Senate clears Trump of inciting insurrection

[Iamnotminterested]

Well there we go 😔

The surprise to me is 57 votes for incitement, I was expecting only 51 or 52.

So there’s literally no point in their impeachment process then. Can’t impeach a President for inciting a deadly riot against his own lawmakers then what is the law for?!

[quote TitusPullo]**@BritWifeinUSA* and @LunaHeather* - what part of the Impeachment trial did you disagree with?[/quote]
I don't claim to be an expert

I was under the impression that he didn't incite the riots, sorry. If they had found evidence, sure, but it looks like they haven't.

@LunaHeather - not an expert but know enough to say with certainty he didn’t incite the riots? Right, ok.

There was evidence, lots of it. All available online if you’d like to view it.

[quote TitusPullo]@LunaHeather - not an expert but know enough to say with certainty he didn’t incite the riots? Right, ok.

There was evidence, lots of it. All available online if you’d like to view it.[/quote]
Just my opinion based on what I read at the time. I did not say I had any certainty. I should not have posted, I see that.

I'll go away now.

Highly predictable.
Trump clearly appealed to the thugs, racists and airheads in the USA and continues to do so. The Republicans who backed him (vast majority) clearly covering their butts and future positions. History will rightly record him as a disaster and with luck everything he tried to do will be unravelled by a saner administration.

Of course you should have posted LunaHeather
Good grief, you're entitled to your opinion. Plenty feel the same!

@LunaHeather - I was disagreeing with you that’s all, no need to act like a wounded animal.

[quote TitusPullo]@LunaHeather - I was disagreeing with you that’s all, no need to act like a wounded animal.[/quote]
I wasn't trying to act like a wounded animal.

Blimey, the vortex of crazy gets worse.

I wonder how much they will regret being his apologist. DT was always going to come back into public life as an annoying gadfly, but putting him a position where he could not get back into power was the best way to keep selves safe and let the party move on regardless of the DT cult.

Now they are all going to continue to be at mercy of DT's cult.
A lot of people keeping making the mistake of thinking they can bend DT to their will, make him pliable or ride safely on his coat-tails.
Tell that to Manafort who spent all that money on lawyers & time in prison.

For every 'poorly educated white' that DT attracts, there is a well-educated Republican who has fled the party in horror because of DT.

Sasse's vote most suprised me.
I held out a tiny hope that McConnell would vote guilty, lead a conviction movement, and fall on his sword later so his colleagues could blame MM for their own votes, somehow. MM will be 86 next election cycle, surely he's not standing again?!

I also briefly hoped Rep. McCarthy would be called as a witness to talk about that phone call...

@yeOldeTrout - I really think McConnell will keep going until he dies in office. It is all he has, you could see how visibly hurt he was the first time he was referred to as Senate Minority Leader. McConnell is a career politician, he doesn’t support Trump, he just doesn’t want to let go of the last bit of power he has. I think that is most of them really, even Cruz and Rubio.

One thing I am shocked at is the open disrespect the Republicans showed the whole process. I can’t imagine if this was a Democrat president, the Democrats would have had their feet up on the desk looking at a map of Asia whilst evidence was being given. Even if they were always going to vote to acquit him, at least act with respect to the process and your fellow senators.

What a disaster the republicans made of the office of president and any sort of decency in politics. Absolutely disgraceful and acted no better than scared communist party members re-electing their glorious leader under duress.

@Livelovebehappy

Yep. The right decision. And hardly a surprise.

Why do you think this was the right decision?

@Porcupineintherough

I really dont understand the GOP. This was their big chance to be rid of him, now they really are his bloody party. Let's just hope the old fuck dies before 2024.

Me too.

I've have been really impressed by the writing of Heather Vox Richardson thought this history into the making

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/people/4875576-heather-cox-richardson

What upsets me most is that this outcome was entirely predictable. There was no way the impeachment attempt #2 was going to pass. But the Democrats just seemed hell bent on spending millions in taxpayer dollar savings to have a grand old show with very expensive lawyers arguing with each other. Meanwhile the US is not being governed at all. The people are dying due to lack of healthcare, immigrants are languishing in abhorrent conditions in detention centres, unemployment is spiralling and homeless tent cities arising. But taking care of the people is the last thing on their mind. The only important thing was to be “seen” trying to impeach Trump again even though everyone knew it would fail.

@PlanDeRaccordement I think you’re wrong. The impeachment actually was very quick, Biden has only been sworn it 3 weeks ago!! It HAD to be done and now they can carry on with the rest of their time in government. Everything you’ve listed there is really on the republicans watch. They’ve been shameless and incompetent and they’ve been shown for the spineless creatures they are.

[quote LadyWithLapdog]@PlanDeRaccordement I think you’re wrong. The impeachment actually was very quick, Biden has only been sworn it 3 weeks ago!! It HAD to be done and now they can carry on with the rest of their time in government. Everything you’ve listed there is really on the republicans watch. They’ve been shameless and incompetent and they’ve been shown for the spineless creatures they are.[/quote]
Why did an attempt HAVE to be done? It failed. It’s not an impeachment unless Congress passes it. Just because the house passed it, doesn’t make it a success. The Senate has to too, and they squashed it and acquitted Trump. It was a complete waste of time and money for a President who is already OUT of office.

Everything you’ve listed there is really on the republicans watch. They’ve been shameless and incompetent and they’ve been shown for the spineless creatures they are.

Well yes. BUT they started the impeachment articles back in November after the election. The House could have started work to FIX the mess Trump has left behind instead of doing impeachment process that costs millions and was doomed to eat up three months of time and FAIL.

It was never going to work. I am conflicted over whether it was the right thing to do - Trump is an awful person who is unfit to be president again, but from a cold, legal and technical point of view, I couldn't vote to convict him based on the facts presented by the Democrats.

Leaving aside the question of whether it was constitutionally correct - which I'm not comfortable it was - the prosecution argument relied on emotion rather than hard evidence. And at one moment they claimed the riot wouldn't have happened if Trump hadn't incited it, at another moment they reported that a protester left home in the morning telling his children he might not be home - implying he was expecting there to be trouble.

From a purely legal point of view, the case was not proved beyond reasonable doubt. I also dislike how rushed it was - the Democrats naturally wanted to rush the trial so they can get on with business, but the impeachment of a president and barring them from future office is the most important business of all.

Add to that the voting patterns - all Democrats and nearly all Republicans voting on party lines - means that acquittal was the only option. In a real trial, one expects unanimity from the jury. The judge might allow one or two dissenters and a majority verdict, but doesn't have to. The trial smacked of being a show trial.

Hard to imagine how any President will ever be found guilty now?
What more evidence was needed?

Trump has done so much damage to America's belief in itself. This aquittal has made matters worse. It's sent a signal to the rioters that senior lawmakers support them. So it will happen again and next time the GOP senators will have no one to blame but themselves.

Fascinating headline here from the definitely not biased BBC. Which cannot bring itself to simply say 'Trump Acquitted'.

Would we ever see 'Jury falls short of a majority to convict Extinction Rebellion protestors'. I wonder?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56056310

It HAD to be done as turning a blind eye and sweeping such a disgrace under the carpet would have been reckless. The republicans thought DT’s actions were fine and dandy. They’ll never get to wag their finger again at “banana republic” politics.

At any rate, DT has a heap of legal issues awaiting him and I hope it keeps him awake at night till the end of his days.