Category: House

Schumer, Pelosi grapple with uncertainty and ongoing threats in proceeding to Trump’s Senate trial

Posted on by Joan McCarter

The timing of the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump in the Senate remains uncertain as the week closes out. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked in her Friday press conference about when the impeachment article charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection," which was passed in the House on Wednesday, will go to the Senate. She didn't answer.

"Right now, our managers are solemnly and prayerfully preparing for the trial which they will take to the Senate," Pelosi said. "At the same time, we are in transition. With the COVID relief package President-elect Biden announced last night, he is delivering on what he said when he was elected, 'help is on the way.'" What that likely means is soon-to-be Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is still working out how it will proceed in consultation with the transition team for President-elect Joe Biden. Outgoing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused this week to work with Schumer to speed up the process and reconvene the Senate ahead of Tuesday's scheduled official session. Everything about this process from this point is novel for the Senate.

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There's the high level of physical danger surrounding the whole of the Capitol complex after the attack and for Biden's inauguration. There're the two Democratic senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, whose election still hasn't been certified; the deadline for that is Jan. 22, though it could happen on Jan. 19, the same day the Senate comes back. This process in these circumstances is entirely new: "Everything we are talking about is being invented out of whole cloth," Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy told The New York Times. "We have never tried a president after they left office. We've never had an insurrection against the Capitol. We've never held a trial while we are confirming a cabinet. All of this is first impression."

But Democrats remain committed to figuring it out. "I can see no reason we cannot find a way with our archaic rules," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Working that out, at this moment, seems to look like splitting the Senate sessions, the Times reports. Schumer and McConnell met Thursday, with a "goal … to divide the Senate’s days so the chamber could work on confirming members of Mr. Biden’s cabinet and considering his stimulus package in the morning and then take up the impeachment trial in the afternoon." Until that is nailed down, it's not clear that Pelosi would initiate the process by formally sending the article over to the Senate.

The outcome there is also unclear, and again it depends a lot on McConnell. He's reportedly told associates that he's sick of Trump, supports the impeachment, wants him expunged from the Republican Party, and sees his impeachment as a way to do that. But that's hearsay right now; McConnell hasn't made those statements public. Maybe he's waiting to see if Trump does anything else between now and Wednesday, his last day in Washington. Maybe he's genuinely undecided. But if McConnell votes for conviction, there will very likely be 16 other Republicans joining him.

As of now, Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski is the closest to declaring her intent. On Thursday, she said that Trump's words on Jan. 6 "incited violence," which "briefly interfered with the government's ability to ensure a peaceful transfer of power." She continued: "Such unlawful actions cannot go without consequence and the House has responded swiftly, and I believe, appropriately, with impeachment." Others who have suggested they would vote to convince include Sens. Richard Shelby of Alabama, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, and Mitt Romney of Utah. If you had that many, surely Maine's Susan Collins would jump on, unless she's too bitter that Democrats had the effrontery to mount a challenge to her reelection. Again, whether enough decide that Trump has to be cut out of the body politic like a cancer depends much on McConnell.

All those Republicans need to heed Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, one of the 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach, even at potential physical harm to himself and his family. "I have colleagues who are now traveling with armed escorts, out of the fear for their safety. Many of us are altering our routines, working to get body armor, which is a reimbursable purchase that we can make. … It's sad that we have to get to that point," he said. "But, you know, our expectation is that someone may try to kill us."

However, "I think you have to set that aside," he said. "I don't believe in giving an assassin's veto, an insurrectionist's veto, a heckler's veto. If we let that guide decisions, then you're cowering to the mob. I mean, that's the definition of terrorism—is trying to achieve a political end using violence." How many senators will have that courage?

McConnell tries to shut down momentum on impeachment, leaves time for more discovery of Trump crimes

Posted on (Updated by Joan McCarter

Two-time popular vote loser Donald Trump has also now achieved the distinction of being the only two-time impeached occupant of the Oval Office, earning half of the four presidential impeachments in U.S. history. He's unlikely to make history by being the only one to be removed from office by Senate conviction, however. That's unless he does something extreme in the next six days, which he is more than capable of, but might be a stretch—even for him

That's in large part because current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused soon-to-be Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer’s request to expedite the hearing. The two could have agreed to use emergency authority to bring the Senate back as soon as Thursday or Friday to start hearings and potentially have it done before Inauguration Day next Wednesday. But that would have required McConnell giving a damn about the republic. Instead, he said Wednesday that the trial will begin at the Senate's "first regular meeting following receipt of the article from the House." The first regular meeting of the Senate is Jan. 19. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has not said yet when she'll send the charge to the Senate.

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The problem is, of course, acting upon and prioritizing President-elect Joe Biden's 100-day agenda, which includes some pretty essential stuff. Biden has suggested that the Senate bifurcate its time, divided between confirming his Cabinet members and working on COVID-19 relief on the one hand, and impeachment on the other. Presumably, Pelosi, Schumer, and Biden are discussing this now, trying to determine the best course of action, now that McConnell has screwed them all by refusing to take responsibility for Trump. As usual.

Conviction will require two-thirds of the Senate, meaning 17 Republicans will have to join with Democrats to convict. The problem McConnell and those Republicans face is that every day that passes reveals more horrific details of the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, and more implications that there was a level of Republican institutional support for it, from members of Congress who might have been complicit to the Republican Attorneys General Association. There's a whole lot of smoke right now obscuring just how deep the plotting for the insurrection went, and when it's cleared it could be exceedingly bad news for Republicans. That's where the delay—allowing for a lot more discovery—could help seal Trump's fate with Republicans.

McConnell is making a bet, apparently, that it won't work that way, that the delay will distract the nation from the horror that has been replayed over and over again of their house, the Capitol, being besieged and vandalized by a mob screaming for blood. The good news is that Republicans' initial efforts of pretending at "unity" didn't win over a single Democrat, and in fact 10 Republicans voted to impeach. Biden is not saying anything about "looking forward, not back" and is not trying to sweep any of this under the rug of history. Corporate America is further distancing itself from Republicans by the minute. This is not going to go away with Trump—and the Republican Party can't afford for it to. The reckoning will come, and Republicans are going to again feel the pressure of choosing to stand with Trump or with the country.

House plans to slap major fines on Republicans flouting gun safety rules on floor

Posted on by Joan McCarter

Following the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, the acting House Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett had magnetometers (metal detectors) placed at the entrances to the House chamber, which he informed members of in a letter on Tuesday and reminded them that "pursuant to the firearms regulations that Members received on Opening Day, firearms are restricted to a Member’s Office. … Failure to complete screening or the carrying of prohibited items could result in denial of access to the Chamber." That part of the missive was ignored during votes Tuesday and Wednesday, with Republicans blowing past the detectors and screaming "socialism" over them on Twitter and in floor statements.

Those Republicans are going to pay if they do it again. Literally. After Wednesday's impeachment vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that on Jan. 21, when the House returns, they'll vote on a rule change mandating steep fines for bypassing the screening: $5,000 for the first offense, $10,000 for the second offense. Like the new rule passed this week requiring masks on the floor, the fines "will be deducted directly from Members’ salaries by the Chief Administrative Officer." Pelosi pointed to the treatment of U.S. Capitol Police seen by those Republicans, saying: "On behalf of the House, I express my deepest gratitude to the U.S. Capitol Police for the valor that they showed during the deadly insurrection on the Capitol, as they protected the lives of the staff and the Congress."

She continued, "Sadly, just days later, many House Republicans have disrespected our heroes by verbally abusing them and refusing to adhere to basic precautions keeping members of our Congressional community, including the Capitol Police, safe." That verbal abuse came from the likes of Reps. Steve Womack of Arkansas and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, both Republicans. "I was physically restrained!" Womack yelled, and "It's my constitutional right!" Mullin screamed at the police. The police who saved them and their colleagues just a week before.

One House Democrat who spoke to CNN said there is "increasing tensions with certain incoming freshmen for months, who have been insistent on bringing firearms in violation of law and guidelines." That would be specifically Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, who kicked off the protest Tuesday night by arguing with the police and refusing to show what was in her bag when entering the chamber. Another potential threat is Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, who admitted to his local paper that he had a loaded gun on the House floor during the riots.

"There are concerns about the gun-toting members, but also we don't know who they're going to bring to the inauguration who can bypass the metal detectors," a second House Democrat told CNN. "Until there's an investigation and until we understand our colleagues' level of complicity in the attack, we don't know how involved they really were. Until we have answers, I don't think we should trust them—not all of them of course, but some of them." They shouldn't.

Combat Veteran And Double Amputee Rep Brian Mast Shreds Jake Tapper After CNN Anchor Questions His Patriotism

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Rep. Brian Mast, an Afghanistan war veteran and double amputee, fired back at Jake Tapper after the CNN anchor questioned his patriotism.

Tapper, during a segment covering impeachment proceedings in the House, went low and questioned Mast’s commitment to Democracy as the congressman spoke in opposition to the impeachment of President Trump.

“Congressman Brian Mast, a Republican from Florida – who lost his legs, by the way, fighting for democracy abroad, although I don’t know … about his commitment to it here in the United States,” Tapper told a panel.

Mast repeatedly condemned the Capitol protests that led to Trump’s second impeachment but stated, “I do not believe this conduct rises to the standard necessary for invoking the 25th Amendment or impeachment.”

Tapper’s unprovoked attack drew a response from Mast himself.

RELATED: Eric Swalwell Named As One Of Pelosi’s Impeachment Managers

Brian Mast Hits Back at Jake Tapper Over His Vile Comments

Jake Tapper, whose closest brush with combat of any kind involved a date with Monica Lewinsky, got an earful for his shameful comments, not the least of which came from Brian Mast himself.

“I lost two legs for [Jake Tapper’s] right to say whatever the hell he wants, but that free speech also protects the Republicans he is so eager to condemn for asking Constitutional questions about the election,” Mast tweeted.

Rather than manning up, Tapper took the cowardly route and doubled down on his comments from behind a keyboard.

“You’re a hero for your service and I’m grateful, as I’ve said before,” Tapper tweeted in reply.

“And yes, I question the commitment to democracy of anyone who spread election lies, signed onto that deranged TX AG lawsuit, and voted to commit sedition,” he added. “You were not just asking questions.”

The only sedition – conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority of a state – over the past four years took place at the behest of the media, CNN in particular.

RELATED: Hillary Clinton Calls Capitol Riots ‘Result Of White-Supremacist Grievances,’ Wants Trump Impeached

Tapper Gets Blasted

Others on social media came to Mast’s defense as well, hammering Tapper for his ill-advised comments.

“This is DISGUSTING,” former Trump campaign social media director Mike Hahn responded. “Is [Tapper] planning on apologizing for this egregious comment?”

Rep. Rick Crawford (R-AR) called the CNN anchor’s comments “repulsive” and “disgusting.”

“Representative Mast, along with myself and many others in Congress and across the country, served in the military so Americans can have freedom of speech, regardless of how repulsive or disgusting it may be,” replied Crawford.

Tapper was on the receiving end of further scorn.

Mast went on Fox & Friends Thursday morning to respond to Tapper’s comments.

“My commitment to democracy and to my country is unwavering, I love this place so much it literally breaks my heart to see the divide that exists in it,” Mast said.

“I love our democracy. For all of our problems there is no government that I would rather be a part of anywhere in this world, and to strengthen that and keep it strong, we have to ask those questions,” he continued.

Mast went on to suggest that anger in this country is rising because certain entities aren’t listening or even debating the concerns of those who question the integrity of the 2020 presidential election – they are simply dismissed out of hand.

“We’ve got to get to the point that we’re saying, ‘This is why I think something,’ now I can say, ‘This is why I think you’re wrong,’ and we can have a real debate and hopefully you end up learning something about each other instead of just coming away with two people that are pissed off.”

It should be noted that Tapper’s concerns regarding interference in the democratic process only apply to President Trump.

He was, after all, caught interjecting in a House race in Pennsylvania’s 17th congressional district, where he tried to convince Republican Sean Parnell not to run against Democrat incumbent Connor Lamb in 2019, and instead find a different district to run in.

It seems the only person whose commitment to Democracy needs questioning is Tapper.

The post Combat Veteran And Double Amputee Rep Brian Mast Shreds Jake Tapper After CNN Anchor Questions His Patriotism appeared first on The Political Insider.

Democrat Rep. David Cicilline Pulls Down Mask To Sneeze Into His Hand

Posted on by John Hanson

On Wednesday, you could clearly see Democrat Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island pull down his mask to sneeze into his hand.

This happened on the House floor during the debate over impeaching President Donald Trump for allegedly inciting the crowd that attacked the Capitol last week.

RELATED: Biden Plans To ‘Immediately’ Introduce Immigration Legislation, Authorize Criminal Investigation Of Family Separations

Democrat Congressman Cicilline Ignores COVID Safety

Cicilline is one of the impeachment managers appointed by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sitting behind Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clark, who was advocating to impeach Trump, you could clearly see Cicilline pull down his mask and sneezed into his hand.

After he sneezes, the congressman pulls his mask back up.

Democrats Demand Fines For Not Wearing Masks

More than a few Democrats have called for fines for members of Congress who do not wear a mask while on the floor.

Democratic Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal recently announced she had COVID-19, blamed it on GOP members, and declared that there should be “serious fines” for any member who refuse to wear one.

Jayapal said, “Additionally, any Member who refuses to wear a mask should be immediately removed from the floor by the Sergeant at Arms. This is not a joke.”

“Our lives and our livelihoods are at risk, and anyone who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives because of their selfish idiocy,” Jayapal claimed.

RELATED: ABC Quietly Edits Story That Claims Republican Movement Should Be ‘Cleansed’ Of Trump Supporters

Wear A Mask Or Pay A Fine

The Hill reported Tuesday, “House Democrats on Tuesday will adopt new rules slapping fines on any lawmakers who refuse to wear masks on the chamber floor.”

“The new guidelines will hit offending lawmakers with a $500 fine on the first offense and $2,500 on the second, to be deducted from the lawmakers’ pay, according to a senior Democratic aide,” The Hill noted.

Republican Congressman Thomas Massie responded by asking if the fines were constitutional.

“How does this not violate the 27th amendment which states: “No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.” 

Legal or not, don’t expect any penalties for Democratic Congressman David Cicilline. 

The post Democrat Rep. David Cicilline Pulls Down Mask To Sneeze Into His Hand appeared first on The Political Insider.

GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger: Impeachment ‘Was Not A Hard Decision,’ Didn’t Need To Look For Evidence

Posted on by John Hanson

Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday for allegedly inciting the attack on the Capitol last week.

During an interview on “PBS NewsHour,” Kinzinger said that the decision to impeach President Trump wasn’t a particularly difficult decision given that “the evidence was not something we had to go discover. It was brought right to us on the 6th.”

Watch the video below.

RELATED: AOC Goes Wild On Instagram Live Video: Republicans Only Care About ‘White Supremacy,’ Trump Cabinet Has ‘Blood’ On Their Hands

Rep. Kinzinger Claims ‘It Was Hard To Go Through With It’

Kinzinger said, “Truthfully, it was not a hard decision. I mean, it was hard to go through with it.”

“Because, bottom line is, you’re impeaching a president a second time,” Kinzinger said. “It’s never something that should be easily done.”

But the evidence was no problem for Kinzinger.

“But I think the evidence was not something we had to go discover,” the Republican said. “It was brought right to us on the 6th.”

Kinzinger also claimed he had predicted the violence.

“Of course, I had predicted violence for weeks leading up to the 6th, but the 6th was the culmination, hopefully the culmination, of that violence coming to here,” Kinzinger said, referring to Washington, DC.

RELATED: ABC Quietly Edits Story That Claims Republican Movement Should Be ‘Cleansed’ Of Trump Supporters

Kinzinger: ‘If That Is Not Impeachable, I Don’t Know What Is’

The GOP congressman then cited the Constitution as justification for his vote.

“And, look, when you have the president of the United States, the Article 2 part of the Constitution, incite and send and ignite a mob to attack the Article 1 branch, that is nothing short of an insurrection,” he said.

The Congressman didn’t provide any evidence of how President Trump incited the mob.

Kinzinger added, “I think most people can look at that and know that the president has both built the foundation and executed the command to do it.”

“And if that is not impeachable, I don’t know what is,” Rep. Kinzinger added. 

Kinzinger Is A Longtime Trump Critic

Kinzinger has long been a Trump critic. He was also one of the early recipients of the Steele Dossier, the now-discredited document that supposedly showed President colluded with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.

Kinzinger and the chief of staff to House Speaker Paul Ryan both received the Steele dossier, according to a court memo.

The Political Insider reported in December 2018, “The judge handling the case filed a document that stated that Christopher Steele, the dossier author, provided at least one memo from the dossier to Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Jonathan Burks, a longtime Ryan aide.”

“Steele gave Report 166 to Kramer, an unnamed senior British security official, Ms. Wallender [sic] at the NSC, Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), and House Speaker Paul Ryan’s Chief of Staff, John Burks,’ wrote Judge Ursula Ungaro, who ruled in favor of BuzzFeed in a defamation lawsuit filed by a Russian businessmen identified in Report 166, which Steele produced on Dec. 13, 2016.”

Kinzinger also considered running as an independent against Trump in 2016, when it became clear Trump would be the Republican nominee for President. 

Watch Kinzinger’s interview below:

The post GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger: Impeachment ‘Was Not A Hard Decision,’ Didn’t Need To Look For Evidence appeared first on The Political Insider.

CNN’s Jake Tapper: GOP Needs ‘Political Exorcist,’ Republicans ‘Clearly Have Lost Their Minds’

Posted on by John Hanson

After the House voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time on Wednesday, CNN anchor Jake Tapper said that Republicans “are in a state of denial about the fact that he incited this riot” and believes the GOP needs a political ‘exorcism.’

Of the impeachment, Tapper said, “It is the most bipartisan impeachment in American history, far exceeding the number of people in the opposing party who voted to impeach Clinton or Johnson. So I do think it is significant.”

Tapper has been very outspoken about his views lately.

Tapper Blasts Republicans Who ‘Believe All Of His Lies’

“On the other hand, it is still a vast minority of the House Republican Caucus, most of whom are still devoted to President Trump,” Tapper continued.

Tapper added, “Most of whom are in a state of denial about the fact that he incited this riot, this terrorist attack on the Capitol that put their own lives at risk, which is stunning in and of itself.”

RELATED: ABC Quietly Edits Story That Claims Republican Movement Should Be ‘Cleansed’ Of Trump Supporters

He continued, “You know, I know a number of people, and I know there are a lot of Americans out there who have seen, are friends with or married to or related to people who have drunk the Trump Kool-aid, who have become radicalized by this president, who believe all of his lies, despite the evidence in front of their faces.”

Then Tapper told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash that Republicans are losing their minds.

“Dana, it’s just —it’s a shocking thing to behold when you know people like this. And it’s also shocking, like I don’t know about you, but there are Republican members of Congress I know who clearly have lost their minds, who just will not accept reality when it comes to the facts about Donald Trump.”

Bash replied, “We have seen people like Liz Cheney and Mitch McConnell try to show the people who respect them where to go and lead them there.”

It’s interesting to note who CNN thinks the “good” Republicans are – Establishment neoconservatives Liz Cheney and Mitch McConnell. 

“Then there are so many others who are following the pack,” Bash said. “Even though the pack is going in the wrong direction. The pack is following the lies.”

Tapper chimed in, “Like Kevin McCarthy.”

Tapper continued, “Marjorie Taylor Greene, the crazy congresswoman from Georgia, who is anti-Semitic and supports QAnon and said a plane didn’t hit the Pentagon on 9/11, she actually tweeted during this, a week after the terrorist attack, that Democrats are the enemy of the people.”

RELATED: Boston Marathon Bomber Sues For $250k, Claims Prison Guards Took His Hat And Bandana

Tapper: GOP Needs ‘Political Exorcist’

That’s when Tapper said maybe an “exorcist” needed to intervene.

“I don’t know if there’s such a job as a political exorcist but they need to do something to fix the Republican Party to get this demon out,” Tapper said.

It is doubtful that Republican voters are going to take CNN’s advice on who to support going forward.

It’s also interesting to note that anti-Trump journalists haven’t figured out that the more they hysterically demonize Donald Trump, the more Republicans are going to support him. 

Conservatives view how the media treats different Republicans as a test. If CNN loves Liz Cheney, for example, chances are, she’s not someone who conservatives can trust to fight for their interests.

The post CNN’s Jake Tapper: GOP Needs ‘Political Exorcist,’ Republicans ‘Clearly Have Lost Their Minds’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

Pelosi signs Trump articles of impeachment ‘sadly, with heart broken’

Posted on (Updated by Joan McCarter

Following the House's 232-197 vote to impeach Donald Trump (again), this time for inciting an insurrection, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at the engrossment ceremony during which the articles were signed. Trump has now officially made history as the most impeached president and for having gained the most votes for impeachment from members of his own party. Congratulations, Donald. You’re singular.

“Today, in a bipartisan way, the House demonstrated that no one is above the law, not even the President of the United State,” Pelosi said. ”Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our country,” Pelosi said, adding she was signing the resolution “sadly, with heart broken.”

Senate Majority Leader (for the next week or so) Mitch McConnell declined to agree to bring the Senate back early to begin Trump's trial. “Even if the Senate process were to begin this week and move promptly, no final verdict would be reached until after President Trump had left office,“ he said. “This is not a decision I am making; it is a fact.“ It is absolutely a decision he is making. It is within his power, along with incoming Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, to do so. Schumer pointed that out in his statement. “A Senate trial can begin immediately, with agreement from the current Senate Majority Leader to reconvene the Senate for an emergency session, or it will begin after January 19th," Schumer said. "But make no mistake, there will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate; there will be a vote on convicting the president for high crimes and misdemeanors; and if the president is convicted, there will be a vote on barring him from running again."

"The president of the United States incited a violent mob against the duly elected government of the United States in a vicious, depraved and desperate attempt to remain in power," Schumer continued. "For the sake of our democracy, it cannot and must not be tolerated, excused, or go unpunished."

Traitor to democracy was just impeached. Again

Posted on (Updated by Joan McCarter

Donald Trump has always been obsessed with his place in history. It’s now cemented: no other occupant of the Oval Office achieved the distinction of being impeached twice for high crimes and misdemeanors. The vote was 232-197. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in making this historic action bipartisan.

The articles brought against him read, in part: 

On January 6, 2021, pursuant to the 12th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the House of Representatives, and the Senate met at the United States Capitol for a Joint Session of Congress to count the votes of the Electoral College. [...] Shortly before the Joint Session commenced, President Trump, addressed a crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, DC. There, he reiterated false claims that "we won this election, and we won it by a landslide''. He also willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged—and foreseeably resulted in—lawless action at the Capitol, such as: "if you don't fight like hell you're not going to have a country anymore''. […]

In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.

Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.

Rep. Cori Bush needs just 30 seconds to slam the door shut on Donald Trump’s presidency

Posted on by Walter Einenkel

Newly elected Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri came into office on the mandate that she is fighting for Black lives. She has been very clear that she intends to do everything in her power to help save the lives of millions of Americans mistreated by a racist and unequal justice system. Bush is also very aware that there is a history of white supremacy in our country that is deeply embedded in the institution she is now hoping to reform. Bush, like every Black person who has risen into a politically powerful position before her, is now faced with the tangible political and physical violence that always accompanies the threat she poses to white supremacists and their anxieties.

On Wednesday, in a room filled with Republican white supremacists who want to bullshit America into believing they have some claim to the concept of “unity,” Bush delivered a short, powerful, and pitch perfect reason why she would be voting to impeach Donald Trump. This will be the second time Donald Trump is impeached during his presidency, and considering his actions over the last four years, the only surprising thing is that Donald Trump will have only been impeached twice.

This is the entire 30-second speech Bush gave. One might consider it the Gettysburg Address of impeachment speeches:

Madam Speaker, St. Louis and I we rise in support of the article of impeachment against Donald J Trump. If we fail to remove a white supremacist president who incited a white supremacist insurrection, it’s communities like Missouri’s First District that suffer the most. The 117th Congress must understand that we have a mandate to legislate in defense of Black lives. The first step in that process is to root out white supremacy starting with impeaching the white supremacist in chief. Thank you and I yield back.

Fin.

Rep. Bush’s speech was cheered by Democratic representatives in the chamber and booed by … some others.

What does it mean when they boo the Black congresswoman denouncing white supremacy?

— Cori Bush (@CoriBush) January 13, 2021

Fin, part deux.

YouTube Video