Schumer Defends Impeachment Trial: 'Most Despicable Thing Any POTUS Has Ever Done'
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WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21, 2021: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) leads a press conference to introduce new Senators like Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Capitol Hill in Washingt...WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 21, 2021: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) leads a press conference to introduce new Senators like Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Thursday January 21, 2021. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)MORE LESS By Summer Concepcion | January 25, 2021 6:25 p.m.
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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) defended the upcoming second impeachment trial of former President Trump on Monday, minutes before the House's formal transmission of the article of impeachment charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" to the Senate.
During an interview with MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow that will air Monday night, Schumer argued that the Senate needs to "look back" and deal with Trump's conduct because "you can't sweep some of these egregious things under the rug, plain and simple," referring to Trump's incitement of the violent insurrection at the Capitol that left five dead.
Schumer went on to torch Trump as "the worst president ever" who committed "the most despicable thing any president has ever done."
"His act on the 6th was the most despicable thing any president has ever done. And he is the worst president ever," Schumer said. "And you cannot just (say) 'let's move on.'"
Schumer's defense of Trump's second impeachment trial comes amid several Senate Republicans throwing cold water on it by rehashing a disputed legal argument. Some Senate Republicans have come forward to argue that impeaching the former president is unconstitutional now that he has left office, a convenient way to squirrel away from the issue as Trump looms large over the party.
Watch Schumer's remarks below:
Some encouraging words from @SenSchumer in interview with @maddow:
"His act on the 6th was the most despicable thing any president has ever done. And he is the worst president ever. You can't just say let's move on, you gotta look back." pic.twitter.com/kRkagyzjCb
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) January 25, 2021
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I think there is strong argument for his first point, and the second is almost indisputable. If we can't convict someone who did the most despicable thing a president has ever done, what is even the point of having impeachment on the books ?
Convict him? Go ahead. No one is trying to do that. Instead we are watching a pointless song and dance routine unfold in the Senate.
Allowing Trump to escape being acountable would become a precedent for even worse acts of a POTUS in the future. That is an even greater cause for conviction than his never being able to pursue public office again.
The only people advocating this bit of misguided political theatre are a few left wing wackos in DC.
Normal and rational people across the nation are tired of this kind of behavior by the Democrats and just want to get on with their lives.
Yeah, that's why the Republicans lost the Presidency and the Senate, and couldn't take over the House.
Then PROSECUTE him in criminal court!
The DOJ is probably already looking at the case. Now that Trump is no longer president, there is nothing preventing them from prosecuting him. If convicted, he will not only likely go to prison, but he will also be ineligible to hold office again (see section 3 of the 14th Amendment).
The very concept of impeaching someone who has finished his term is logically inane. Impeachment is what you do to a government official to remove him from office. Trump is no longer a government official and he couldn't be if he wanted to be. It's not rational to go through a process designed to remove a government official when the subject of that action is a private person.
This isn't about right or wrong. This is Establishment Democrats trying to score as many points with their TDS driven base as possible. They don't want BLM/Antifa- their left wing Brown Shirts rioting in every Democratic controlled bastion of stupidity city across the US. That would look bad with Biden in charge. They already cracked down on their Brown Shirts in Portland and Seattle. Where the fuck was this type of concern by Democratic Governors and mayors when Trump was in charge?
As for wrong. Schumer should be looking in his own damn back yard. When Democrats and those on the left are openly talking about reeducation camps for Trump supporters- you know they have jumped the totalitarian fence!
Guess this is the "unity" that Biden is talking about./S
Does Donald Trump deserve official punishment for what he did leading up to and on Jan 6th ? Yes or no ?
You won't get a reply to that question from the spineless Republican lawmakers who haven't got the balls to put Trump where he belongs, or from his supporters.
Of course not. Especially by a liberal kangaroo court.
Where does he "belongs"?
Donald Trump incited people to go to the House and Senate and try and intimidate the elected officials there into overturning the election results.
There is video of the Trump supporters , in the Senate chamber on Jan 6th, heads bowed in prayer for the success of their insurrection.
And you think it is "inappropriate" for that same Senate , and House, to pass judgement on the one who incited it.
Please.
There is a video out now of numerous members of the mob that day saying President Trump told them to go to the Capitol Building and "fight."
How were they going to "fight" to change the electoral vote from outside the building? In the new video, "protesters" marching from the rally to the Capitol mention that Trump will be with them. It is not a stretch that they may have thought that Trump's presence on the scene was a "call to action" . Of course Trump wasnt really there , but many thought he was there or was going to be there somewhere.
I don't understand this argument about Trump being out of office so he can't be impeached. He can and he is. My understanding is that the majority of constitutional experts who have weighed in have agreed that he can be impeached. So what is the problem? He certainly deserves it . Or do you disagree that he deserves it ?
Don't tell me. Tell the Attorney General.
John, think about what you're advocating versus what I am advocating.
You are talking about the Senate voting to remove someone from office who is no longer in office. In other words, that action accomplishes nothing. The worst that could happen is that they would then vote to disqualify him from public office - something that is not really much of a threat, considering he just lost an election. You are talking about political posturing and a pointless slap on the wrist. You're talking about a partisan process (notwithstanding a small minority of Republicans going along with it) Congress might as well just pass a resolution condemning his behavior and call it a day.
Your process will always be seen as partisan and it achieves nothing positive, while advancing division.
I am talking about an independent, non-partisan, reviewable process that brings in evidence of behavior, puts it up against the law and allows for real accountability. A criminal trial could result in Trump being imprisoned - quite possibly for the rest of his life.
My process will always be seen as a non-partisan enforcement of law. Blind justice, with much higher stakes.
So who is being tougher on Trump? You? or Me?
I find it fascinating that people like you don't want to hear about a criminal trial and want to focus only on impeachment. I find it fascinating that the same is true of congressional Democrats. Why do you prefer this weak sauce, political action over true justice?
I think it's because somewhere in your heart of hearts, you fear (or even believe) that Trump cannot be convicted under the law beyond a reasonable doubt. I think you recognize that a real trial might very well not result in a conviction. Many Democrats have shown themselves to be willing to fix the game so they can't lose. In a court of law, they can't control the outcome, but in the Senate, they have far more control.
They want to impeach him because they want to bar him from holding office in the future. They also want Republicans, who have kissed Trump's ass for five years, to be forced to finally once and for all render judgement on the worst president we have ever had.
You seem to not only want to give Trump a pass , you want his senate lapdogs to be given a pass too.
WTF?
This is a discussion site!
Apparently when you tell someone here something-- that's OK.
But when someone else replies to you -- you think t hat's not OK?
Don't tell me. Tell the Attorney General.
WTF?
This is a discussion site!
Apparently when you tell someone here something-- that's OK.
But when someone else replies to you -- you think t hat's not OK?
Don't tell you?
Given the fact that you are such a big fan of so-called "Free Speech"-- apparently you feel that that concept applies only to you-- but you're not too happy when other people do it...???
If he is convicted of insurrection in a criminal court, the 14th Amendment already bars him from holding office in the future. And it would be seen as fair justice, not a partisan tactic. If he were somehow disqualified by the Senate, he and his supporters would point to it for years as a corrupt rigging of the system.
That is a lie. Nowhere have I advocated giving him a pass.
Another lie. I never said anything about anyone in the Senate. Damn, John if you can't be honest about this shit, then just forget it. Seriously, at least try to be truthful in your comments. People can scroll up and see what was actually said, you know. Your blatant misrepresentations of my words are right there.
Oh my God, that's dumb.
Holy Shit, Krishna! It's a figure of speech. I'm not trying to deny anyone their freedom of speech. I can't imagine a more dopey response. Are you just trolling or do you really not understand that?
No, he's talking about a PRECEDENT that will apply from now on.
People love to look back and say "The Senate did [x] 100 years ago, therefore today's Senate must do the same. That is simply not the case. The only way a precedent truly applies from now on is if it's "binding" or "controlling," and that only comes from the Supreme Court via judicial review. Otherwise, future Senates will do as they please.
A prececent, even if not judicially affirmed, presents, as I have said already, something to base an argument upon. I never said it was binding.
We have a term for that kind of precedent, too. Persuasive.
Yes, quite correct. However it's all over already, because the Republican Senators have neither the balls nor the integrity to convict Trump.
Remember that any PRECEDENTS set now can and will apply to Democrats into the future
Foolish statement. First of all, there has to clear and convincing evidence of wrong doing to convict anyone of anything, at least in the USA.
Feeling are not facts and don't count. These "Trumped" up charges would never survive for a moment in a real court of law
Does this sound familiar??? And yes, you have expressed the same sentiment.
Does this sound familiar??? And yes, you have expressed the same sentiment.
Another poster expects tRump to get a pass for everything he's done, EVERYTHING, and his kids too. I don't know if this was before or after he incited his insurrectionist mob and unleashed them on the Capitol.
Considering that no evidence has been presented or considered, it would be dishonest to convict him right now. The fact you think they should commit to that choice at this early stage shows your interest is in partisanship and not justice.
Of course. If and when they deserve it.
Foolish Statement?
In my opinion, and I bet that it's the opinion of any other lawyers on this site, they would stand about a 1000% better chance of surviving in an unbiased court of law than in the Senate.
Well, of COURSE they should first hear/see the evidence, and my opinion is based on their seeing incontrovertible evidence of guilt.
In my opinion the trial is just a waste of time and effort. The result has already been determined by that initial vote AND BY their subsequent statements and ESPECIALLY by the U-TURN of Mitch McConnell. I feel sorry for and admire the few Republican Senators who put their principles, integrity and the good of their country, endangering their own lives and those of their family, ahead of THIS....