Trump 2nd Impeachment News/Talk Megathread

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Yes. His actions today and over the last 2 months are far, far, far beyond the threshold.

I am ambivalent on impeaching Pence too. He has behaved today at least and probably would as president over the next 2 weeks, but he has aided and abetted Trump for the last 4 years.

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Depending on when Warnock and Ossoff get there, it would take between 17 and 19 Republicans to sign off. With an assurance that we don't go after Pence too, that seems plausible.

ETA: Actually 2/3 would be 66 now, so 18 Republicans is what it would take.

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What exactly is the reason for this with how long it would take and the fact that he will be gone anyway in a couple of weeks?

To establish a precedent that this behavior means removal, and prevent any further shenanigans over the next 14 days. Trump will try something else for sure.

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I hope that Congress will keep their eye on the ball here. Trump cannot be trusted with the presidency for 13 more days. He must be removed before he tries something else.

The safest plan would be to use the 25th amendment to suspend his presidency immediately, and impeach and remove him during the 4-day window before Trump restores himself.

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Adam Kinzinger is on MSNBC calling for the 25th Amendment but says there isn't time for impeachment.

Of course there is. The House can do it in hours.

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He's gone in two weeks. No.

If we follow that logic, future presidents will know they can get away with anything in the last 2 weeks of their presidency. This can't go unaddressed.

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https://twitter.com/kyledcheney/status/1347219326890336262

Schumer wouldn't call for this if it didn't have legs.

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The 25th Amendment is the best remedy to neutralize Trump immediately.  Congress can then consider impeachment later for the purpose of disqualifying for future office.  Why?  Because a removal by the 25th runs out the clock until after Jan. 20.  Here's the text of the relevant section of the Amendment (section 4):

Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
    
Thereafter, when the President transmits to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives his written declaration that no inability exists, he shall resume the powers and duties of his office unless the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit within four days to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Thereupon Congress shall decide the issue, assembling within forty-eight hours for that purpose if not in session. If the Congress, within twenty-one days after receipt of the latter written declaration, or, if Congress is not in session, within twenty-one days after Congress is required to assemble, determines by two-thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall continue to discharge the same as Acting President; otherwise, the President shall resume the powers and duties of his office.

Summary: Pence and the Cabinet notify Grassley and Pelosi that Trump is incapable.  Pence  immediately becomes Acting President.  Trump can appeal this to Congress, but (1) Pence and the Cabinet have four days to object; and assuming they do, (2) Congress then has 21 days to consider Trump's appeal before voting on it.  This runs out the clock.

I may be wrong, but I thought Trump would return to the presidency in between the 4th and 21st day, meaning the 25th would just give Congress a little cover time to complete the removal processes.

It may be ambiguous and up to the Courts?

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He's gone in two weeks. No.

If we follow that logic, future presidents will know they can get away with anything in the last 2 weeks of their presidency. This can't go unaddressed.

People have lower living standards here than people in countries whose militaries we subsidize. When will that be addressed?

It damn sure better be, but we can address this too.

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https://twitter.com/DaviSusan/status/1347220664382533632

https://twitter.com/DaviSusan/status/1347221819011567618?

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https://twitter.com/DaviSusan/status/1347220664382533632

https://twitter.com/DaviSusan/status/1347221819011567618?

Both tweets no longer available.

Ah, maybe she was wrong. Still need to impeach/remove on top of the 25 amendment.

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https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1347226169792458756

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Looks like this will really happen over the next few days.

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How would impeachment actually work with this little time left? The House just votes without debate and the senate debates just a day or two before taking a vote?

Probably so. They need to get this done this weekend.

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Wow, what a cuck.

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Looks like I might need to switch to option 2

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Is there enough time for the process of conviction?

Most likely not while he is in office, I imagine, but he can still be convicted after he leaves.

If McConnell supports removal, it can be done in a couple days or less. If McConnell doesn't support removal, it won't pass anyway.

If the votes are there, they'll make the time

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This is dumb. No way enough Republican senators are on board. Just wait two weeks.

They have to try. If Republicans want to let him off the hook again, so be it

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To remove Trump, it would take 18 Republican senators to go along with it. Or, if we wait for Warnock and Ossoff to be sworn in, it would just take just 17, but Loeffler wouldn't be available to be one anymore.

Thoughts on who might do it? Here's my quick scorecard that I didn't put all that much time into:

Tier 1 - If you don't have these people on board, don't bother. It's not happening.
AK - Lisa Murkowski
KY - Mitch McConnell
ME - Susan Collins
SD - John Thune
UT - Mitt Romney

Tier 2 - People who might survive it politically, since they're in a purple state or not up for reelection for a long time.
AK - Dan Sullivan
FL - Marco Rubio (might want Trump to be unable to run in 2024)
GA - Kelly Loeffler (career already over)
IA - Chuck Grassley
IA - Joni Ernst
MT - Steve Daines
NC - Richard Burr
NC - Thom Tillis
TX - John Cornyn

Tier 3 - People who would really be going out on a limb to convict. It will take 2-3 from this tier to convict, even if everyone from Tier 2 convicts.
AL - Richard Shelby
AR - John Boozman
AR - Tom Cotton (might want Trump to be unable to run in 2024)
ID - Jim Risch
ID - Mike Crapo
IN - Mike Braun
IN - Todd Young
KS - Jerry Moran
KY - Rand Paul (could be in Tier 4)
LA - Bill Cassidy
MO - Roy Blunt
MS - Roger Wicker
ND - John Hoeven
ND - Kevin Cramer
NE - Ben Sasse (could be in Tier 1 actually)
NE - Deb Fischer
OH - Rob Portman
OK - James Lankford
OK - Jim Inhofe
PA - Pat Toomey
SC - Lindsey Graham (could be in Tier 2)
SC - Tim Scott
SD - Mike Rounds
TN - Bill Hagerty
TN - Marsha Blackburn (could be in Tier 4)
UT - Mike Lee (could be in Tier 4)
WI - Ron Johnson
WV - Shelley Moore Capito
WY - John Barrasso

Tier 4 - The true believers who voted to uphold the challenges. Should be safe to assume they won't be convicting.
AL - Tommy Tuberville
FL - Rick Scott
KS - Roger Marshall
LA - John Kennedy
MO - Josh Hawley
MS - Cindy Hyde-Smith
TX - Ted Cruz
WY - Cynthia Lummis

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Trump has conceded the election.  This is what we wanted him to do.  We should acknowledge that and hold him to it and move on until Biden is inaugurated.  No need to add fuel to the fire and encourage more controversy and confrontation.  Give Trump's supporters room to accept their loss instead of an occasion to fight for him against attackers.

Even you have to be joking. Trump incited a riot that ransacked the Capitol and literally beat a policeman to death, and you think we should let it go to spare the feeeeeeelings of Trump supporters? F-u-c-k No. Trump's presidency ends next week or the Democratic caucus is a joke.

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Let's do this.

https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/1347510396010246144

Don't wait until Monday. Do it today and give the Senate next week to remove him.

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Graham didn't have his finger on the pulse very well on how people were voting in the first impeachment, and probably doesn't this time either.

However, I thought Graham was a potential Yes vote, so still a little disheartening.

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https://twitter.com/ScottAdamsSays/status/1347524201549242372

He’ll only do so if the scenario gets Nixon-esque and the bulk of his party clearly abandons him.

Even then I think he would make them vote to remove him, which could cause huge primary battles all over the country for years, rather than quit.

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https://twitter.com/sarahnferris/status/1347604326525644801?s=19

If he's just raising the point, whatever, but this should not cause any hesitation in doing the right thing. A violent coup and the murder of a policeman cannot go unaddressed. The fact that he hasn't been impeached already is disgraceful enough as it is.

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https://twitter.com/Acosta/status/1347613770584109056

Full steam ahead.