Top GOP Rep Calls Out Impeachment Effort – Says It Seems Like ‘Political Vengeance’

Posted on January 16, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) spoke out on Friday to blast the House for impeaching President Donald Trump for a second time, this time for “incitement of insurrection” after some of his supporters stormed the Capitol building last week.

Barr Discusses Trump Impeachment

While Barr said that he does not see Trump as “blameless” in the riot at the Capitol, he added that the impeachment looks “more like an act of political vengeance” than “trying to uphold the standards of the presidency.”

“The president here is not blameless, but ultimately, I voted against impeachment because, as a legal matter, the Supreme Court has set the standard for what constitutes criminal incitement in a way that doesn’t violate the First Amendment,” Barr said.

“And here, based on the facts, the president’s conduct, while unfortunate, did not rise to the level of the legal definition of incitement,” he continued.

“But beyond the legal analysis, I think the real point here is that with only seven days left in this president’s term, what does impeachment actually accomplish?” Barr questioned.

“It looked to me, and every member, Republican and Democrat, had to make their own judgment, but it looked to me more like an act of political vengeance as opposed to actually trying to uphold the standards of the presidency,” he said. “And again, what I would say is let’s follow the advice of the president-elect, and let’s try to do what we can to bring the country together to turn the page, heal and unite the country.”

Barr Voted Against Impeachment

Barr was one of the lawmakers who voted against impeaching Trump, arguing that the country needs to look forward rather than backward.

“We know that there are people in this country in both the right and the left who feel disenfranchised, they’re angry, they feel left behind,” Barr said.

“They feel disrespected,” he concluded. “And I think we need to do a lot of soul-searching, Republicans and Democrats and look at ways in which we can’t reach out to these people who feel so alienated from the institutions of our country and rebuild trust.”

This piece was written by James Samson on January 16, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Gretchen Whitmer Extends Restaurant Lockdown In Michigan Again – ‘Three Week Pause’ Now Upped To Twelve

Posted on January 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has extended the restaurant lockdown in Michigan once again amidst the coronavirus pandemic, upping her original “three week pause” to twelve long weeks.

Whitmer Extends Restaurant Lockdown

Whitmer announced on Thursday that she was extending her mandated closure of in-person dining at restaurants and bars until at least February 1.

“The efforts we have made together to protect our families, frontline workers and small business owners are working,” Whitmer said, according to NBC6.

Whitmer first announced this “pause” back in November, and this marks the third time that she has extended it.

“While there has been a slight uptick in our percent positivity rate, our cases per million have plateaued and more hospital beds are becoming available,” she said. “Today, we are confident that MDHHS [Michigan Department of Health and Human Services] can lift some of the protocols that were previously in place.”

“We are reopening cautiously because caution is working to save lives,” added MDHHS Director Robert Gordon told reporters.

“The new order allows group exercise and non-contact sports, always with masks and social distancing, because in the winter it’s not as easy to get out and exercise and physical activity is important for physical and mental health,” he continued. “We are glad that we made it through the holidays without a big increase in numbers, but there are also worrying signs in the new numbers.”

Restaurants Fire Back

The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association (MRLA), however, has already fired back at Whitmer for extending this lockdown for a third time.

“The governor’s continuation of this pause without a plan — now expanding to 75 days — is without parallel in the nation in terms of its unwillingness or inability to provide leadership to a decimated industry and its workforce,” MRLA President and CEO Justin Winslow said in a statement.

“There are more than 100,000 unemployed hospitality workers and thousands of small operators on the edge of bankruptcy all waiting for hope and direction, and once again it did not come,” he added.

“This is unacceptable and we should all demand more accountability,” Winslow continued. “Michigan stands alone as the only remaining statewide closure of dining rooms without a discernible, data-driven path to reopen and fully reintegrate in the economy.”

Whitmer has become infamous among many for enacting some of the strictest. It remains to be seen whether she will extend her lockdowns for a fourth time next month.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 15, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Ex-FBI Director James Comey Calls On Biden To ‘Consider’ Pardoning Trump

Posted on January 15, 2021 by LifeZette

Former FBI Director James Comey spoke out this week to surprisingly say that Joe Biden should “consider” pardoning Donald Trump when he takes office next week as Democrats continue their efforts to impeach the current president for a second time.

Comey Says Biden May Want To Pardon Trump

“I obviously think he belongs in jail, but I don’t think pursuing that is in the best interests of the entire nation, so I think the wiser decision would be not to pursue him,” said Comey, who has long been no fan of Trump’s. He added that it is crucial that whatever Biden’s decision on this is, that he explain it to the American people.

“Be transparent about why you’re doing what you’re doing,” he continued.

When Comey was asked if Biden should pardon Trump like “Ford did Nixon,” he said that he did not know, but that Biden “should at least consider it.”

“Now I don’t know whether Donald Trump, he’s not a genius, but he might figure out that [if] he accepts a pardon, that’s an omission of guilt, the United States Supreme Court has said,” he continued, going on to say that he doesn’t even know if Trump would accept the pardon if offered it.

“But as part of healing the country and getting us to a place where we can focus on things that are going to matter over the next four years, I think Joe Biden is going to have to at least think about that,” Comey said.

“Donald Trump belongs in jail.”

Ex-FBI Director @Comey says while he “obviously believes” the president should be in jail, he doesn’t think “pursuing that is in the best interests of the American people”, adding Joe Biden should "consider" pardoning Donald Trump#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/RUghKyq5nW

— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) January 13, 2021

Possibility Of Trump Being Prosecuted

The House voted on Wednesday to impeach Trump for a second time for allegedly inciting the Capitol riots last week. Some have even called for him to be prosecuted for the riots, but legal experts have said that this will be difficult to do.

“Legal experts have said it could be difficult to charge Trump with a crime related to last week’s deadly rioting at the Capitol by his supporters that led to the president’s second impeachment on Wednesday,” The Hill reported. “But the president and his company could face scrutiny for possible financial crimes in the Southern District of New York, they have noted.”

This piece was written by James Samson on January 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Top GOP Senator Says Trump May Be Criminally Prosecuted Over Capitol Riots

Posted on January 14, 2021 by LifeZette

South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds (R) spoke out this week to say that President Donald Trump may be criminally prosecuted for inciting the riots at the U.S. Capitol building last week. However, he stopped short of saying that he would support Trump’s impeachment.

Rounds Discusses Capitol Riots

“In my opinion, what we had was an insurrection,” he told the Forum News Service. “We had violence. We had people killed. We had a mob that ignored direct commands. They attacked law enforcement officers. They damaged federal property. They clearly intended to stop us from performing our duties in the recognition of the electoral vote count.

“If there are (impeachment) proceedings brought against him (Trump),” he continued, “and even if the article of impeachment is not followed through in the Senate, if the article of impeachment to incitement of a riot or incitement of an insurrection are followed through in a criminal proceeding, that by itself would … stop him (Trump) for running for election to a public office again.”

Rounds Accuses Trump Of Lying To His Supporters

Rounds went on to say that many of Trump’s supporters were misled by him when it came to his claims of voter fraud in the election.

“When the story of this last 90 days is told, they will clearly lay out that the president of the United States misled very, very good, honest, patriotic Americans by telling them time and again that the election was stolen,” Rounds said. “I believe that history will hold him accountable.”

After the House voted to impeach Trump for a second time on Wednesday, Rounds added that the timing of impeachment for the purpose of removing Trump from office seems “moot.”

“The timing right now with the removal of office being the primary purpose would seem to me to be moot,” Rounds said, adding that he does not think Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) will bring the Senate back into session before Trump leaves office next week. This means that an impeachment trial wouldn’t begin until he is out of the White House.

This piece was written by James Samson on January 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Top GOP Senator Says Trump May Be Criminally Prosecuted Over Capitol Riots appeared first on The Political Insider.

National Guard In DC Authorized To Use Lethal Force Days Before Biden’s Inauguration

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Rusty Weiss

Washington, DC is beginning to resemble a war zone, as National Guard troops numbering in the tens of thousands are armed and have been given permission to use lethal force as Joe Biden’s inauguration date looms.

A statement from the D.C. National Guard indicates “National Guardsmen were given authorization to be armed in support of the U.S. Capitol Police to protect the U.S. Capitol and individual members of Congress and their staff.”

A defense official confirmed to U.S. News & World Report that the authorization “includes permission for Guard troops to use lethal force.”

Reports indicate that 20,000 National Guard troops are on-site in preparation for anti-Biden demonstrations over the weekend.

The 20,000 National Guard troops preparing for pro-Trump demonstrations this weekend in the nation’s capital will be armed and permitted to use lethal force. https://t.co/Kfk1NeO18m

— U.S. News & World Report (@usnews) January 14, 2021

DC Is In Lockdown As National Guard Given Green Light to Use Lethal Force

The Associated Press is reporting that “a state of lockdown” has “descended on Washington that will last through the Jan. 20 inauguration.”

The FBI warned of armed protests being planned in all 50 state capitals as well as in Washington for the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration.

On January 6th, thousands of protesters upset over perceived election integrity issues stormed the Capitol, resulting in its evacuation and lockdown, and leading to five deaths.

The nation’s capitol looking more like a militarized zone before Inauguration via @ashrafkhalil @lbaldor https://t.co/p2GajD8MbN

— Michael Tackett (@tackettdc) January 14, 2021

The protests were mostly peaceful.

Still, authorities are taking no chances as inauguration day approaches.

Federal officials indicate the National Mall will be closed to the public on Inauguration Day, in-part due to concerns of violence and the fact that Biden’s event will be mostly virtual.

The entire National Mall will be closed for Inauguration Day, only accessible to media and security personnel, two people familiar with the matter told the Washington Post. https://t.co/FfUBRBt3Fu

— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) January 14, 2021

Bloomberg News reports that soldiers flowing into Washington D.C. is “a scene reminiscent of Civil War deployments.”

Stepping up Security

The stepping up of security efforts to include lethal force marks a significant shift in tactics from riots over the summer which caused countless buildings to be torched and businesses to be robbed and vandalized.

Lethal force was not an issue when domestic terrorists were persistently attacking Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland.

In fact, many of those charged with the assault on a federal courthouse were charged with minor offenses.

Republican California Rep. Tom McClintock, during the impeachment debate, pointed out that had criminals on both sides of the political spectrum been treated equally, there might not have been an escalation of violence on January 6th.

“I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated President a week before he is to leave office. President-elect Biden’s promise to heal the nation becomes a hollow mockery in the harsh reality of this unconstitutional act.” pic.twitter.com/QpOaWNsPbH

— Tom McClintock (@RepMcClintock) January 13, 2021

“If we had prosecuted BLM and Antifa rioters across the country with the same determination these last six months, this incident may not have happened at all,” McClintock said.

The post National Guard In DC Authorized To Use Lethal Force Days Before Biden’s Inauguration appeared first on The Political Insider.

CNN’s Don Lemon Shames Trump Voters – Lumps Them All In With Nazis, KKK, Alt-Right

Posted on January 14, 2021 by LifeZette

CNN host Don Lemon shamed all 74 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump in this past election, not only lumping them all in with Capitol rioters, but also with Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.

Lemon Shames Trump Voters

While sending off his own show to Lemon’s, Chris Cuomo asked for his fellow host’s reaction to, “Now what you hear is, ‘Well, you can’t say that everybody who voted for Trump is like the people who went into the Capitol.'”

“You need to think about the side you’re on,” Lemon responded. “Principled people — conservative or liberal — never on the Klan side. Principled people — conservative or liberal — never on the Nazi side. Principled people who are conservative or liberal never on the side that treats their fellow Americans as less-than.”

“That says that your fellow Americans should not exist,” he added. “That says your fellow Americans should be in a concentration camp or that sides with slavery or sides with any sort of bigotry.”

“Right,” Cuomo said. “And if they say, ‘I don’t agree with those people, I just like Trump’s policies—'”

“Well, then get out of the crowd with them,” Lemon fired back. “Get out of the crowd with them.”

Cuomo And Lemon Double Down

That’s when the two engaged in a deranged role-play, with Cuomo taking on the role of Trump supporter.

“I wasn’t in the crowd; I just voted for Trump,” Cuomo said.

“You’re in the crowd who voted for Trump,” Lemon replied. “If you voted for Trump, you voted for the person who the Klan supported. You voted for the person who Nazis support. You voted for the person who the alt-right supports. That’s the crowd that you are in.”

“You voted for a person who incited a crowd to go into the Capitol and potentially take the lives of lawmakers, took the lives of police officers, took the … innocent lives of the people who were at the Capitol that day,” he continued.

“You voted on that side,” he added.

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro said it best when he branded this entire exchange as “vile.”

He later added, “It’s this deliberate attempt to lump together anyone who voted for Trump and the Capitol rioters that undermines the possibility of unity. It also happens to be false and indecent.”

Vile https://t.co/qF8VVjTX3j

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) January 14, 2021

This piece was written by James Samson on January 14, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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Democrats Split On When To Send Impeachment To The Senate For Trial

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Becky Noble

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has not given any definite indication on when the article of impeachment against President Trump, passed by the House on Wednesday, might make its way to the Senate for any possible trial.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is urging that the latest round of impeachment articles, accusing President Trump of “inciting and insurrection,” be sent to the upper chamber “as soon as possible.”

Steny Hoyer says no decision has been made yet on when to send the article of impeachment to the Senate: “The Speaker’s talking to Mr. Schumer and will determine that, but I’m personally urging them to send it over as soon as possible.”

— Jason Donner (@jason_donner) January 13, 2021

Would The Senate Reconvene In Time For A Trial?

There is confusion in the Senate as well. Currently, the body is scheduled to reconvene on Jan. 19, the day before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

There is only one day, a pro forma session, scheduled before the official reconvening on Jan. 19.

The Senate is not allowed to do any business on that day without unanimous consent.

A 2004 resolution gives Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer the power to reconvene the Senate without unanimous consent which would create an emergency session.

McConnell has said that he would not invoke this resolution, but Schumer may put the pressure on to do it.

My full statement on the next seven days and the Senate schedule: pic.twitter.com/Nh5z3f79yq

— Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) January 13, 2021

As it stands now, unless McConnell calls a special session, the Senate would not receive any articles of impeachment before Jan. 19, and a trial would not begin before 1pm on either Jan. 20 or 21, making Donald Trump at that time the ex-president.

However, Chuck Schumer has stated, “But make no mistake, there will be an impeachment trial in the United States Senate.”

Is Impeaching An Ex-President A Wise Use Of Senate Time?

This would put the United States Senate in a precarious situation. Should the trial move forward, the Senate at that point is committed to completing the process.

This puts other priorities, such as Biden administration nominees and COVID relief, on hold.

Biden has urged the Senate to do their “Constitutional responsibilities” while also attending to “other urgent business.”

Today, in a bipartisan vote, the House voted to impeach and hold President Trump accountable. Now, the process continues to the Senate—and I hope they’ll deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation.

— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 14, 2021

There is also some question as to whether or not an ex-president can be impeached once he is a private citizen.

The United States Constitution provides for the process of impeachment, but says nothing about the timing of when the trial can take place.

What Exactly Is The Urgency About?

On Wednesday, Pelosi called the president, “a clear and present danger” as she urged members of the House to support impeachment.

But there seems to be some confusion there as well.

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) said on Sunday that it may not be until after Biden’s first 100 days in office before the House would send the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

But the urgency may be about more than a trial and conviction rather than how fast the articles of impeachment would reach the Senate.

According to reports from Vox, there is talk among Republicans that this second impeachment, and any subsequent trial and conviction, could bar Trump from ever running for office again.

From colleague John Roberts: A well-placed source tells me there is talk swirling among Republicans in Congress of a possible 2nd impeachment proceeding – and conviction against Trump – to insure he can’t run for re-election.

— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 7, 2021

The post Democrats Split On When To Send Impeachment To The Senate For Trial appeared first on The Political Insider.

If Republicans Put America First, They’ll Remove Liz Cheney, Not Donald Trump

Posted on January 14, 2021 by John Hanson

As the House voted to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday, much praise was given to Congresswoman Liz Cheney for being one of the ten Republicans who voted to impeach.

Cheney is the #3 Republican in the House, which added weight to her stance.

But it was her father Dick Cheney and his legacy – a legacy she clearly plans to continue – that is arguably the most impeachable offense in American history.

House officially has the votes to impeach Trump for the second time. 10 Republicans vote yes:

John Katko (NY)
Liz Cheney (WY)
Adam Kinzinger (IL)
Fred Upton (MI)
Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA)
Dan Newhouse (WA)
Peter Meijer (MI)
Tom Rice (SC)
Anthony Gonzalez (OH)
David Valadao (CA) pic.twitter.com/shL72IO5sT

— The Recount (@therecount) January 13, 2021

President Trump: Iraq War Was The ‘Worst Single Mistake Ever Made’

President Trump has been at war with the Bush faction of the GOP since he announced his campaign for President in 2015.

Trump was right when he called President George W. Bush and Dick Cheney’s war in Iraq the “worst single mistake” in U.S. history.

“The worst single mistake ever made in the history of our country: going into the Middle East, by President Bush,” Trump told The Hill in 2018.

Trump added, “Obama may have gotten (U.S. soldiers) out wrong, but going in is, to me, the biggest single mistake made in the history of our country.”

Why was it such a colossal mistake? President Trump had an answer for that too.

—@realDonaldTrump: “The worst single mistake ever made in the history of our country: going into the Middle East, by President Bush.”https://t.co/Bi1S6E3aCG

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 19, 2018

Cheney Unapologetic About Iraq War, Bush Foreign Policy

“Because we spent $7 trillion in the Middle East,” Trump said. “Now if you wanna fix a window some place they say, ‘oh gee, let’s not do it.’ Seven trillion, and millions of lives — you know, ‘cause I like to count both sides. Millions of lives,” Trump explained.

“To me, it’s the worst single mistake made in the history of our country,” Trump reiterated.

This is a charge President Trump would repeat throughout both presidential campaigns and during his time in the White House.

Today, a majority of Americans agree with Trump on the wrongness of the Iraq War, including military veterans.

But what does Liz Cheney think? She agrees with her father who still says “I was right about Iraq.”

Unbelievable.

Oh: and the only small pockets of opposition to the partnership between pro-war Dems and Liz Cheney to fund Endless War came from anti-war factions on the right and left – could call them "populists". Here's @mattgaetz working with @RoKhanna to denounce this militarism: pic.twitter.com/J1zMjHie4i

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) July 8, 2020

But Trump’s radical break with the Establishment’s foreign policy isn’t limited to Iraq.

Just weeks ago, Cheney and the Democrats worked hand-in-hand to block President Trump from removing troops from Afghanistan, where we have been mired for 20 years.

In October of 2019, Democrats (and many Republicans) voted overwhelmingly to condemn President Trump’s effort to withdraw troops from Barack Obama’s war in Syria.

Remember when Democrats at least pretended to be anti-war, when Bush was President?

‘America First’ vs. Neoconservative Ideology

But despite all the establishment praise being given to Cheney and a handful of anti-Trump Republicans this week, it is the “America First” foreign policy of Donald Trump that has completely flipped the script on this front in the GOP.

Republican members of Congress like Rand Paul, Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massie, and many others are staunchly opposed to needlessly starting another war like Iraq, and Trump’s position on this issue has largely helped solidify this sentiment among Republican voters.

Donald Trump Jr. has helped too.

This aged well. Bernie should really thank @realDonaldTrump for pulling our amazing troops out of DC’s endless wars https://t.co/GX5JrdNC7R

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) October 10, 2020

Liz Cheney Deserves To Be Removed More Than President Trump

Congresswoman Cheney will continue to pursue a foreign policy agenda like her father’s – one that puts America and our soldiers last.

She will find a more willing partner in a President Biden than she did with President Trump.

If there was an administration that deserved impeachment, it was Bush-Cheney for the disastrous foreign policy they foisted upon America – one that was continued by Barack Obama.

We are still dealing with the repercussions of Obama (and Hillary Clinton’s) disasters in Libya and Syria.

President Trump set a new course for America. Along the way, he secured four Middle East peace deals.

The Republican Party and Congress would do well to remove those who would take us back to the disastrous foreign policy of the past, and continue to build upon the Trump path to peace.

The post If Republicans Put America First, They’ll Remove Liz Cheney, Not Donald Trump 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 January 14, 2021 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.

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.”

The 10 Republicans who have voted to impeach Trump in the House, per pool:

Liz Cheney, WY

Gonzalez, OH

Jamie Herrera-Beutler, WA

John Katko, NY

Adam Kinzinger, Ill.

Peter Meijer, MI

Dan Newhouse, WA

Tom Rice, SC

Fred Upton, MI

David Valadao, CA

— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) January 13, 2021

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.

#BREAKING: GOP Rep. Kinzinger says he'll vote to impeach Trump https://t.co/ptWLJ5RrbF pic.twitter.com/G5Que19JIF

— The Hill (@thehill) January 12, 2021

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.

Remember David, Kinzinger, along with John McCain, received a copy of the Steele dossier and handed it to the FBI. Kinzinger has always been against Trump.

— StephPaige40 (@sberghuis43) January 7, 2021

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.

Dem Rep. Swalwell Compares President Trump To Osama bin Laden

Posted on January 14, 2021 by LifeZette

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), who has had his own fair share of problems lately in the wake of the scandal involving him allegedly associating with a suspected Chinese spy, spoke out on Tuesday night to compare President Donald Trump to the late 9/11 terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

Swalwell Compares Trump To Osama bin Laden

“Well, Osama bin Laden did not enter US soil on September 11, but it was widely acknowledged that he was responsible for inspiring the attack on our country,” Swalwell said on “PBS NewsHour.”

“And the president, with his words — using the word ‘fight,’ with the speakers that he assembled that day, who called for trial by combat and said we have to take names and kick ass — that is hate speech that inspired and radicalized people to storm the Capitol,” he continued.

A visibly surprised host Judy Woodruff asked of Swalwell was really comparing Trump to bin Laden, at which time the Democrat doubled down.

“I’m comparing the words of a [sic] individual who would incite and radicalize somebody, as Osama bin Laden did, to what President Trump did,” Swalwell said. “You don’t actually have to commit the violence yourself, but if you call others to violence, that itself is a crime.”

Rep. Eric Swalwell compares President Trump to Osama bin Laden saying that he "inspired and radicalized people to storm the Capitol" in the same way that bin Laden inspired 9-11 pic.twitter.com/pYr3l4qhMw

— The First (@TheFirstonTV) January 13, 2021

Republicans Demand Swalwell Be Removed From House Intelligence Committee

This comes one month after seventeen Republicans sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) demanding that Swalwell be immediately removed from the House Intelligence Committee after his relationship with a suspected Chinese spy was revealed.

“We write to you today out of concern with Congressman Eric Swalwell’s reported, close contacts with a Chinese Communist Party spy recently reported by Axios. Because of Rep. Swalwell’s position on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, his close interactions with Chinese intelligence services, however unintentional they may be, are an unacceptable national security risk,” they said in the letter.

“HPSCI handles some of the most sensitive information our government possesses — information critical to our national defense,” they added. “As such, we urge you to immediately remove Rep. Swalwell from his position on the House Intelligence Committee.”

Not only did Pelosi not remove Swalwell from the intelligence committee, she has also just made him one of her impeachment managers in her effort to remove President Donald Trump from office.

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

This piece was written by James Samson on January 13, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

The post Dem Rep. Swalwell Compares President Trump To Osama bin Laden appeared first on The Political Insider.