Republican rush to defend Trump reveals a party in thrall to its leader

The GOP has become the prisoner of an erratic leader known for demanding loyalty but not famous for repaying it

As the action wound to a climax on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday night, Republicans warned the impeachment of Donald Trump was “tearing this country apart”.

Then, just to be sure, they put the crowbar in and pulled at the breach, declaring that by impeaching Trump in 2019, Democrats were seeking to “disenfranchise” everyone who had voted for the president in 2016.

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Nancy Pelosi on Trump: ‘He’ll be impeached for ever’ – live

  • ‘No matter what the Senate does – he’s impeached for ever’
  • Trump to sign spending deal today including $738bn defense bill
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That’s all from me. Thanks for sticking around for the tail end of this momentous week.

Here’s a summary of the day’s major stories:

Bernie Sanders spoke with my colleague Sam Levin this morning, and reiterated his critique of Pete Buttigieg, Joe Biden and billionaires:

They will tell you, ‘It doesn’t impact me. It really doesn’t mean anything to me.’ That is clearly nonsensical. Why would billionaires and wealthy people be making large contributions if it didn’t mean something to them?

The United Kingdom, last I heard, is not the United States. Brexit is not a major part of what this campaign is about. The issues that I am campaigning on, in fact, are precisely the issues the American people support. Talk about raising the minimum wage to 15 bucks an hour. Four years ago when I introduced that concept, it was a radical idea. Not radical anymore.

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Trump: ‘I don’t feel like I’m being impeached’ – video

Donald Trump has said he 'doesn't feel like' he's being impeached because the impeachment inquiry into him was 'a hoax'. Responding to the question of how it feels to be the third president impeached by the House, Trump criticised the Democratic party saying 'they happen to have a small majority and they took that and forced people', adding: 'they put the arm on everybody'.

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This is actually good for Trump: how rightwing media reacted to the impeachment | Jason Wilson

Yesterday’s historic vote was covered on conservative sites in the same way as any other news event of the last three years

If you thought that the impeachment of the leader of the Republican party would be a tough sell for conservative media, you haven’t been paying attention. Yesterday’s historic vote has been used in much the same way as almost any other news event during the last three years: as an opportunity to attack perceived enemies, and to explain why this is actually good for Trump.

The main line of attack was accusations of insufficient seriousness on the part of Democrats and members of the hated mainstream media (“MSM”). After the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, repeatedly said that impeachment was a “solemn occasion”, outlets went looking for any sign that someone might be enjoying themselves.

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McConnell and Pelosi set for showdown over next steps of Trump impeachment

  • Not clear when articles of impeachment will reach Senate
  • Pelosi threatens delay until she receives assurances of fair trial

As Washington awoke on Thursday to the realisation that it had impeached the third US president in American history, the capital remained racked with uncertainty about what will come next in an impeachment process defined by almost total partisanship and rancor.

Related: Trump impeachment charges 'absolutely made up', says Putin

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Nancy Pelosi condemns Mitch McConnell as ‘rogue leader in the Senate’ – video

The House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, condemned Mitch McConnell as a 'rogue leader in the Senate' on Thursday after he dared Democrats to send articles of impeachment to the Senate, claiming they were getting 'cold feet'. Pelosi responded by saying: '[McConnell's speech] reminded me that our founders, when they wrote the constitution, they suspected there could be a rogue president. I don't think they suspected we could have a rogue president and a rogue leader in the Senate at the same time'

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Nancy Pelosi silences applause after impeachment vote – video

The House speaker sternly shut down House Democrats who began to clap as she announced the results of a vote on the first of two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump.

Pelosi said the vote, on Wednesday, was a 'sad' occasion and that it was 'tragic' the president’s reckless actions had made it necessary.

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Trump reacts to his impeachment: ‘It’s a political suicide march for the Democratic party’ – video

As members of Congress moved to make him the third US president in history to be impeached, Donald Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Michigan. He shrugged off the historic vote at Washington, saying: 'It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached.' 


The House voted 230-197 to approve the first article of impeachment, charging Trump with abuse of power, and 229-190 for the second article, charging Trump with obstruction of Congress. 

But Trump was not fazed by the vote, instead remarking that it had only made him politically stronger. 'This lawless, partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democratic party – have you seen my polls in the last four weeks?' The crowd roared in response

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Impeachment debate drama: six hours distilled into three minutes – video

Members of the House of Representatives debate the two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, with both parties accusing each other variously of defending the indefensible, tearing families apart and even being nastier to the president than Pontius Pilate was to Jesus. After a day-long debate, Trump became the third president in US history  to be impeached.

 

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A divided America: the moment Trump was impeached – in pictures

Donald Trump became the third president in US history to be impeached on Wednesday 18 December. The moment offered a surreal split screen. In the House of Representatives, lawmakers voted solemnly, mostly along party lines, in favor of two articles of impeachment. Meanwhile in Michigan, Trump railed against the Democrats at a defiant rally. ‘They’re the ones that should be impeached, every one of them’, he told the crowd

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Trump’s impeachment may be just another battle in the US’s civil war

Trump will be wounded, seething, hellbent on revenge – and turn the weight of impeachment against his foes in 2020

After Donald Trump’s inaugural address, George W Bush turned to Hillary Clinton and said: “Well, that was some weird shit,” the former secretary of state confirmed earlier this month.

For nearly three years since that chilly day here at the US Capitol in Washington, Democrats (and many others) have accused of Trump using and abusing the United States like his personal punchbag. On Wednesday, that slice of America finally punched back via impeachment.

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Republican congressman Mike Kelly compares impeachment inquiry to Pearl Harbor – video

During the impeachment debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Mike Kelly compared the impeachment vote to Pearl Harbor, predicting 18 December would be 'another date that will live in infamy,' referring to Roosevelt's famous quote about 7 December 1941. The debate will be followed by a vote on two articles of impeachment against Trump which, if approved, will send the matter to the Republican-led Senate to hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. The Senate is unlikely to vote to convict the president

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Republican congressman compares impeachment inquiry to trial of Jesus – video

Barry Loudermilk made a comparison between the Trump impeachment inquiry and the trial of Jesus in the Bible during the impeachment debate in the House of Representatives on Wednesday. The Republican congressman argued that Pontius Pilate was fairer to Jesus than Democrats had been to the president. The debate will be followed by a vote on the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump

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Pelosi says Democrats have ‘no choice’ but to impeach Trump as she opens impeachment debate – video

Nancy Pelosi has said Donald Trump gave Democrats 'no choice' but to impeach him. Opening the debate on the impeachment of the US president in the House of Representatives, the House Speaker said if politicians did not act now, they would be 'derelict in their duty'. The debate will be followed by a vote on two articles of impeachment against Trump which, if approved, will send the matter to the Republican-led Senate to hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. The Senate is unlikely to vote to convict the president

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Trump faces impeachment as House convenes to debate historic vote – live

Outcome of today’s vote is all but certain as Trump lashes against Democrats and acknowledges likely impeachment

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Democratic congressman Joe Kennedy used his floor speech to explain to his children why he intended to vote in favor of impeaching the president. “Dear Ellie and James: This is a moment that you’ll read about in your history books,” the Massachusetts lawmaker said.

Dem. Rep. Joe Kennedy addresses his children in remarks on impeachment: "Dear Ellie and James: This is a moment that you'll read about in your history books. Today, I will vote to impeach the president of the United States. And I want you to know why." https://t.co/YXG96ICVqo pic.twitter.com/S3Sd39n5uV

As the president lashes out against Nancy Pelosi, some commentators have started recirculating this 2008 video, in which Trump commends Pelosi and suggests she should have tried to impeach George W. Bush.

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Trump impeachment: protesters gather in Times Square on eve of vote – video

Demonstrators gather in New York, Colorado and California to call for US president Donald Trump's removal from office on the eve of the House of Representatives' expected vote to impeach him. Demonstrators who were gathered in Times Square chanted slogans like 'impeach Trump' and held signs that read: 'Impeach & Remove' and 'Traitor Criminal Lock Him Up!' The House will vote on Wednesday on two articles of impeachment against the president, which if approved, will send the matter to the Senate to hold a trial on whether to remove him from office. The Republican-led Senate is unlikely to vote to convict the president



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