A Republican grandee pays court to Donald Trump

And though we may not be getting the hourly glimpse into whatever is on his mind, thanks to the Twitter ban, this first substantive statement from the former president, following his meeting with the House of Representatives minority Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, is reassuringly familiar.

But let me spool back very quickly. This is going to be the quick one-minute recap that you get on later episodes of a TV box set.

McCarthy had been a cheerleader for Trump. Always supportive; always riding to his side. But then, after the storming of the Capitol on 6 January, the most senior Republican congressman went his own way and said this: "The president bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack on Congress by mob rioters. He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding."

So far, so brave. But then McCarthy feels the icy blowback from the Trump base, and from the former president himself who was enraged. McCarthy then says Donald Trump can't be blamed, and his fast-changing analysis settles on the slightly ludicrous take - all Americans were responsible for the riot that left five dead. Which is pretty much the same, if you think about it, as saying no-one was responsible.

All of which brings us to today. It looks like congressman McCarthy went to kiss the king's ring, seeking forgiveness and absolution for the momentary lapse.

But more importantly, if you read the statement put out by Trump it shows that the former president still believes he is the Republican party's kingmaker; the powerhouse that ambitious GOP wannabes need to bend the knee to.

The first par of the statement issued by Trump's office says this: "The meeting between President Donald J Trump and House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, was a very good and cordial one. They discussed many topics, number one of which was taking back the House in 2022. President Trump's popularity has never been stronger than it is today, and his endorsement means more than perhaps any endorsement at any time."

Do you see what I mean about the tone being reassuringly familiar? I mean, close your eyes and you could almost imagine it was written by Mr Trump himself - even though it is in the third person singular. And leave aside the claim that his popularity has never been stronger - can anyone point me to the polling evidence that substantiates that?
media captionHow did Republicans defend Trump - and who voted to impeach?

The ex-president may have lost power, but he is determined to maintain his grip on the Republican party. In essence he's saying, if you want to win back the House from Democratic control in November 2022, you need me on side. Because I can create hell if I'm not.

And though you keep hearing from senior Republicans that they would like to rid themselves of their turbulent former president, Kevin McCarthy rather abjectly prostrating himself at the foot of the exiled king's throne, suggests he believes he needs the imprimatur of Donald Trump.

And the former president will have just loved the optics of today.

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In the first on-the-record test of support for conviction on impeachment charges that Trump incited his supporters to mount an insurrection at the US Capitol, 45 out of 50 Senate Republicans voted to consider stopping the trial before it even starts.

After the vote Rand Paul, who pushed for the dismissal, crowed that the impeachment article delivered by the House on Monday was "dead on arrival".

He's probably right.

It would take 17 Republican senators breaking ranks and voting alongside the 50 Democrats to convict the president and, with a subsequent up-or-down vote, prevent him from ever running for federal office again.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Photo: 26 January 2021image copyrightReuters
image captionSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was one of 45 Senate Republicans who voted to end the impeachment trial

Tuesday's vote shows there are definitely only five who even want to consider the evidence - Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey.

The rest contend that presidents can't face impeachment trials once they've left office.

"My vote today to dismiss the article of impeachment is based on the fact that impeachment was designed to remove an officeholder from public office," Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia said in a statement released after the vote. "The Constitution does not give Congress the power to impeach a private citizen."

Democrats will surely find that a very convenient way of not having to pass judgement on the president's behaviour.

They'll also point out that while there is no historical precedent for such proceedings on the presidential level, a cabinet secretary in the 19th Century faced a Senate impeachment trial on corruption charges even after he resigned from office.
media captionHow did Republicans defend Trump - and who voted to impeach?

Regardless of the explanations and justifications, the procedural vote is just the latest, clearest sign of fading Republican support for finding Trump responsible for the Capitol riot three weeks ago.

Shortly after the incident, Lindsey Graham - one of the president's closest allies in the Senate - said the president's actions "were the problem" and that his legacy was "tarnished".

Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly was "pleased" with the House's impeachment efforts and said just last week that the mob that attacked the capital was "fed lies" and "provoked" by president.

Both Graham and McConnell voted on Tuesday to move towards ending the impeachment trial.

The Republican Party's evolving views on the president's culpability are probably best captured by the shifting comments of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

During the impeachment debate in the House of