Category Archives: Trump impeachment (2021)

Pelosi announces plans for 9/11-style commission to examine Capitol riot

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Calls to investigate attack followed Trump’s acquittal in his second impeachment trial

Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker, said on Monday that the US Congress will move to establish an outside, independent commission to review the “facts and causes” related to the deadly 6 January insurrection at the US Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump in the waning days of his presidency.

Pelosi said in a letter to members of Congress that the commission would be modeled on a similar one convened after the 11 September 2001, terrorist attack on Washington and New York.

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Democrats defend decision not to call witnesses as tactic under scrutiny

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‘We needed more senators with spines,’ said Stacey Plaskett after vote to convict fell short of two-thirds majority needed

Democrats defended their prosecution of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Sunday and hinted at the possibility of criminal charges, after failing to convince enough senators the former president was guilty of inciting the deadly Capitol attack.

Related: Boris Johnson calls Trump impeachment over Capitol attack 'kerfuffle'

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Trump triumphant – but senior Republicans still see battles ahead

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Former president celebrates second impeachment acquittal as supporters and moderates prepare to contest party direction

Donald Trump emerged from his second impeachment trial almost completely politically intact. But amid widespread laments (or celebrations, depending on the affiliation of the speaker) about the former president’s grip on the Republican party, some prominent voices suggested a changing of the guard may still be due.

Related: Mitch McConnell's impeachment speech was just a hostage video | Lloyd Green

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Mitch McConnell lambasts Donald Trump but votes not guilty in impeachment trial – video

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The Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, said on Saturday that Donald Trump was 'practically and morally responsible' for the insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January – minutes after voting to acquit the former president in his impeachment trial for that very same act.

The House majority leader, Nancy Pelosi, criticised McConnell’s remarks in a press conference on Saturday and said the issue of timing 'was not the reason that he voted the way he did; it was the excuse that he used'

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Trump’s acquittal shows paltry punch of impeachment process

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Critics say the impeachment process no longer presents a threat or deterrent to bad behavior by the most powerful figure in the land

Former president Donald Trump has repeatedly been called “Teflon Don” during his presidency – a moniker used for the late mob boss John Gotti to describe how consequences for his bad actions apparently don’t stick to him.

Related: Senate Republicans stand by their man and Trump wins his second acquittal | David Smith's sketch

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Trump acquittal: Biden urges vigilance to defend ‘fragile’ democracy after impeachment trial

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President says the substance of the charge against Donald Trump over the January attack on US Capitol is not in dispute

US president Joe Biden has urged Americans to defend democracy following the acquittal of Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial, saying: “This sad chapter in our history has reminded us that democracy is fragile.”

In a statement on Saturday night, Biden said the substance of the charge against his predecessor over the Capitol riot on 6 January in which five people died was not in dispute, and noted the seven Republicans who voted guilty.

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Failure to convict Trump in impeachment trial will live as a ‘vote of infamy’, says Schumer – video

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The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, decried the decision to acquit Donald Trump of inciting a riot at the US Capitol on 6 January. House Democrats, who voted a month ago to charge Trump with ‘incitement of insurrection’, needed two thirds of the Senate, or 67 votes, to convict him. Only seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in voting to convict Trump.

The Democrats argued in the short trial that Trump caused the violent attack by repeating for months the false claims that the election was stolen from him, and then telling his supporters gathered near the White House that morning to ‘fight like hell’ to overturn his defeat. Five people died when they then laid siege to the Capitol.

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Senate Republicans stand by their man and Trump wins his second acquittal | David Smith’s sketch

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Calls of ‘guilty’ and ‘not guilty’ pinged back and forth in the chamber but once McConnell said no the die was cast

If the denouement of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial had been a Hollywood film, stirring music would have struck up around the time Congressman Joe Neguse explained why he thinks the floor of the US Senate is “sacred”.

Related: Trump’s acquittal seals his grasp on the Republican party

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Trump’s acquittal seals his grasp on the Republican party

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The former president and his supporters are likely to claim victory as they did after his first impeachment trial a year ago

Donald Trump’s highly anticipated acquittal at his US Senate impeachment trial is the least surprising twist in American politics since … well, his acquittal at his first US Senate impeachment trial a year ago.

Related: Democrats fail to secure enough votes to convict Trump in historic second impeachment trial - live

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Trump impeachment trial: deal ends move for witnesses and brings final vote near – live

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Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin has taken the floor again to push back against some of the comments from Michael Van der Veen.

Raskin noted that the arguments from Donald Trump’s team have been very inconsistent.

Michael Van der Veen, one of Donald Trump’s lawyers, leveled a series of serious accusations (without evidence) against the House impeachment managers.

Van der Veen accused the managers of having “fabricated evidence” and committed “fraud” in its presentations during the impeachment trial.

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Five Republicans join vote for witnesses in Trump Senate trial – video

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Five Senate Republicans voted with the Democrats on Saturday, that the Senate should call witnesses in the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

Before the 55-45 vote, Trump’s impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen warned senators that if Democrats wished to call a witness, he would ask for at least 100 witnesses and insist they give depositions in person in his office in Philadelphia – a threat that prompted laughter from the chamber.

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Impeachment trial: defense lawyers argue Trump is victim of ‘cancel culture’

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Lawyers claim Trump’s ‘fight like hell’ rhetoric on 6 January was no different than the language politicians frequently use

Impeachment lawyers for Donald Trump accused the prosecution of waging a “politically motivated witch-hunt” against the former president, vehemently denying the charge that his words and actions incited the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol as they concluded their sharply partisan defense and prepared for a swift conclusion to the trial.

Confident that Trump’s unprecedented second impeachment trial would again result in acquittal, the defense lawyers channeled the former president’s bombastic style – and his loose relationship with the facts – to denounce the case against him as an “unconstitutional act of political vengeance” fueled by Democrats’ longstanding “hatred” of their client. They claimed the House managers had grievously mischaracterized Trump’s remarks to his followers at a rally on 6 January, when he exhorted them to “fight like hell” during a rally just before they marched down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington and attacked the US Capitol.

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Impeachment trial: Trump’s defense team expected to keep arguments brief – live

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As we gear up for Trump’s lawyers to present their defense, here’s a handy clip of congressman Jamie Raskin, the lead impeachment manager, making the case that Trump incited his supporters on January 6.

Yesterday Raskin wrapped up the House’s case against the president, asking senators:

Rep. Raskin: Trump HAS incited violence before. Roll the tape pic.twitter.com/tpavGBooXG

Some people online are getting very excited about events at the White House, where Jill Biden has installed some heart-shaped signs ahead of Valentine’s Day.

Overnight, the First Lady’s surprise Valentine messages to the country were installed on the north lawn of the White House for the weekend! Happy Valentines, America...from @FLOTUS pic.twitter.com/HPHjFbDfhD

President Biden: "#ValentinesDay is a big. Jill's favorite day. For real."

Q: "What inspired you to do this?"@FLOTUS: "I just wanted some joy. With the pandemic, just everybody's feeling a little down. So, it's just a little joy. A little hope. That's all." pic.twitter.com/JW0S1cclNO

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Trump impeachment trial day three: Democrats rest their case – video highlights

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House impeachment managers concluded their case against Donald Trump on Thursday by saying that the deadly Capitol assault he stands accused of inciting was the culmination of a presidency beset by lies and violent rhetoric. They also said he would remain a threat to US democracy if not convicted and barred from holding future office

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Impeachment trial: Democrats rest case with warning that Trump remains a threat

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  • House managers: years of violent rhetoric led to Capitol assault
  • Diana DeGette: ‘They came because he told them to’
  • US politics – follow live

House impeachment managers rested their case against Donald Trump on Thursday, concluding that the deadly Capitol assault he stands accused of inciting was the culmination of a presidency beset by lies and violent rhetoric, and warning gravely that he would remain a threat to American democracy if not convicted and barred from holding future office.

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‘A wake-up call’: impeachment managers warn against acquitting Trump – video

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House impeachment managers warned that more political violence could occur if Trump is not held accountable. Representative Diana DeGette argued the vote to impeach would make sure this would never happen again.

The  managers rested their case on the third day of the trial after presenting arguments for convicting Donald Trump.

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The key Capitol attack footage shown on day two of Trump’s impeachment trial – video

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In their prosecution of Donald Trump for inciting the 6 January attack on the United States Capitol in Washington DC, Democratic impeachment managers have focused on videos of the event, including previously unseen footage.

The managers, who act as prosecutors in the case, have shown clips to their audience of senators, who are in effect acting as jurors.

The shocking footage shown on Wednesday revealed the full scale and danger of the attack on the Capitol, including threats to some senators who were now sitting in the chamber during the trial

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Trump impeachment: Senate trial to hear second day of prosecution evidence – live updates

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Senate will reconvene at noon for second day of prosecution evidence

Welcome to our live coverage of US politics for Thursday. It’s been a busy week. The Senate impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump is set to continue today, after yesterday Democrats set out their case to impeach him for ‘incitement of insurrection’. Here’s a catch-up on where we are, and what we might expect to see today…

Related: Trump trial shown disturbing footage of lawmakers 'hunted' by Capitol mob

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Trump impeachment: police bodycam footage shows Capitol attack – video

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Police bodycam footage showing officers under attack at the US Capitol attack has been released during the second impeachment trial for Donald Trump. Democrat congressman Eric Swalell played footage captured from the officer's perspective showing the crowd attacking police with whatever items were at hand, including crutches and a Trump flag. Swalell also revealed vision showing the evacuation of representatives including Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer being ushered away by security

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