Dems build case against Trump
WASHINGTON — The lead prosecutor for President Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment began building his case for conviction at trial, asserting on Sunday that Trump’s incitement of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol was “the most dangerous crime” ever committed by a president against the United
States. A
Senate trial could begin as soon as this week, just as
Democrat
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., did not say when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will send the single article of impeachment against Trump — for “incitement of insurrection” — to the Senate, which will trigger the beginning of the trial. But Raskin said “it should be coming up soon” as Pelosi organizes the formal transfer.
The House voted to impeach Trump last Wednesday, one week after the violent insurrection that interrupted the official count of electoral votes, ransacked the Capitol and left Congress deeply shaken. Before the mob overpowered police and entered the building, Trump told them to “fight like hell” against the certification of Biden’s election win.
“We’re going to be able to tell the story of this attack on America and all of the events that led up to it,” Raskin said. “This president set out to dismantle and overturn the election results from the 2020 presidential election. He was perfectly clear about that.”
Democrats and the incoming administration are facing the challenge of reckoning with the Capitol attack at the same time that Biden takes office and tries to move the country forward. They say Congress can do both, balancing a trial with confirmations of the new president’s Cabinet and consideration of his legislative priorities.
Raskin said Congress cannot establish a precedent where “we just want to let bygones be bygones” just because Trump has left office.
It is unclear how many Senate Republicans — if any — would vote to convict Trump. Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is telling his caucus that their decision on whether to convict the outgoing president will be a “vote of conscience.” His stance means the GOP leadership team will not work to hold senators in line one way or the other.
McConnell is open to considering impeachment, but said he is undecided on how he would vote.
Some GOP senators already are standing by Trump, despite their criticism of his behavior. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the president’s most loyal allies, said impeachment was a “bad, rushed, emotional move” that puts the presidency at risk and will cause further division.
A handful of Republican senators have suggested they will consider conviction.
Two — Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey — have said he should resign.
No president has been convicted in the Senate, and it would take a two-thirds vote against Trump, a high hurdle.