Gerald Ford – Impeachment News and Resources

House impeachment managers sent a letter to Donald Trump strongly suggesting the former president testify at the Senate impeachment trial.

The trial, slated to begin on Tuesday of next week, involves a charge from the House that Trump incited a mob of supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6th.

A formal response from Trump’s lawyers “denied” that he “ever engaged in a violation of his oath of office,” and instead he, “at all times acted to the best of his ability to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin (D-MD) essentially defied Trump to prove his innocence in his own words.

“In light of your disputing these factual allegations, I write to invite you to provide testimony under oath, either before or during the Senate impeachment trial, concerning your conduct on January 6, 2021,” Raskin wrote.

The Democrat then argued that not testifying would be used against him.

“If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021,” added Raskin.

5) Impeachment mgrs: “If you decline this invitation, we reserve any and all rights, including the right to establish at trial that your refusal to testify supports a strong adverse inference regarding your actions (and inaction) on January 6, 2021.”

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 4, 2021

Lindsey Graham – Not Likely Trump Will Testify at Impeachment Trial

Forbes reporter Andrew Solender tweeted a response from Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in which he dismissed Raskin’s demand as little more than a “political ploy.”

“I don’t think that would be in anybody’s interest,” Graham said according to Solender, adding that it would be a “nightmare for the country.”

“This is just a political showboat move. They didn’t call him in the House,” Graham pointed out.

Raskin’s letter attempts to argue that there is precedent for Presidents testifying at their impeachment trial.

“Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton both provided testimony while in office—and the Supreme Court held just last year that you were not immune from legal process while serving as President—so there is no doubt that you can testify in these proceedings,” he said.

Raskin is seemingly unaware that Trump is no longer the President.

Solender reports that Graham spoke to the former President a couple of days ago and he’s in “pretty good spirits, trying to get adjusted to his new life.”

Lindsey Graham says Dems asking Trump to testify is a “political ploy,” per Hill pool. “I don’t think that would be in anybody’s interest,” he says, calling it a “nightmare for the country” and predicting Trump won’t do it.

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) February 4, 2021

A Political Ploy

Raskin’s letter is rich, not only with political ploys but with irony. Tremendously thick irony, at that.

The Maryland Democrat is “guilty” of the very same thing he is tasked with proving is a high crime and misdemeanor in Trump’s impeachment trial.

Raskin objected to the certification of Florida’s electoral votes in 2017. In fact, House Democrats tried objecting to the certification of electoral votes for Donald Trump that year on 11 separate occasions.

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin objected to Florida’s electoral votes in 2017. pic.twitter.com/FsLvJLvA8v

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) January 13, 2021

One could argue, using the Democrat party’s own standard today, that the constant insistence that Trump didn’t really win the election in 2016 led to an incitement of violence on inauguration day.

House managers do not have independent authority to subpoena Trump so they must invite him to make his case.

The Senate, according to the New York Post, could subpoena him with a simple majority.

The post Democrats Demand Trump Testify At Senate Impeachment Trial appeared first on The Political Insider.

Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) went on Fox News on Tuesday to say that he is against holding an impeachment trial against Donald Trump because the former president is now a private citizen, and can therefore be prosecuted in the criminal justice system.

Rubio Discusses Impeachment

Fox News host Neil Cavuto posed the question, “Do you think he provoked that crowd when he said, ‘These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots.’ Do you think he should be punished for those remarks?”

“Yeah, so if someone makes those remarks, he’s a private citizen,” Rubio replied. “So he’s now — the reason why we have impeachment is the following; you can’t charge a president.”

“So you have to remove them from office and then subject to criminal penalty,” he added. “That’s why Ford Pardoned Nixon because after he resigned, he could have still been prosecuted.”

“If he did something that rises to that level and that these folks so strongly believe, then the criminal justice system and the civil system is in place to pursue,” Rubio continued.

Rubio Places Some Blame On Trump For Capitol Riots

Cavuto responded by questioning if Trump’s comments were “incendiary enough.”

“I think there’s no doubt that the president bears some responsibility for what happened,” Rubio responded. “If he’s president of the United States, you can’t charge him criminally. You have to impeach him and remove them and then charge him criminally.”

“In this case, he’s a private citizen,” he added. “If he committed wrongdoing while he was president, the criminal justice system can deal with that. This is not the right use of Congress’ time. It’s vindictive. It’s about revenge.”

Rubio Says Impeaching Trump Would Be ‘Arrogant’

This came two days after Rubio said that it would be “arrogant” to impeach Trump just so that he can’t vote in the future.

“I think that’s an arrogant statement for anyone to make,” he said, according to Politico. “Voters get to decide that. Who are we to tell voters who they can vote for in the future?”

He added that the impeachment trial is “counterproductive” and will “continue to fuel these divisions that have paralyzed the country.”

“The first chance I get to vote to end this trial, I will do it, because I think it’s really bad for America,” he said.

Rubio followed through on Tuesday night by joining 44 other Republicans in voting against the impeachment trial, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 27, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Rubio Rips Impeachment – Says Trump Can Be Criminally Prosecuted As Private Citizen Instead appeared first on The Political Insider.