Category: Mitch McConnell

Poll: 64 Percent Of Republican Voters Would Join Trump If He Started A New Party

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

In a blow to the establishment GOP, a new Hill-HarrisX poll shows an overwhelming percentage of Republican voters would join a new political party established by former President Donald Trump.

The survey asked how likely voters would be to join a Trump-led party.

64 percent of Republican voters said they would be likely to cross over, with half of those saying they would be “very likely” to join.

The survey also found that a surprising chunk of independent voters (28 percent) and Democrats (15 percent) said they would sign up for a third party formed by Trump.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell Signals Support For Impeachment, Says It Will Help Rid GOP Of Trump

Will Trump Form a New Party?

The Wall Street Journal reported in January that Donald Trump is interested in creating a new third party once he leaves office – with rumors indicating it would be dubbed the ‘Patriot Party.’

The Journal points out that Trump “has a large base of supporters” but adds the effort “would require a significant investment of time and resources.”

Dritan Nesho, CEO and chief pollster at HarrisX, notes the latest poll shows “Trump remains a political force to be reckoned with.”

How much sway does he have?

“If Trump were to split from the GOP and create his own party, polling suggests he might well create the second largest political party in the country, knocking the GOP down to third place,” Nesho added.

RELATED: Of The 10 Republicans Who Voted To Impeach Trump, 7 Are Already Facing Primary Challenges

Voters Are Siding With Trump

Reports last month indicated Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) had signaled support for impeachment, thinking the trial could help the GOP get rid of Trump and his movement.

The Daily Mail at the time said GOP sources indicated there is a “better than 50/50” chance McConnell votes to convict Trump in next week’s impeachment trial because he “wants him purged from the GOP.”

McConnell would later vote that the House impeachment was unconstitutional but has still not said whether or not he would vote to convict.

Rather than seeing him purged, however, Republican voters aren’t wavering on their support of Trump, and this new third-party poll is just another sign that he still holds political leverage whether within the GOP or not.

A poll from Axios-Ipsos shows voters are taking sides – and it isn’t with the establishment.

The results show a vast majority of Republicans do not hold Trump responsible for the Capitol riots, believe he had a right to challenge the election, and a whopping 92 percent still see him as their preferred nominee in 2024.

Another tell over the fissure being created in the Republican party – a report earlier this week that 7 out of the 10 Republican lawmakers who voted in favor of impeaching Trump are already facing primary challenges for their congressional seats.

The post Poll: 64 Percent Of Republican Voters Would Join Trump If He Started A New Party appeared first on The Political Insider.

House GOP Meets For Decisions On Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene

Posted on by Becky Noble

Republicans in the House of Representatives gather for a crucial meeting on Wednesday to discuss the future of two House members. Liz Cheney and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represent a growing division between factions of the Republican Party with two very different visions.

Republicans will debate whether or not to remove Liz Cheney (R-WY) from her position as GOP Conference Chair.

Cheney has come under fire from fellow Trump-supporting Republican members of the House for her vote to impeach the former president on charges that he incited the riot that took place at the Capitol on Jan. 6.

Also at issue is freshman member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and whether or not she should be removed from her congressional committee assignments.

Controversial comments made by Greene prior to her being elected to Congress have surfaced on social media.

RELATED: GOP Pushes Omar Ouster From Committee Assignments In Response To Marjorie Taylor Greene Measure

Major Issues On The Table For The GOP

According to a CNN report, in 2019, Greene “liked” a comment that stated “a bullet to the head would be quicker,” in a thread that discussed the removal of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). 

There are other other claims that she has espoused QAnon conspiracy theories and confronted political opponents such as Parkland High School shooting survivor and gun activist David Hogg on video. 


RELATED: Liz Cheney Censured By 10 Wyoming Republican Parties Over Impeachment Vote

On The Hot Seat, Kevin McCarthy

The eyes of all GOP House members will be on Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).

On Tuesday, McCarthy had a long anticipated, well-publicized 90 minute meeting with Greene, however, aides disclosed little about what was discussed. 

The possible removal of Greene from her committee assignments will be the subject of another separate meeting, also on Wednesday.

Several Republicans are calling foul on Democrat double standards that ignore past anti-Semetic remarks that have been made by Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), and the incendiary comments of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).

Politico reports that McCarthy may try to broker a deal with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), but it is not know whether or not Hoyer will agree to any such deal.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell Voices Support For Liz Cheney As Calls Grow For Her To Be Expelled From GOP Leadership

The Future Of The Republican Party?

The push to remove Cheney began with her ‘yes’ vote on impeachment. On the heels of that vote, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was one of the first to call for her ouster as Conference Chair. Nine other Republicans had also voted to impeach Trump. 

Cheney is also in trouble at home. Recently, ten Wyoming Republican County Parties have voted to censure Cheney for her vote.

She already has a primary opponent for 2022. Wyoming State Senator Anthony Bouchard will challenge Cheney.

Gaetz recently also traveled to Cheyenne Wyoming to call on Trump supporters to back Cheney’s removal from Congress. 

Cheney enjoys much support by those who are seen as the “establishment,” the old guard of the Republican Party.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said of Cheney, “Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them.”

Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) called her, “a strong and reliable voice of the conservative party.”

Greene, as a newly elected member of Congress, has not even been on Capitol Hill long enough to put forth much legislation. But already the establishment wing of the Republican Party seems very threatened by her. 

Mitch McConnell called her “a cancer” for the GOP in a reference to her “loony lies and conspiracy theories.”

“Somebody who has suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr’s airplane is not living in reality. This has nothing to do with the challenges facing American families or the robust debates on substance that strengthen our party.”

Sen. Mitt Romney called for distance. “I think we should have nothing to do with Marjorie Taylor Greene, and I think we should repudiate the things she said and move away from her.”

Greene responded to McConnell that, “the real cancer for the Republican party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully.”

https://twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1356442381491593218    

There are clearly two wings of the Republican party forming. The McConnell, Romney, Cheney wing of graceful losers, and the new faces of Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene, who are tired of establishment business as usual. 

Make no mistake, the American people will decide the winner.  

The post House GOP Meets For Decisions On Liz Cheney, Marjorie Taylor Greene appeared first on The Political Insider.

Liz Cheney Censured By 10 Wyoming County Republican Parties Over Impeachment Vote

Posted on by John Hanson

The Republican Parties of ten different Wyoming counties have voted to censure House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney. According to the Casper Star-Tribune, that number could still rise.

Since Cheney and nine other Republicans voted in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump, who they blame for inciting the Capitol Hill riots on January 6, Cheney has faced significant criticism in Wyoming and Washington, D.C.

RELATED: Mitch McConnell Voices Support For Liz Cheney As Calls Grow For Her To Be Expelled From GOP Leadership

County GOP: Cheney ‘Betrayed The Trust’ Of Her Voters

Wyoming Republicans haven’t minced words in their descriptions of Cheney’s behavior.

The Sweetwater County Republican Party censure states that Cheney had “betrayed the trust and failed to honor the will of the very large majority of motivated Wyoming voters who elected her.”

Part of their statement read:

“Because she voted in an anarchic proceeding against President Donald J. Trump which was conducted in contravention of established principles of due process — a proceeding that provided no probative evidence for consideration, called no witnesses to testify under oath, permitted no questioning of the accusers by the accused — Representative Liz Cheney stood in defiance of the quantifiable will of the substantial majority of Wyoming citizens and devalued the political influence of the State of Wyoming.”

Cheney On Impeachment Vote: ‘This Is A Vote Of Conscience’

Over half of the House Republican Conference has said they plan to vote to remove Cheney from her leadership role.

Still, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has implied that he will not support ousting Cheney from her post, and Cheney herself declared last month, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“This is a vote of conscience,” Cheney added. “It’s one where there are different views in our conference.”

She did not explain how President Trump was responsible for some people breaking in to the Capitol building.

RELATED: Pelosi, Schumer Begin Process Of Potentially Bypassing GOP To Push COVID Relief Through Congress

McConnell Supports Cheney

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell gave his support to Cheney on Monday, describing her as an “important leader.”

“Liz Cheney is a leader with deep convictions and the courage to act on them,” McConnell told CNN.

“She is an important leader in our party and in our nation,” McConnell added. “I am grateful for her service and look forward to continuing to work with her on the crucial issues facing our nation.”

Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, a regular Cheney foe, traveled to Wyoming last week to denounce her to the cheers of many Trump supporters.

Donald Trump To Focus On Defeating ‘Never Trump’ Republicans

Gaetz isn’t the only Republican taking steps to defeat Cheney in her 2022 re-election bid. 

Former President Trump, considering his political future, had reportedly talked of creating a third party. 

However, he is apparently changing that focus in favor of primarying ‘Never Trump’ Republicans – like Liz Cheney. 

The post Liz Cheney Censured By 10 Wyoming County Republican Parties Over Impeachment Vote appeared first on The Political Insider.

Trump’s Lawyers Argue Impeachment Article Is Violation Of The Constitution

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Donald Trump’s lawyers argue that the House impeachment charge is unconstitutional and are calling on the Senate to acquit the former President.

In their first formal response, Trump’s lawyers “denied” that the former President “ever engaged in a violation of his oath of office,” and by contrast, he, “at all times acted to the best of his ability to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

They also assert that going through a process designed to remove somebody from office when he is no longer in the office is a violation of the Constitution.

The brief calls for dismissal of the article stating, “Incitement of Insurrection against him as moot, and thus in violation of the Constitution, because the Senate lacks jurisdiction to remove from office a man who does not hold office.”

45th President’s Answer… by Fox News

RELATED: AOC Equates Republicans to Her Sexual Assault Abuser, Says She Thought She Would Die During Capitol Riots

House Impeachment Managers Say Overwhelming Evidence to Convict Trump

House impeachment managers earlier today filed a pre-trial brief which revealed what their plan of attack will be in the upcoming Senate trial.

“In a grievous betrayal of his Oath of Office, President Trump incited a violent mob to attack the United States Capitol during the Joint Session, thus impeding Congress’s confirmation of Joseph R. Biden, Jr. as the winner of the presidential election,” they argue.

The filing claims that the “facts are compelling and the evidence is overwhelming.”

The impeachment managers also counter the argument that the trial would be unconstitutional.

“[T]he text and structure of the Constitution, as well as its original meaning and prior interpretations by Congress, overwhelmingly demonstrate that a former official remains subject to trial and conviction for abuses committed in office,” the brief reads.

“Any other rule would make little sense.”

RELATED: Biden Considering Revoking Trump’s Right To Access Classified Briefings

Democrats Still Have an Uphill Battle

An impeachment conviction requires a two-thirds vote, which in the Senate would require 17 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump.

Senator Rand Paul already set the stage by forcing a vote on the constitutionality of the impeachment of the former President.

45 Republicans – including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – voted that the impeachment trial is unconstitutional.

“45 Senators agreed that this sham of a ‘trial’ is unconstitutional,” he tweeted. “That is more than will be needed to acquit and to eventually end this partisan impeachment process.”

“This ‘trial’ is dead on arrival in the Senate,” he wrote.

“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,” Paul wrote in an op-ed column.

Neither of those elements exists in this case, as President Trump is no longer in office and Chief Justice John Roberts has declined to preside over the trial.

Trump’s lawyers and the House impeachment managers will submit another round of briefs next Monday, and the trial is scheduled to begin on February 9th.

The post Trump’s Lawyers Argue Impeachment Article Is Violation Of The Constitution appeared first on The Political Insider.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Fires Back After Mitch McConnell Calls Her ‘Cancer’ To The GOP

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene fired back at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after he stated her embrace of “loony lies and conspiracy theories” is a “cancer for the Republican Party.”

Greene (R-GA) has faced a growing number of critics from within the Republican Party over controversial words and actions she engaged in prior to becoming a congresswoman.

CNN reported that in 2019 Greene “liked” controversial comments on social media, including one that said “a bullet to the head would be quicker” in a discussion to remove House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

She has also dabbled in QAnon conspiracy theories and been spotted in videos harassing political opponents.

“Loony lies and conspiracy theories are cancer for the Republican Party and our country,” McConnell (R-KY) said in a statement.

“Somebody who’s suggested that perhaps no airplane hit the Pentagon on 9/11, that horrifying school shootings were pre-staged, and that the Clintons crashed JFK Jr.’s airplane is not living in reality,” he added.

RELATED: Republicans Start Turning On Marjorie Taylor Greene

Marjorie Taylor Greene Fires Back At McConnell Over ‘Cancer’ Remarks

Marjorie Taylor Greene fired back at Mitch McConnell over the comments, suggesting he and other feckless leaders in the GOP are the real “cancer.”

“The real cancer for the Republican Party is weak Republicans who only know how to lose gracefully,” she tweeted. “This is why we are losing our country.”

House Democrats are moving swiftly to remove Greene from her committee assignments, something even CNN is willing to concede is a troublesome move.

“The move by Democrats could set a risky precedent as they go after a sitting member of Congress over views expressed before serving as an elected official,” they write, “and one that has the potential to someday be used against the party by Republicans.”

Greene later tweeted a theory as to why she is “the ‘greatest threat’ to the Democrat mob and the activist media.”

“They hate me because I represent your America First views. They think Trump is gone, so they attack you and me. He’s not gone,” she wrote. “And we won’t back down and we will never give up!”

Greene reportedly spoke with former President Trump over the weekend and received his support.

RELATED: Nunes Blasts ‘Socialist Revolutionary’ AOC After She Accuses Ted Cruz Of Attempted Murder

Weak Republicans ARE The Problem

The entire controversy is proving Greene right.

While Republicans are quick to throw her under the bus, Democrats have been more than willing to stand in solidarity with people like Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) who has made numerous controversial statements (some people did something), and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) who last week accused Senator Ted Cruz of attempted murder.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) was exposed in a report late last year indicating he had been the target of a Chinese spy and possibly had a relationship with her.

He has recently smeared Republican senators as being members of the “Coup Klux Klan” and falsely alleged they were fraternizing with “terrorists.”

Not only did Democrats defend him, not only did he keep his seat on the House Intelligence Committee, but he was given a starring role as one of Pelosi’s impeachment managers.

It should be easy to condemn both sides for extremist rhetoric. But Democrats have set the precedent by allowing it on their side, if not rewarding it.

Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson cautioned against falling into the trap that Democrats and the media have set, portraying Greene as the biggest threat to the country.

“If cable news doesn’t like your views, you have to leave Congress. That’s the rule. The test is entirely ideological,” Carlson wrote in an op-ed. “You don’t actually have to harm anyone to lose your job.”

“This new member of Congress has barely even voted, but CNN says she has bad opinions,” he added. “Therefore, she’s the greatest threat we face.”

Carlson went on to suggest the media’s fixation with Marjorie Taylor Greene is entirely a result of the fact they have “made a living yelling at Donald Trump” and must now find another target.

Greene warned Democrats that if she is stripped of her committee assignments that there will be payback if Republicans regain control of the House in 2022.

“If Democrats remove me from my committees, I can assure them that the precedent they are setting will be used extensively against members on their side once we regain the majority after the 2022 elections,” she wrote.

“And we will regain the majority, make no mistake about that.”

That isn’t a conspiracy theory by any stretch of the imagination.

The post Marjorie Taylor Greene Fires Back After Mitch McConnell Calls Her ‘Cancer’ To The GOP appeared first on The Political Insider.

CNN’s Jake Tapper Accuses Republicans Of Trying To Remove Clinton For Lying But Not Trump For Inciting A ‘Terrorist Attack’

Posted on by LifeZette

CNN’s Jake Tapper had a full meltdown on Tuesday about Senate Republicans voting that the impeachment trial against former President Donald Trump was unconstitutional, accusing them of having a “different standard” than they did with Bill Clinton.

Tapper Goes Off on Republicans 

“It is just so strange because, look, I’m not a constitutional scholar,” Tapper said. “I don’t have an opinion on this, but a lot of people who are voting to not have any consequences for Donald Trump are doing so not because of constitutionality but because they don’t want to hold Donald Trump to any sort of standard, and they never have.”

“Some of these are the same people who are like vote to deny government assistance to somebody because they test positive for drugs,” he added. “They believe in consequences for everybody else but the president.”

“The outgoing president, former president, can literally incite an insurrection on the Capitol to hold on to power, to subvert democracy, and they don’t think there should be consequences,” Tapper continued. 

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

Tapper Doubles Down

Not stopping there, Tapper proceeded to double down with his unhinged attack on Republicans.

“So if they don’t believe that an impeachment trial is constitutional, you know, that’s obviously a legal position and legal argument, but if you don’t believe that, then what consequence?” he continued. “What consequence should there be? Or do you think that some people are just above the law?”

“I mean, should there be a criminal trial?” Tapper added. I mean, Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy, for that matter, have said that Donald Trump played a role in the terrorist attack. He played a role.”

“I mean, Bill Clinton lied under oath, and they thought that there needed to be— he needed to be removed from office for lying under oath,” the CNN host concluded. “Donald Trump incites a terrorist attack, and they have a different standard.”

No attack on Republicans is too below the belt for Tapper. Earlier this month, he said that “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.”

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

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

Read more at LifeZette:
Cindy McCain Breaks Her Silence After She’s Censored By Arizona GOP
Meghan McCain Blasts Katie Couric For Saying Republicans Need To Be ‘Deprogrammed’ – ‘Go To Hell’
The ‘Squad’ Issues Brutal Impeachment Warning – ‘Dangerous Precedent’

The post CNN’s Jake Tapper Accuses Republicans Of Trying To Remove Clinton For Lying But Not Trump For Inciting A ‘Terrorist Attack’ appeared first on The Political Insider.

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

Posted on by Rusty Weiss

A majority of Republicans – including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell – voted Wednesday that the impeachment trial of Donald Trump is unconstitutional.

Senator Rand Paul forced a vote on the matter.

In an op-ed written over the weekend, Paul (R-KY) called the impeachment process against the former President 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 elements exists in this case, as President Trump is no longer in office and Chief Justice John Roberts has declined to preside over the trial.

RELATED: Poll: Republican Voters Are Siding With Trump Over Mitch McConnell

Paul Declares Unconstitutional Impeachment Vote Is Dead

Paul called for a procedural vote regarding holding a trial, claiming the Senate shouldn’t address the article of impeachment against Trump because he is out of office.

In a speech prior to the vote – a speech that went viral – the Kentucky Republican blasted Democrats as “hyper-partisan” and suggested  they “are about to drag our great country into the gutter of rancor and vitriol the likes of which has never been seen in our nation’s history.”

The Senate voted 55-45 to end debate on Paul’s point of order, but the point, in reality, was made. Only five Republicans joined the Democrats, well below the 17 that would be needed for a vote of conviction.

“If you voted that it was unconstitutional, how in the world would you ever vote to convict somebody for this?” Paul told reporters. “This vote indicates it’s over. The trial is all over.”

He later tweeted that the impeachment trial was “dead on arrival.”

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

Who Joined the Democrats?

Of the five Republicans who voted with Democrats, you had your usual suspects. Typical RINOs who often hide their contempt for President Trump in the cloak of the Constitution, but clearly don’t understand its words.

Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Ben Sasse (NE), Pat Toomey (PA), and Mitt Romney (UT) all voted to table Paul’s point of order.

Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution reads in part:

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

McConnell, surprisingly, voted against ending the debate.

McConnell has reportedly viewed the Democrats’ effort to impeach the president as a means to “help rid the Republican Party of Trump and his movement.”

A recent poll from Axios-Ipsos shows Republican voters have been siding with President Trump over McConnell on the matter.

A majority have said they do not hold Trump responsible for the Capitol riots, believe he has a right to challenge the election, and still prefer him as their nominee in 2024.

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

Evidence is beginning to point to this unconstitutional impeachment trial as a sham – perhaps even more so than the first one.

The post Dead On Arrival: 45 Republicans – Including McConnell – Vote That Trump’s Impeachment Trial Is Unconstitutional appeared first on The Political Insider.