Trump impeachment: Why convicting him just got a lot harder

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 Representatives two weeks ago, McCarthy said Trump "bears responsibility for Wednesday's attack by mob rioters" and recommended that he be formally censured by the chamber.

Last week, he said he didn't believe Trump "provoked" the rally and then, a few days later, that "everybody across this country has some responsibility" for creating the political environment that led to the insurrection.

Meanwhile, those who spoke out against the former president and haven't walked back their comments are facing growing calls for political retribution from within their own party.

Liz Cheney, who forcefully criticised the president and was one of 10 Republicans to vote for impeachment in the House, is facing an attempt to remove her from her party leadership post.

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Sunrise_Christian_Academy_vs_Wasatch_Academy_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Oak_Hill_Academy_vs_AZ_Compass_Prep_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_West_Oaks_Academy_vs_Victory_Rock_Prep_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Pace_Academy_vs_Washington_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_IMG_Academy_vs_HHCA_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Montverde_Academy_vs_La_Lumiere_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Archbishop_Wood_vs_ConwellEgan_Catholic_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_NeumannGoretti_vs_La_Salle_College_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Pebblebrook_vs_East_Coweta_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Homestead_vs_Fort_Wayne_Northrop_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Sandy_Creek_vs_Cedar_Grove_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Milton_vs_Woodstock_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Richardson_vs_Berkner_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Minnehaha_Academy_vs_St_Paul_AcademySummit_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Millard_North_vs_Bellevue_West_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Christian_Brothers_vs_Memphis_University_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Magnolia_vs_Watson_Chapel_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_South_Grand_Prairie_vs_Grand_Prairie_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Combine_Academy_vs_Virginia_Academy_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Houston_vs_Arlington_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Duncanville_vs_Lake_Ridge_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Fern_Creek_vs_Pleasure_Ridge_Park_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Waxahachie_vs_Cedar_Hill_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Eagles_Landing_vs_Dutchtown_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://imperial.instructure.com/eportfolios/13808/Home/Watch_TV_Westlake_vs_Akins_Live_Stream_2021_High_School_Basketball

https://www.bikeride.com/events/how-to-watch-x-games-2021-live-stream-online-free/

https://m.mydigoo.com/forums-topicdetail-223311.html

http://divasunlimited.ning.com/profiles/blogs/aghsdfhkggdasfdfhkhjhfsjgdkhflgj-kh

http://zacriley.ning.com/profiles/blogs/fghdgjhfsfhkghfdfhsjgdkhfgfhsjgkgjlhkgjdkhghk-jl-k

http://sfbats.ning.com/profiles/blogs/hsgjdgfhdsgjfhkgjlhkgjhfsjgdkhflgjkhjghfsjkfhglk-j

http://korsika.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gsdhfkgjdkhfgjlhgfdghfgjl-khjhgjhfgdkhgjhk-lj

http://beterhbo.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gsfhgdfhsdfdfhgjlhkgjhfjgdkfhgjlkhgjhkfgjlhk

http://millionairex3.ning.com/profiles/blogs/dhsgjdfhkgjlhkgjfhjdgkfhlgjkjhfsdgkhlgj-khjlkhgjfhgdfhgjhk

http://recampus.ning.com/profiles/blogs/fhgjfhkgjlhkgjfhjgfhklgjkhgjhkgljkhgjdfhkgljhk

https://webhitlist.com/forum/topics/dfhgdjhkgjlkhgjfhdhgdkhgjkhjhgfhdgahsgjdkhflgj

http://www.onfeetnation.com/profiles/blogs/dhfdjkgjlkh-ljhkgjfhgjkfhjglkhjghfsjgdkhfjgllhkgjhgjhfkgjlkh-j

http://network-marketing.ning.com/profiles/blogs/gasfgdhfkgjkfhlg-khjgfhsdfgl-hk

http://officialguccimane.ning.com/profiles/blogs/dgfhdgfkgjlhkgfhdghfjgkhfjlghkgjhfgdhfjgfhkgjhkjhgjdhfjgdhkgjlkh

https://www.posts123.com/post/1321816/watch-tv-live-s-tream-2021basketball-home-wayewi8

https://caribbeanfever.com/photo/albums/dgfhdghkfgfhdaghfsjgdkhfl

https://paiza.io/projects/_BGcv-1EOo545dfIz6dI3w

http://veterinaren.nu/forum/kanin/145984/1/jhgfh-ghdffsafdfsd-ahgdsfadghg-fsadfdghgfdfsfdgg-ffhgdfsas

https://demo.ckan.org/ru/dataset/gfhjk-shjhgfdsfhg-dfsajhgdfsahgk-fhfdsfdgfgd-hjhgdfsghfgdsfhj

https://dcm.shivtr.com/forum_threads/3298510

Others are being threatened with primary challenges if they run for re-election next year.
Donald Trump and his wife Melania. Photo: 21 January 2021image copyrightReuters
image captionDonald Trump may have left the White House, but continues to cast a long shadow over the Republican Party

Following Tuesday's vote, the Senate will go into a holding pattern on the matter for two weeks, while the House impeachment managers and Trump's legal team prepare their cases.

Given the apparent disposition of the Republican senators, the Democrats' only strategy may be to make an acquittal vote, even if it is a fait accompli, as uncomfortable as possible.

They'll do their best to remind the 100 senators of the fear, confusion and anger they felt on 6 January, as they fled the chamber in the face of an angry mob.

They'll try to lay responsibility for the riot at the feet of a president who spent two months questioning the outcome of the election and chose to hold a protest rally within walking distance of the Capitol on the day Congress gathered to certify that election.

And then they'll have to hope that history - and American voters - are willing to assign guilt, even if the Senate isn't.

Just two weeks ago, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy declared Donald Trump culpable in the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol. By Thursday, he was seeking his political support.

A private meeting between the two men at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort signaled a remarkable turnaround in the former president's stature among elected Republicans In the immediate aftermath of the insurrection Trump inspired, the idea that he would enjoy any sort of kingmaker role in his post-presidency seemed highly unlikely.

But following an initial wave of condemnation, Republicans appear to be warming toward Trump, fully aware that his supporters are poised to punish anyone who displays disloyalty. With that in mind, party leaders are working to keep Trump in the fold as they focus on retaking the House and Senate in 2022.

“United and ready to win in ’22,” McCarthy tweeted after their meeting. Both he and Trump issued statements outlining their pledge to work together to help Republicans win back control of the House and Senate in 2022.

The realignment with Trump comes as those who have crossed him continue to feel the burn. Trump ally Matt Gaetz, R-Florida, spent the day in Wyoming trying to take down Rep. Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican, who voted for Trump's impeachment. Amid the backlash, Senate Republicans largely made clear this week that they have no intentio