lions and other stuff you see after the guy in the park sells you bad mushrooms.”

Maher went on to say that “magical religious thinking,” such as faith in Jesus’ resurrection, is not dissimilar to a “current mutation” of the QAnon “virus.”

“All the armies of the world will gather and Jesus will come down on a flying horse, shooting swords out of his mouth, and have a thousand-year cosmic-boss battle with Satan, the Beast, and the antichrist. … It’s like 10 ‘Avenger’ movies plus 10 ‘Hobbit’ movies plus a night out with Johnny Depp,” Maher said.

Related: Bill Maher Hits Biden Campaign For Blaming 254,000 U.S. Coronavirus Deaths On Trump

“Please, magical religious thinking is a virus and QAnon is just its current mutation,” he insisted. “That’s why megachurches play QAnon videos. It’s the same basic plot. ‘Q’ is the prophet and Trump is the messiah. There’s an apocalyptic event looming, ‘The Storm.’ There’s a titanic struggle of good versus evil, and if you want good to win, just keep those checks coming in.

“We need to stop pretending there’s no way we’ll understand why the Trump mob believes in him. It’s because they’re religious! They’ve already made space in their heads for s**t that doesn’t make sense,” Maher concluded. “When you’re a QAnon fanatic, you’re also a fundamentalist Christian. They just go together like macaroni and cheese.”

This piece was written by James Samson on February 8, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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The post Bill Maher Claims Christianity Is To Blame For Capitol Riot appeared first on The Political Insider.

Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on Trump’s impeachment and his enduring influence

Posted on by PBS NewsHour - Politics
NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report join Judy Woodruff to discuss the latest political news, including how former President Trump's second impeachment trial will be different from the first, how partisanship plays in to the trial, Trump's continued influence on the Republican Party and President Biden's relief plan.

Trump Lawyer’s Demand Senate Impeachment Trial Be Dismissed, As Top Democrat Admits It’s Not Crazy To Argue It Is Unconstitutional

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

On the eve of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, lawyers for the former President are demanding a dismissal, while a top Democrat admits the process could reasonably be argued as unconstitutional.

A memorandum filed by Trump’s legal team Monday calls for an “immediate dismissal” of what they define as Democrat “political theater.”

“The Article of Impeachment presented by the House is unconstitutional for a variety of reasons, any of which alone would be grounds for immediate dismissal,” they write.

“Taken together, they demonstrate conclusively that indulging House Democrats’ hunger for this political theater is a danger to our Republic[an] democracy and the rights that we hold dear.”

RELATED: CNN’s Jake Tapper Called Out For Claiming Republicans Must Stop ‘Insane Lies’ That Have Led To ‘MAGA Terrorism’

The Impeachment of a Former President IS Unconstitutional

Meanwhile, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), during an interview with Fox News anchor Chris Wallace, admitted it is not “ridiculous” for his GOP colleagues to argue the impeachment is unconstitutional.

“I will admit that this is, of course, a matter of first impression. And so I don’t think the case that Senator Paul is making here is a ridiculous one,” Murphy said.

Senator Rand Paul forced a procedure two weeks ago that prompted 45 Republicans to vote that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional.

In an op-ed column, Paul (R-KY) also referred to the impeachment process against the former President as a “farce” and said it should be dismissed.

“The Constitution says two things about impeachment — it is a tool to remove the officeholder, and it must be presided over by the chief justice of the Supreme Court,” he wrote.

Neither of those criteria has been met by the House impeachment effort.

RELATED: Dead On Arrival: 45 Republicans – Including McConnell – Vote That Trump’s Impeachment Trial Is Unconstitutional

Murphy Disagrees

While he does argue that Republicans could make a viable case, Senator Murphy disagrees that the impeachment is unconstitutional.

“I come to a different judgment … I think we have this responsibility,” he countered. “But I – listen, I admit that Senator Paul’s case is, you know, not from outer space.”

Paul, however, claims even Supreme Court Justice John Roberts recognized the impeachment trial as being troublesome.

“Justice Roberts said heck no, I’m not coming across the street because you’re not impeaching the president,” Paul said.

“This was a strong signal to all of us that this was going to be a partisan hearing with a Democrat in the chair, who’s already voted for impeachment.”

Paul went on to echo the sentiments of Trump’s lawyers regarding the impeachment trial, calling it a “partisan farce.”

The post Trump Lawyer’s Demand Senate Impeachment Trial Be Dismissed, As Top Democrat Admits It’s Not Crazy To Argue It Is Unconstitutional appeared first on The Political Insider.

Rand Paul Roasts Hypocrisy Of Impeaching Trump, Doing Nothing About Chuck Schumer, Waters, And Omar

Posted on by John Hanson

On Sunday, Republican Sen. Rand Paul said that if Democrats insist on claiming that former President Donald Trump’s rally speech incited the January 6th Capitol Hill attack as a basis for impeachment, then Senator Majority Leader Chuck Schumer along with Democratic Congresswomen Maxine Waters and Ilhan Omar should be held accountable for similar language.

Paul made his comments on “Fox News Sunday.”

Watch his entire interview below.

RELATED: Newt Gingrich Predicts Democrats Will Throw Away Congress ‘Once Again’ With ‘Radical’ Budget Agenda

Sen. Paul: Democrats Have Used Violent Language With No Consequences

The GOP senator referenced Schumer’s rhetoric before a protest at the U.S. Supreme Court in early March 2020.

“I opposed the notion of — which I think was a misguided notion, a voting to overturn the election either with Congress or with the vice president,” Paul told Fox News Chris Wallace.

Paul continued, “But I think if we are going to criminalize speech and somehow impeach everybody who says, oh, ‘go fight to hear your voices heard,’ really we ought to impeach Chuck Schumer then.”

“He went to the Supreme Court, stood in front of the Supreme Court, and said specifically, ‘hey Gorsuch, hey Kavanaugh, you’ve unleashed a whirlwind, and you’re going to pay the price,'” Paul reminded viewers.

“You won’t know what hit you if you continue with these awful decisions,” Paul recalled Schumer saying.

Sen. Paul wanted to know why this speech did not qualify for potentially inciting violence.

“This inflammatory wording, this violent rhetoric of Chuck Schumer was so bad that the chief justice, who rarely says anything publicly, immediately said this kind of language is dangerous as a mob tried to invade the Supreme Court,” Paul continued.

Paul added, “So if people want to hold President Trump accountable for language, there has to be a consistent standard, and to my mind, it’s a partisan farce because they’re not doing anything to Chuck Schumer, not doing anything to Representative Omar, not doing anything to Maxine Waters.”

“It’s just not fair,” Paul finished. “It’s just partisan politics under a different name.”

Chief Justice Roberts Chastised Schumer’s Violent Rhetoric

The senator has a point, and Schumer was even accused of trying to incite physical violence at the time he made his controversial remarks.

As the Supreme Court was weighing a case about abortion, Schumer said at a rally in March 2020, “I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price.”

“You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” Schumer said.

Chief Justice John Roberts publicly rebuked Schumer, saying: 

“Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.

All Members of the Court will continue to do their job, without fear or favor, from whatever quarter.”

Some Senate Republicans called on Schumer to apologize or face possible censure.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso said, “To me, this sounds like he is talking about a physical price, violence.’

Waters Encouraged Physical Intimidation Against Trump Administration

Rep. Maxine Waters appeared to encourage physical violence and intimidation against members of the Trump administration at a political rally in June 2018.

“Let’s make sure we show up wherever we have to show up,” Waters told a crowd. “And if you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd.”

“And you push back on them,” Waters added. “And you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

RELATED: Trump Voices Support For Lou Dobbs After Fox Cancels His Show – ‘Nobody Loves America More’

Omar appeared to endorse further violence when she retweeted Hollywood actor Tom Arnold’s comments about an incident in which Rand Paul’s neighbor severely injured him in an attack in 2017.

Paul told Fox News Sunday that Omar was “wishing and celebrating the violence that happened to me when I had six ribs broken and part of my lung removed.”

Watch Rand Paul’s comments below:

The post Rand Paul Roasts Hypocrisy Of Impeaching Trump, Doing Nothing About Chuck Schumer, Waters, And Omar appeared first on The Political Insider.

Liz Cheney Says ‘Massive Criminal Investigation’ Underway Into Whether Trump Incited ‘Premeditated Violence’ At The Capitol

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Representative Liz Cheney (R-WY) claims there is a “massive criminal investigation underway” to determine if former President Trump is guilty of inciting “premeditated” violence on the Capitol.

Cheney made the startling assertion during an interview on “Fox News Sunday” with Chris Wallace.

The Republican lawmaker urged her colleagues in the Senate to consider the evidence that would be put forth during the upcoming impeachment trial.

“If I was in the Senate, I would listen to the evidence,” she said. “I think that is the role the Senate has as jurors.”

“I would also point out that the Senate trial is a snapshot. There’s a massive criminal investigation underway,” continued Cheney. “There will be a massive criminal investigation of everything that happened on Jan. 6 and in the days before.”

RELATED: Explosive TIME Magazine Investigation: “Well-Funded Cabal” Worked To Change Election Laws, Control Flow Of Information

Liz Cheney – Trump the Subject of a Massive Criminal Investigation

Rep. Liz Cheney went on to suggest that the criminal investigation into Trump’s alleged role in the Capitol riots was to determine whether or not his actions were “premeditated.”

“People will want to know exactly what the president was doing,” Cheney said referencing a tweet in which the former President criticized vice president Mike Pence for not being courageous in combating the election results.

People “will want to know … whether that tweet, for example, was a premeditated effort to provoke violence,” she claimed.

Cheney’s rantings are nearly indiscernible from those of her colleague Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) who claims Trump should face premeditated murder charges for his alleged role in the riots.

“There’s information that some of the planning came out of individuals working in his campaign,” Waters said.

“As a matter of fact, he absolutely should be charged with premeditated murder because of the lives that were lost with this invasion, with this insurrection.”

Not an ounce of difference between what Waters has said and what Liz Cheney is trying to say with her criminal investigation comments about Trump.

RELATED: Maxine Waters Wants Trump Charged With ‘Premeditated Murder’

Claims No Future For Trump in the Republican Party

Liz Cheney, during her interview with Wallace, went on to claim that Donald Trump has no future in the Republican party.

“Somebody who has provoked an attack on the United States Capitol to prevent the counting of electoral votes, which resulted in five people dying, who refused to stand up immediately when he was asked to stop the violence, that is a person who does not have a role as the leader of our party going forward,” she said.

“We should not be embracing the former president.”

The reality, however, suggests it is Cheney and the anti-Trump Republicans who are not being embraced by Republican voters.

One poll, released last month, shows a vast majority of Republicans do not hold Trump responsible for the Capitol riots, and a staggering 92 percent still see him as their preferred nominee in 2024.

Another poll shows an overwhelming percentage of Republican voters would follow him to a new political party if need be.

Cheney, one of the few Republicans to join the Democrats in their impeachment charade, was censured by the Wyoming Republican Party for her actions.

Former Clinton campaign adviser Dick Morris recently told Newsmax that she “has a snowball’s chance in hell of getting reelected.”

The post Liz Cheney Says ‘Massive Criminal Investigation’ Underway Into Whether Trump Incited ‘Premeditated Violence’ At The Capitol appeared first on The Political Insider.

Dick Morris: Liz Cheney ‘Has A Snowball’s Chance In Hell’ At Getting Re-Elected

Posted on by John Hanson

Former Clinton campaign adviser and popular political prognosticator Dick Morris recently said that Congresswoman Liz Cheney will lose her re-election campaign in 2022 in the GOP primary due to her decision to impeach former President Donald Trump.

Morris also said allowing Cheney to remain in Republican leadership shows how out of touch party’s leaders are with their base.

RELATED: Newt Gingrich Predicts Democrats Will Throw Away Congress ‘Once Again’ With ‘Radical’ Budget Agenda

Morris: ‘Liz Cheney Is A Gone Goose’

“She has snowball’s chance in hell of getting reelected,” Morris recently told Newsmax. 

“Her favorability is down to 13% and she loses the projected primary by 3-1 or 4-1,” Morris said. “Wyoming went 70% for Trump.”

“And Liz Cheney is a gone goose,” he added.

Morris explained how Republicans leaders don’t understand where the rank and file base is right now.

Morris said, “And it’s ridiculous, and shows how out of touch Kevin McCarthy and the Republican leadership is with the voters of the Republican Party, that he and Scalise worked overtime to round up votes for this…traitor, who voted to impeach Donald Trump.”

“The voters of her state, Wyoming, her state,” Morris insisted “will not be so forgiving.”

Cheney was censured last week by the Wyoming Republican Party for being among the ten Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump.

Previous to that state-wide Party vote, many of Wyoming’s County Republican parties also voted to censure her.

Morris: ‘She’s Part Of Republican Royalty Because Of Her Father’

“While she did win the vote in the House because it was basically set up by the leadership and she’s kind of inherited royalty among Republicans,” Morris noted.

Morris did stated a glaring fact about Cheney’s current popularity back home.

“But, in fact, there’s some polling in Wyoming [that suggests that] she has a 13% job approval among Republicans,” Morris said.

Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, is currently the third highest-ranking position in the House GOP.

“She shouldn’t be [Wyoming’s] congressman in any case,” Morris said. “But she’s part of Republican royalty because of her father and they don’t want to move against her.”

“But the voters have their own minds,” Morris reminded.

RELATED: Trump Voices Support For Lou Dobbs After Fox Cancels His Show – ‘Nobody Loves America More’

Morris then explained how Republican leaders are probably mis-analyzing their own voters.

“The word ‘base’ is something the Left likes to use to describe Trump supporters,” Morris said.

“It’s not his base, it’s 80% or 90% of the Republican Party. The word is the Republican Party. And they try to pretend it’s fragmented, but it’s not.”

“And if it [is] fragmented, it’s not the Left against the Right, it’s the top against the rest of it,” Morris explained.

“That’s what you’re seeing here” Morris finished.

The post Dick Morris: Liz Cheney ‘Has A Snowball’s Chance In Hell’ At Getting Re-Elected appeared first on The Political Insider.

Biden focuses on stimulus plan as Dems gear up for Trump’s Senate trial

Posted on by PBS NewsHour
Former President Trump's Senate impeachment trial begins on Tuesday, with Democrats, who have 50 seats in addition to VP Harris's vote, gearing up to convict him of inciting the Capitol insurrection. Meanwhile, President Biden is focusing on his $1.9 trillion pandemic stimulus package. Special Correspondent Jeff Greenfield joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss.