The House finally delivered its single article of impeachment to the Senate on Monday but instead of commencing the trial the next day the Senate embarked on a debate about whether the article should be dismissed outright as unconstitutional.
Rand Paul, the contrarian Republican from Kentucky who forced the vote, wasn’t arguing against the particulars in the “” charge, that then-President Donald Trump spurred a mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol on Jan. 6. He was arguing that Trump couldn’t be tried for attempting to block the counting of Electoral College votes for Joe Biden because he’s now a private citizen. His motion didn’t pass, but 44 of his Republican colleagues voted with him.
Many commentators focused on the vote as an early signal that there is little chance of reaching the 67-vote threshold needed to convict Trump when the trial starts Feb. 9. But there’s another conclusion to be drawn from Paul’s gambit, unsuccessful though it was. Looked at in combination with the defense of the former president during his first impeachment, it is becoming clear that the GOP is steadily whittling away impeachment as a remedy for dealing with rogue presidents.
To be sure, Congress must be careful not to turn impeachment of past presidents into a political football. But the GOP’s fixation on using procedural objections to avoid confronting evidence that the former president’s behavior led to the deaths of five people, including a police officer, is deeply troubling. And it threatens to limit the use of impeachment to the point that it has become irrelevant.against convicting Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
Voters decided in November, of course, but Trump refused to accept the results, waging a weekslong campaign to discredit the election as a massive fraud. Many in the same crowd of Republicans
Instead of charging him with what he actually did (fail to uphold and protect the constitution) they charged him with something he did not do (incite). A failed political play.
So if impeachment is rendered as empirically irrelevant does that embolden to legal position that a president should be able to be charged for crimes while in office?
Potential President’s be VERY careful when voting at the Senate impeachment trial. Do the RIGHT vote not the EASY vote. We WILL be remembering how the GOP deals with the 1/6 crimes. we will not forget
IF anyone attempts to overthrow a democracy, Its either an act of Natzi-isum, Fascism, or Communism and the only document in HISTORY that prevents that fro m happening is the CONSTITUTION any SENATOR that REFUSES to uphold the Constitution commits TREASON against the Constitution
I agree
Which 'rogue presidents'?