Despite pouring cold water on the idea of invoking the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office on Thursday, sources close to Vice-President Mike Pence now tell CNN that the option is still on the table. It’s not hard to understand why.
As of Saturday evening, Trump and Pence still have not spoken since the Wednesday incursion at the US Capitol that left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer, another source told CNN. The President has also not made any public comments denouncing death threats that have been posted on social media targeting Pence.
Pence has finally “gotten a glimpse of POTUS’s vindictiveness,” one source said, using the acronym for President of the United States.
The president denounced the vice-president during his pre-raid rally for the insurrectionists, and they arrived at the Capitol chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” It’s not surprising then that Trump did not call Pence during the riot to see if he or his family were safe. It’s not uncharitable to assume Trump actually wanted him dead, and he’s done nothing since to reassure Pence that this isn’t the case. Similarly, the New York Times reports that Trump has not reached out to the family of fallen U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick or ordered flags to half-mast to honor his death.
This is also why former staunch allies like Chris Christie and Mick Mulvaney are calling for impeachment. Of course, an impeachment trial in the Senate would prevent consideration of Biden’s cabinet appointments or any swift movement on high-priority legislation. If Trump’s swift removal is essential, the 25th Amendment is a better solution. Still, the plan for now is for the House to impeach Trump by midweek and then hold onto the indictment rather than immediately pass it over to the Senate. This will allow Congress to get to work on Biden’s administration and agenda, and the impeachment referral can be delivered in 100 days or so.
The point of impeaching Trump after he has left office is not just to make a point, but to deny him his post-presidential benefits and to prevent him from ever holding a position of trust or responsibility in the federal government again. There’s no rush on that.
By the time a trial begins, Trump will probably be facing down multiple indictments, including from prosecutors in New York and possibly from the Department of Justice. Remember, Michael Cohen went to prison on federal charges that applied equally to Trump.
Republican lawmakers will not enjoy this process. Even after the Electoral College count was interrupted by deadly violence, six GOP senators and 121 GOP representatives voted to toss out the votes of Arizona and Pennsylvania. The Senate ringleaders, Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, have received a furious backlash.
In St. Louis, on Saturday, protestors chanted “No Hawley. No KKK. No fascist USA,” and called on him to resign. They were echoing the St, Louis Post-Dispatch’s editorial board, which called for Hawley’s resignation on Thursday. The Houston Chronicle’s editorial board asked Ted Cruz to resign on Friday. This criticism applies equally to all the other Republicans who made false charges of voter fraud and voted against counting all Biden’s electoral votes. Now they’ll have to consider whether their actions were part of a conspiracy meriting Trump’s impeachment.
It would be better for them to get this process over quickly rather than have it hang over them as Trump’s legal woes grow.
With the Democrats in control of the Senate, the impeachment trial, whenever it begins, won’t be a perfunctory affair and an acquittal won’t be a foregone conclusion. Many of the voices that defended Trump during his first impeachment trial will basically be on trial themselves this time around. Every effort to excuse Trump’s actions will be met with a fist in the mouth from a loud chorus of critics pointing to their own culpability.
It’s probably a good time to invest in popcorn.
I’ve been meaning to figure out which cabinet members are still around and would be amenable to invoking the 25th, in case Trump’s delusions show him some other way of holding on to power or saving face. I’m not even sure how the cabinet makes the decision.
Thanks for this, Martin.
Just the fact that Democrats like Rep. Clyburn are thinking they way they are is encouraging. Here’s one way that could play out:
1) The House immediately moves to impeach Trump next week.
2) Senate rules don’t allow it to be taken up immediately (unless McConnell decides to cut Trump loose and the Senate changes its rules to hold a quick trial and conviction).
3) Biden takes office and Democrats launch a first 100 days focused on 1) standing up a functioning government by approving executive nominees quickly; 2) legislative and executive action to deal with the twin public health and economic crises the nation faces; 3) legislative and executive action to block/begin undoing the Trump administration’s rule changes; 4) passing legislation for which there is broad public support (voting rights/elections, raising the minimum wage, immigration reform, health care, infrastructure, etc.).
4) Launch investigations into Trump administration scandals (public hearings can wait til summer).
5) Investigate Trump’s insurrection conspiracy so as to be prepared for the Senate impeachment trial.
6) In May, the House formally delivers its impeachment to the Senate, kicking off the Senate trial.
Haven’t verified this, but I have seen posted that at Clinton’s impeachment, it was regular Senate business in the morning and impeachment trial in the afternoon.
So trial could go forward promptly while other issues still being addressed.
“It’s probably a good time to invest in popcorn.”
Sweet, sweet music to my ears.
I like popcorn too especially this kind.
They don’t have to wait 100 days. They just have to wait until Schumer is in charge. Since Trump will be out of office, an immediate trial is not required. Schumer can refer the article of impeachment to committee for investigation. The committee can call witnesses (with subpoena power supported by DOJ) before preparing a report for the Senate writ large. While the committee will surely produce fireworks in the media as the entire story is uncovered, but that circus does not have to interfere with the Biden agenda.
The priority for the Senate must be 1) confirming Merrick Garland and other key cabinet posts, 2) Covid, and 3) the economy.
When the report is tabled the Senate will consider it and render a verdict whenever Chuck Schumer feels like introducing it.