CNN: Biden Says Impeachment Trial ‘Has To’ Happen

Posted on January 26, 2021 by John Hanson

CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins reported on Monday that President Joe Biden said a Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump “has to happen.”

Collins reported that Biden made his comments earlier on Monday during an off-camera interview with CNN.

President Joe Biden has offered his most extensive comments since taking office on President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins, "I think it has to happen" https://t.co/2OfPOHhKcd pic.twitter.com/70HEpzEoZp

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) January 26, 2021

CNN Report On Biden’s View Of Trump Trial: ‘I Think It Has To Happen’

Collins also reports that Biden does not believe enough Republicans will vote to convict the former president.

As it stands, 17 Republicans would need to join the Democrats in order to reach the two-thirds threshold to convict.

Biden had previously appeared concerned that an impeachment process might distract Democrats from his agenda, but also reportedly said there would be “a worse effect” if it did not happen.

“The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn’t changed that much,” Biden said.

On Monday night, House Democrats delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate, accusing Trump of inciting the riots in and around Capitol Hill on January 6.

Trump is the first president to be impeached twice, though Republicans opposed to impeachment say the fact that he’s no longer president makes the push absurd, and perhaps unconstitutional.

The trial is scheduled to start Feb. 8.

Biden Concerned Impeachment Could Affect His 100 Day Agenda

Biden’s Monday comments to CNN come in the wake of a statement the president released earlier this month in which he called the House impeachment vote “a bipartisan vote cast by members who followed the Constitution and their conscience.”

NEW: Pres.-elect Biden releases statement on impeachment of Pres. Trump: "I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation." pic.twitter.com/cXpMtNIUiY

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 14, 2021

10 House Republicans joined the Democrats in voting to impeach.

“This nation also remains in the grip of a deadly virus and a reeling economy,” Biden said at the time.

He added, “I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.”

But was Joe Biden right the first time – will Democrats’ seemingly relentless impeachment efforts distract them from getting on with the business of the nation?

Particularly when it is doubtful there would be enough Republicans to see this through?

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Schumer Promises Quick Impeachment Trial, A Lot Of Witnesses Not Necessary

Posted on January 26, 2021 by Rusty Weiss

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer indicated President Trump’s impeachment trial would be “quick” adding no decision has been made on the need for witnesses.

Schumer (D-NY) made the comments during an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.

“The trial will be done in a way that is fair but … relatively quickly,” he said.

Schumer added, “I don’t think there’s a need for a whole lot of witnesses,” insisting the trial will be “fair.”

The Hill reports that Schumer “added that no decision had been made on whether or not there would be witnesses,” but his call for a swift process indicates he “didn’t think many witnesses are needed.”

Schumer: Impeachment trial will be quick, don’t need a lot of witnesses https://t.co/kGVaLgDeIo pic.twitter.com/xuQYetU0ZF

— The Hill (@thehill) January 26, 2021

Chuck Schumer Promises Quick Impeachment Trial

President Trump’s first Senate impeachment trial took just 21 days. Bill Clinton’s impeachment trial lasted 36 days.

But Democrats have argued the second Trump impeachment would be quicker due to the riots he allegedly incited having played out in real-time in public.

Or, perhaps it indicates they have less proof of a high crime or misdemeanor than they did with the first minimal-evidence impeachment effort.

Schumer has indicated a desire to move quickly due to concerns that the impeachment trial would interfere with President Biden implementing his 100-day agenda.

“We have so much else to do,” he lamented.

Donald Trump will be facing his second impeachment trial — making him the first US President to have this proceeding — in the first few weeks of Februaryhttps://t.co/6mUqK4pdO1

— WION (@WIONews) January 25, 2021

Biden Says Dems Don’t Have Enough Votes

At the very moment the historic article of impeachment was being delivered to the Senate, President Biden indicated the trial would likely not lead to a conviction because Democrats simply don’t have the votes.

Biden, according to CNN, said he doesn’t believe 17 Republican senators – the number necessary to lead to a successful effort by Nancy Pelosi’s manager – will vote to convict Trump.

“The Senate has changed since I was there, but it hasn’t changed that much,” Biden said.

“Joe Biden dooms Democrats’ bid to convict Donald Trump saying they DON’T have enough votes in the Senate – at the very moment they deliver article of impeachment”

House Democrats deliver article of impeachment to the Senate https://t.co/oF6UiHKwtO via @MailOnline

— Jason Miller (@JasonMillerinDC) January 26, 2021

While some Republicans have indicated they might join the effort to convict, several others have said the move would be disastrous for the GOP.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) voiced his opinion that having GOP leadership move forward with Trump’s impeachment would be a “huge mistake” and would “destroy” the Republican Party.

Other senators warned Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) that he “could face backlash if he votes to convict Trump.”

Still, Biden said the trial “has to happen” and that there would be “a worse effect if it didn’t happen.”

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Meghan McCain Blasts Katie Couric For Saying Republicans Need To Be ‘Deprogrammed’ – ‘Go To Hell’

Posted on January 26, 2021 by LifeZette

Over the weekend, we reported that Katie Couric had questioned how those who supported can be “deprogrammed.” Now, Meghan McCain is firing back to tell Couric to “go to Hell.”

Meghan McCain Goes Off

McCain said on Monday’s episode of “The View:”

“If you don’t care about unity you should care about the politics of this, because right now there is a vacuum to pick up the four people — four in ten Republicans who feel very disenfranchised, and if President Biden and Democrats want to have a big tent party and include some of these people, great, and if we’re all just deplorable and need to be reprogrammed as Katie Couric said, then honestly they can go to hell, because I don’t need to be deprogrammed.”

“I just have a different perspective on how the government should be run,” she added.

The View’s @MeghanMcCain just slammed @KatieCouric for her comments on Trump supporters needing to be ‘deprogrammed’ — "Honestly, they can go to hell because I don’t need to be deprogrammed!" pic.twitter.com/5TqezOy9cl

— TV News HQ (@TVNewsHQ) January 25, 2021

Couric’s Anti-Trump Comments

This came after Couric told “Real Time” host Bill Maher that Trump voters will need to be “deprogrammed.”

“I mean, it’s really bizarre, isn’t it, when you think about how AWOL so many of these members of Congress have gotten. But I also think some of them are believing the garbage that they are being fed 24/7 on the internet, by their constituents, and they bought into this big lie,” Couric said to Maher.

“And the question is how are we going to really almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump,” she added.

Cornell Law School professor and media critic William A. Jacobson told Fox News that “threats of ‘deprogramming’ Trump supporters have become “common among liberal journalists,” he added that Couric’s comments show she’s part of the “media complex” that deliberately stifled negative news about Joe Biden during his 2020 campaign against Trump.

Democrats can call for unity all they want to, but comments like Couric’s show that they are not really interested in that at all. Instead, “unity” in their minds just means silencing all the conservative voices that disagree with them politically.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 25, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Trump impeachment trial threatens new divisions in Congress

Posted on January 25, 2021 by PBS NewsHour - Politics

The 50-50 split in the new U.S. Senate is leading to delays in confirmations and committee assignments. It comes as the Biden administration looks for an early effort on COVID-relief, and as the Senate prepares for former President Trump's impeachment trial. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss.

Cindy McCain Breaks Her Silence After She’s Censored By Arizona GOP

Posted on January 25, 2021 by LifeZette

Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Republican Senator John McCain, has broken her silence after being censored by the Arizona GOP for supporting Joe Biden over Donald Trump in the last presidential election.

Cindy McCain Breaks Her Silence

“It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well … and who, like my late husband John, have been censured by the AZGOP. I’ll wear this as a badge of honor,” McCain tweeted on Saturday.

It is a high honor to be included in a group of Arizonans who have served our state and our nation so well…and who, like my late husband John, have been censured by the AZGOP. I’ll wear this as a badge of honor.

— Cindy McCain (@cindymccain) January 24, 2021

McCain was censored along with former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, who also endorsed Biden, and current Governor Doug Ducey, who fought back against Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results.

McCain was censored because she “has supported globalist policies and candidates” and “condemned President Trump for his criticism of her husband and erroneously placed behaviors over actual presidential results,” according to AZCentral.com. The Arizona GOP said that Flake, was censored because he “condemned the Republican Party, rejected populism, and rejected the interests of the American people over globalist interests.”

As for Ducey, he allegedly restricted “personal liberties” and forced “compliance to unconstitutional edicts” when he imposed emergency rules during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cindy McCain Discusses Being Censored

McCain had previously talked about the possibility of being censored while appearing on her daughter Meghan McCain’s ABC talk show “The View.”

“It’s about doing what’s right for the country, and certainly Senator Flake and Governor Ducey have made some very tough decisions lately and in the past, but it was for the good of our state and the country,” she said. “I’m in good company, your dad was censured by them. I think I’m going to make T-shirts for everyone and wear them.”

McCain went on to talk about what she feels the current state of the Republican Party is.

“I think what we have seen here is when I began in the Republican Party officially, the Republican Party was the party of inclusion. It was the party of generosity, it was the party of country first,” she said. ‘We have lost our way and it’s time we get back on track because we have always been the party that cared deeply, that loved what our country did and what it stood for.”

“We have lost our way and I truly hope as things progress on and we get further away from this mess that occurred that we can do just that and get back on track and remind people that we are here for the country and not the party,” McCain added.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 25, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Tamara Keith and Amy Walter on President Biden’s executive actions

Posted on January 25, 2021 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 President Biden's first days in office, the prospects for bipartisanship in Congress, and former President Trump's impeachment trial.

Megyn Kelly Blames CNN And Media For Capitol Riots

Posted on January 25, 2021 by LifeZette

In the weeks since the Capitol riots earlier this month, liberals have been placing all of the blame for what happened squarely on President Donald Trump. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, however, is speaking out to place some of the blame on CNN and on the media.

Kelly Goes After The Media

Kelly argued that networks are to blame for “a complete lack of trust” in this country, according to Daily Mail.

“Part of the reason we saw what happened at the Capitol here two weeks ago is because there had been a complete lack of trust in the media, and people don’t know where to turn for true information, they don’t trust the media anymore. And it’s a major problem,” Kelly explained.

“They hated him so much, they checked their objectivity, and it wasn’t just CNN, all of them did. They just couldn’t check their own personal feelings about him,” she added. “The media destroyed itself, but Trump certainly helped. He sort of set a trap that walked right into and it worked really well.”

Kelly Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Kelly went on to say that lots of reporters followed the “Jorge Ramos theory of covering Trump,” by describing Trump’s remarks as racist and misogynist.

“I remember listening to all of [Trump’s] disparaging comments about CNN when he first became a national figure as a presidential candidate, and I watched a lot of CNN even though I was on Fox,” Kelly continued. “And I was like this is unfair. CNN may be a little boring, but it’s fair and it’s factual. It’s not biased against Trump. Then they spent the next four years proving him right – proving me wrong.”

“We could have a little less crazy rhetoric from the White House, but it’s not going to change how divided we are here in America because Trump was the symptom of those divisions, not the cause of them,” she added.

Kelly Gets Backlash And Support

Kelly has quickly been met with backlash on social media for her comments.

“I’m sorry but I’ve never heard anything so ridiculous as Megyn Kelly saying on BBC Newsnight that Trump mobs attacked the Capitol because they didn’t trust the media — not Trump lying that the election was stolen,” tweeted British journalist Hugo Lowell.

Others, however, have expressed support for Kelly and voiced their agreement.

“This from @megynkelly is so spot on. The media poisoned the faith in them to present unvarnished news thanks to their blatantly biased coverage of Trump. Now, with Biden, the opposite will be true. There will be no objective scrutiny and reporting,” one user tweeted.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 25, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Megyn Kelly Blames CNN And Media For Capitol Riots appeared first on The Political Insider.

Pelosi’s Past Comes Back To Haunt Her – She Once Praised Unionists Storming State Capitol Of Wisconsin

Posted on January 25, 2021 by LifeZette

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) own words have come back to bite her as it’s been revealed that she once praised the unionist who stormed the Wisconsin state capitol.

This comes as she’s leading the charge to impeach former President Donald Trump for supposedly inciting the Capitol riots earlier this month.

Pelosi’s 2011 Comments Reemerge

In 2011, unionists stormed the Wisconsin State Capitol as they tried to block a vote on collective bargaining reform, according to Fox News. Despite the fact that Pelosi has been vocal about condemning the Capitol riots in which a rightwing mob stormed the Capitol to protest the election results, she was singing a very different tune a decade ago when Democrats were the ones doing the storming.

“I stand with the students & workers of #WI, impressive show of democracy in action #solidarityWI,” Pelosi tweeted.

@WeGotEd @thelastword I stand with the students & workers of #WI, impressive show of democracy in action #solidarityWI

— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) February 18, 2011

Fox News contributor Mark Thiessen called Pelosi out for this in a column for the Washington Post, writing that “in other words, Democrats were for occupying capitols before they were against it.”

Pelosi Led The Charge In Impeaching Trump

This comes after Pelosi led the charge in the House impeaching Trump for the second time earlier this month for his supposed “insurrection” when it came to the Capitol riots. When asked if impeaching Trump would “undercut” President Joe Biden’s calls for unity, Pelosi had a blunt response.

“No, I’m not worried about that,” Pelosi said. “The fact is the president of the United States committed an act of incitement of insurrection. I don’t think it’s very unifying to say, ‘Oh, let’s just forget it and move on.’”

“That’s not how you unify. Joe Biden said it beautifully. If we’re going to unite, you must remember that we must, we must bring this— look, that’s our responsibility to uphold the integrity of the Congress of the United States,” she added. “That’s our responsibility, to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. And that is what we will do.”

“Just because he’s now gone — thank God — you don’t say to a president, ‘Do whatever you want in the last months of your administration. You’re gonna get a get-out-of-jail card free,’ because people think we should make nice-nice and forget that people died here on January 6, that the attempt to undermine our election, to undermine our democracy, to dishonor our Constitution— no, I don’t see that at all. I think that would be harmful to unity,” Pelosi said.

The hypocrisy of the left never ceases to amaze.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 25, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Pelosi’s Past Comes Back To Haunt Her – She Once Praised Unionists Storming State Capitol Of Wisconsin appeared first on The Political Insider.

Democratic Senator Hirono Reveals Real Goal Behind Trump Impeachment Effort

Posted on January 24, 2021 by LifeZette

Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, spoke out on Saturday to reveal what the real goal behind the impeachment effort against former President Donald Trump.

Hirono Reveals Real Goal Of Impeachment

While appearing on MSNBC, Hirono said that the true goal of the impeachment push against Trump is to hold him accountable for the “violent insurrection” and prevent him from running for office again.

“It’s very clear, Tiffany, that we need to not only hold the president accountable through an impeachment trial but to get on with passing a COVID relief bill,” she said.

“And we can do both. Much of this depends on Mitch McConnell’s willingness to do the right thing for the American people,” she continued. “So, that’s where we are, Tiffany. I know we can do both. All it takes is will on the parts of the Republicans at this point.”

“Whether 17 of them will go along to convict this president of what we all experienced as a violent insurrection at the Capitol remains to be seen,” Hirono added. “I think a few of them will, but I don’t know that we’re going to get 17. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t proceed to hold this president accountable, and that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop him from ever seeking elected office again, and that just takes a majority vote.”

Klobuchar Chimes In

This comes as Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) also spoke out to claim that Americans are “going to get more and more evidence over the next few weeks” about Trump’s alleged insurrection.

“I thoroughly believe that we can handle this impeachment trial and just as the American people are doing, juggle what we need to get done,” Klobuchar said. “Get the homeland security secretary through. We just had the insurrection at the Capitol. Get people confirmed for Joe Biden’s cabinet. And yes, get people the help that they need. That’s what this next month is going to be about.”

“I think we’re going to get more and more evidence over the next few weeks as if it’s not enough that he’s sent an angry mob down The Mall to invade the Capitol, didn’t try to stop it, and a police officer was killed. I don’t really know what else you need to know,” she added.

“The facts were there,” Klobuchar continued. “We saw it right there on the platform during the inauguration, as you could still see the spray paint at the bottom of many of the columns.”

This piece was written by James Samson on January 24, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Meghan McCain Unleashes On Biden, Fauci, And Amazon Over Hypocrisy – ‘I Was Lied To’

Posted on January 24, 2021 by LifeZette

On Friday’s episode of “The View,” Meghan McCain unloaded on Joe Biden, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Amazon for their hypocrisy when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic.

McCain Goes Off

McCain kicked off her rant by blasting Fauci for previously telling Americans that masks “didn’t work” in an effort to preserve them for first responders during a time when they were in short supply.

“Look, I think the great horror of living in America right now is the absolute, complete and total breakdown of trust in our institutions,” McCain said, adding that she had been pregnant when Fauci said this and gave her masks away because of him.

“Just say to me, ‘First responders need them more than average American. Please donate them for the good of your heart.’ I would have done the same thing, but I was lied to,” she added.

McCain went on to call out Biden and his family for not wearing masks on federal property immediately after he signed an executive order mandating that masks had to be worn there.

“So again, I think the ‘Rules for thee, but not for me’ that have been going on for a long time in the Trump Administration and now you’re seeing with President Biden, I was really disappointed he wasn’t wearing a mask,” she said.

McCain Doubles Down

Not stopping there, McCain went after Amazon for suddenly volunteering to help with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout after Donald Trump left office.

“That seems political as well,” she said. “So why does Jeff Bezos all of a sudden want to help with vaccine distribution, but he didn’t during the Trump Administration?”

“There is a lot of blame to go around everywhere,” McCain concluded. “Yes, President Trump was integral in spreading false information, but I’m not about to give Dr. Fauci a profile in courage award this morning.”

FAUCI SPEAKS FREELY ON COVID-19 PLAN: Dr. Fauci said Thursday it’s “liberating” to discuss facts behind coronavirus without fear of “repercussions” – the co-hosts react and discuss Pres. Biden’s new strategy to turnaround the pandemic. https://t.co/1DyxLCdxmf pic.twitter.com/w5F3ZjcvtQ

— The View (@TheView) January 22, 2021

McCain hits the nail on the head here, as the hypocrisy from the left has been truly staggering on these issues.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 24, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Meghan McCain Unleashes On Biden, Fauci, And Amazon Over Hypocrisy – ‘I Was Lied To’ appeared first on The Political Insider.