DC Unrest Megathread

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

If the 25th was invoked? That makes Pence president for 14 days?

Acting president.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I hope everyone who said they’d object and is now withdrawing doesn’t get to get away with this.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Just impeach him. Numerically easier than the 25th (in the House) and more permanent.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Sh!t I just realized this was only for AZ. Brutal.

I believe they’re doing the others all at once.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Gaetz gets booed.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

https://twitter.com/kaitlancollins/status/1347023890959228933

http://allaboutfrogs.org/stories/scorpion.html

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

D-DC baby

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Can’t imagine what this must be like for Jamie Raskin after losing his son just a week ago.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Sad that this objection already has more yes votes than the Arizona one. I wonder who those extra 10-15 members are?

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I need to see this man be removed by the senate. It would be the greatest thing to happen to this country in the past ten years.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I guess she isn't going to do the 25th Amendment?

https://twitter.com/jdawsey1/status/1347248284138614789?s=20

Coward. Doesn't want to expose her hubby to the political Fallout of having to take a stand for basic American principles of democracy.

https://twitter.com/NateSilver538/status/1347253540960530433

Not leaving until Monday, leaves the option available if needed.

Is there any distinction between a member of the cabinet and an acting member of the cabinet as far as the 25th Amendment goes? I'm assuming there's no precedent on the matter, so you'd basically have to get everyone on board to make it as clear as possible before Trump inevitably tries to sue to stay in power.

"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."

Question is what are "principal officers of the executive departments"? I guess if push comes to shove, the Supreme Court needs to decide on the constitutionality of acting cabinet secretaries removing Trump from office.

So this wouldn’t include, say, the USTR or anything like that?

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

My gut says the cabinet won't remove Trump. Either out of cult loyalty, fear of removal, or future political aspirations. The latter especially for Pence.

And what is stopping Trump from firing ever cabinet member?

I seriously doubt they will. Only question now is how long will it take for Congress to realize that and impeach him.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Pence should absolutely not pardon him. Presidents shouldn’t magically get to avoid consequences for their behavior.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

The video is actually very good. He should have recorded this video on November 6 or 7 when it became clear that he had lost the election.

He should resign now to avoid being impeached and Pence should pardon him.

God's how in God's name can you say he deserves pardoned? Is this just a way of pardoning your own conscience for supporting this neo-Nazi?

No. It's just an embarrassment to the country to have a former President prosecuted for crimes and possibly convicted.

Yeah, the country’s totally fine now, but if he goes to jail we’ll be embarrassed.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

https://mobile.twitter.com/jimbourg/status/1347559078831284227

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

The "Parties to the civil conflict", "Lead figures", and "Units involved" in the Wikipedia infobox kind of makes that whole affair sound like the 1991 and 1993 Russian coup attempts, which also usually pitted President vs. Vice President and/or Parliament.

Interesting who they put as lead figures on either side. Especially McCarthy, who voted to object to the results.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

The title is a bit misleading, since I think this is before the main events of the day, but still. Great optics.

Can’t stop thinking about the way he says “Kimberleh” at the beginning like he’s a FilmCow character.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Can Schumer refuse to seat Cruz and Hawley?

They’ve already been seated, haven’t they? They can be expelled by a 2/3 vote but they won’t be.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Oh no, poor Pence.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Many, many Trump supporters are utterly embarassed at what has happened, IRL and on forum.

Sure, but the question therefore is; are they still Trump supporters?  The answer to that will tell us all we need to know.

No, even that doesn't go far enough. It's easy for these profile in Courage last-minute converts to democracy to reject Trump in the last week and a half of his presidency when he is irrelevant towards conservatives maintaining political power and advancing their agenda. If they don't oppose Trump ISM, which encompasses all those jackass congressmen, Senators, Governors, and hundreds of assorted Republican officials who full bore stood by and parotid Trump's Fantastical claims of election fraud and incitements for Direct action.

If they can't bring themselves to throw out those individuals for at bare minimum a sane Republican like Nancy Mays, Mitt Romney, John Kasich, Etc, or if not then bite the bullet and vote Democrat or third-party, then they've demonstrated they really don't give a crap. Between conservatism and democracy, they will choose the former every time.

Except for the fact that you could count on one hand the number of elected Republican politicians who are truly Trumpists.  Frankly, that list might begin and end with Josh Hawley.  And, even he is probably more pandering than anything.

Tuberville?  Gosar?  Mo Brooks?  Boebert?  Greene?  Gaetz?  We're already over one hand and those are just the first ones that jumped to mind.

Jim Jordan is another one that I can think of. As I was remarking elsewhere, the number of extremist ideologues in the Republican caucus is alarming to me.

How can we forget Big Louie Gohmert

Don't leave out rising stars Bob Good and Mary Miller!

These two as well. They are major downgrades from Denver Riggleman and John Shimkus.

I couldn’t imagine anyone being a downgrade from Shimkus, but here we are.

Nor I from Denver “Bigfoot Erotica” Riggleman.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Feds arresting more of the losers who stormed the Capitol, including the stealing podium guy. They look less happy now.

https://twitter.com/WFLAJustin/status/1347910666317934592

8 On Your Side has learned Johnson is married to a local physician

I refuse to believe this

Why? I’m certain there were actual physicians there.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Honestly wouldn't having a large crowd to support Biden be a good idea, could be the way to intimidate the Trumpers

Except all the covid.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Back on the 8th, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) wrote an open letter asking Pence to removed Trump: https://www.elca.org/News-and-Events/8086

Do we know of any other churches or other religious organizations/authorities who have commented on this?

I know the Unitarian Universalist Association has, because of course they have.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

A conviction (even if after January 20tn) would bar Trump from running in 2024, right?  If so, I could see some Republicans supporting it for the reason of taking back the party.  If not, I think most Senate Republicans would view it as a sideshow that doesn't really matter anymore.

I believe it wouldn’t automatically do so, but after conviction he would only need a majority vote to be barred from running again.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I find it extremely unlikely McConnell will actively lobby Senators to vote for conviction.

WaPo reported that he won’t.