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Retrumplicans have sold their souls to Donald Trump and remain blindly loyal members of his cult no matter what he says or does. They are quick to condemn anyone in their party who refuses to worship Trump as much as he worships himself. They don't care about the Constitution, the rule of law or our democracy. All they care about is Trump and their party. How sad.
South Carolina GOP censures Representative Tom Rice after his vote to impeach Trump
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/polit...ure/index.html
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Trump's attorneys know they can't defend his lies about election fraud, his lies about winning the election, his lies about his victory being "stolen" and his incitement to insurrection. Instead, they will claim the impeachment is unconstitutional. Many legal experts from both parties say it is not. Of course Trump may not even be able to find any attorneys willing to represent him. He had five – and they all quit.
Five of Trump's impeachment defense attorneys leave team less than two weeks before trial
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/30/polit...eam/index.html
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The lawyers quit because Trump insisted they agree with him that there was widespread voter fraud. We know there was none.
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Democrats' strategy will be to show that Trump incited the insurrection with the goal of overturning the 2020 election.
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No matter what the Democrats prove and how well they prove it, they will never be able to get at least 17 Retrumplicans to vote to convict Trump. By refusing to hold Trump accountable for spewing baseless accusations of voter fraud and inciting an insurrection that left five people dead, Congressional Retrumplicans are causing the party to fracture – and they don't seem to care.
Dozens of former Bush officials leave Republican Party, calling it 'Trump cult'
Reuters, Feb 1 2021 3:!5 AM
Dozens of Republicans in former President George W. Bush’s administration are leaving the party, dismayed by a failure of many elected Republicans to disown Donald Trump after his false claims of election fraud sparked a deadly storming of the Capitol last month. These officials, some who served in the highest echelons of the Bush administration, said they had hoped that a Trump defeat would lead party leaders to move on from the former President and denounce his baseless claims that the November Presidential election was stolen. But with most Republican lawmakers sticking to Trump, these officials say they no longer recognize the party they served. Some have ended their membership, others are letting it lapse and a few are newly registered as independents..
“The Republican Party as I knew it no longer exists. I’d call it the cult of Trump,” said Jimmy Gurulé, who was an Undersecretary of the Treasury in the Bush administration. Kristopher Purcell, who worked in the Bush White House’s communications office for six years, said roughly 60 to 70 former Bush officials have decided to leave the party or are cutting ties with it.. “The number is growing every day,” Purcell said.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKBN2A1275
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Trump called Cruz "Lyin' Ted"– and Cruz continued to worship Trump. Trump called Cruz's wife a "dog"– and Cruz continued to worship Trump. Trump accused Cruz's father of having something to do with the assassination of President Kennedy – and Cruz continued to worship Trump. Trump spewed baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud – and Cruz agreed with him. Trump incited an insurrection that left five people dead – and Cruz is opposed to Trump's impeachment. He continues to worship Trump. How sad.
Ted Cruz slammed for saying Trump impeachment is ‘vindictive'
HuffPost, Feb 1 2021 8:10 PM ET
Senator Ted Cruz tried to have it both ways today, only to end up mocked by Twitter users.On one hand, the Texas Republican finally admitted on his podcast that Donald Trump’s election fraud lies – which Cruz, incidentally, helped promote – went way too far. “I think it was both reckless and irresponsible because he said repeatedly he won by a landslide, there was massive fraud, it was all stolen everywhere,” Cruz said. Although Cruz was widely criticized for echoing Trump’s baseless claim that the Presidential election was stolen, the Senator now admits the former President did not provide evidence that could have satisfied the necessary burden of proof.
But that didn’t mean Cruz had suddenly become reasonable. Instead, he suggested on Twitter on that Trump’s second impeachment was just Democrats’ “vindictive” way of “advancing their political agenda” instead of working on legislation that “would put our nation on the path towards recovery.” Twitter users slammed the tweet. One wrote,“Prosecuting a crime is justice. Your tweet is vindictive.” Another suggested that Cruz "was apparently reading Green Eggs & Ham (or hiding under his desk) when Trump provoked an attack on our Capitol."
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ted-c...b6aa4bad36c04d
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An oft-quoted saying is that the First Amendment does not give anyone the right to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. Not all speech is protected. Inciting a riot is definitely not protected speech – but that is what Trump's sleazy lawyers are claiming.
Trump's legal team argues Senate can't convict him, his speech protected by 1st Amendment
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/02/polit...ing/index.html
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Trump kept insisting he won the 2020 election "in a landslide." Trump did not win at all. He lost. But his sleazy lawyers seem to be basing their defense on a declaration uttered by Seinfeld character George Costanza: "It's not a lie if you believe it."
Trump’s impeachment defense keeps pushing dangerous election claims
Former President Donald Trump still denies that he lied when he riled up supporters by claiming the election was stolen.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump...b6bde2f5c37488
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Donald Trump is a vain, pompous narcissist with a galaxy-sized ego. He never apologizes for anything because he never thinks he does anything wrong. He will likely not testify.
Key Democrat asks Trump to testify under oath for impeachment trial
Yahoo News, Feb 4 2021 11:36 AM
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland, sent a letter today to former President Donald Trump, inviting him to provide testimony under oath in regard to the impeachment trial that will begin in the US Senate next week. Raskin, the Democrats' lead impeachment manager, said he was requesting Trump's testimony in light of the response issued by the former President's lawyers to the impeachment charge of "incitement of insurrection" for his role in the January 6 riot at the US Capitol.
"Two days ago, you filed an Answer in which you denied many factual allegations set forth in the article of impeachment," Raskin wrote to Trump. "You have thus attempted to put critical facts at issue notwithstanding the clear and overwhelming evidence of your Constitutional offense. In light of you disputing these factual allegations, I write to invite you to provide testimony under oath, either before or during the Senate impeachment trial, concerning your conduct on January 6, 2021."
https://www.aol.com/news/key-democra...193646117.html
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Well, Donald Trump refuses to testify. Is anyone surprised? His sleazy lawyers said today the impeachment is "unconstitutional" and the request for Trump to testify is a "game" and a "public relations stunt." Wow.
Trump quickly rejects impeachment managers' request for testimony at impeachment trial
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/04/polit...ify/index.html
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A white supremacist cohort of white supremacist Donald Trump is palling around with members of a white supremacist group. No surprise there. And Roger says, "Thanks for the pardon, Donald!"
Trump pal Roger Stone caught hanging with Oath Keepers before Capitol attack
Video obtained by ABC News shows the Donald Trump confidant flanked by members of the far-right militia the morning of the insurrection.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/roger...b6173dd2f63204
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Trump is not worried about "blame." He knows he can say whatever he wants and do whatever he wants, with impunity. He is above the law and above the Constitution. Senate Retrumplicans made sure of that when they voted to acquit him in his first impeachment trial. They will likewise vote to acquit him in his second impeachment trial – and "Teflon Don" will get off scot-free. Again.
Lindsey Graham says Trump will get ‘blame’ for Capitol Riot, dismisses impeachment
The Republican Senator said Trump will “get his share of blame in history” for the January 6 insurrection but stopped short of supporting his impeachment trial.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/linds...b689330e305384
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Donald Trump's sleazy lawyers plan to spend the first four hours of the impeachment trial arguing that it is unconstitutional. It isn't. More than 150 Constitutional scholars from both parties have said so.
Trump's trial set to rock Washington and echo through the ages
Stephen Collinson, CNN, Feb 9 2021 12:22 AM ET
The simple question posed by Donald Trump's second impeachment trial that begins Tuesday is whether a President who loses reelection can get away with a violent coup attempt in a desperate bid to stay in power. The answer contained in the former commander-in-chief's likely acquittal for inciting a deadly mob assault on the Capitol will echo through generations and may influence the outcome of some unknowable future test of US democracy.
But more contemporary concerns that do not depend on the verdict of the Senate trial – such as the consistent cowardice of Republicans who refuse to hold Trump to account and the effect of the evidence on the American public – are also hugely consequential since they will shape the modern political age. The trial, however it ends, will mark an extraordinary and appropriate capstone to the most divisive Presidency in American history. Washington remains under siege from extremism, Trump's trashing of truth with false claims of election fraud and unhinged conspiracy theories that show the fight to save US democracy did not end on Inauguration Day.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/polit...ial/index.html
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Many of the rioters said they were acting on orders given by Donald Trump. I hope some of them are given a chance to testify. But it won't make any difference to the Senate Retrumplicans who have made up their mind to acquit him despite all the overwhelming evidence that he incited an insurrection. They have sold their souls to Donald Trump.
Trump's impeachment trial starts with graphic video of deadly Capitol assault
The Associated Press, Feb 9 2021 11:04 AM
Donald Trump's historic impeachment trial on a charge of inciting last month's deadly storming of the United States Capitol began today. Democrats serving as prosecutors opened their case by showing video of Trump supporters violently overwhelming police at the Capitol in the January 6 attack after he had encouraged people in a speech to "fight like hell" to overcome his November 3 election defeat. The video showed Trump backers throwing down barriers, hitting police officers and at one point telling one: "We outnumber you a million to one out here."
In the Capitol assault, the mob attacked police, sent lawmakers scrambling for safety and interrupted the formal Congressional certification of President Joe Biden's victory after Trump had spent two months challenging the election results. Five people died, including a police officer. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, called the accusation against Trump: "The gravest charges ever brought against a President of the United States."
https://www.aol.com/news/deadly-capi...190452092.html
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CNN headline:
Trump's team attacks Democrats
The former President's defense team accuses Democrats of trying to disenfranchise voters and sacrificing national character.
Uh, no, Democrats are not "trying to disenfranchise voters and sacrificing national character." The ones who tried to disenfranchise voters were Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Ted Cruz, Mo Brooks, Josh Hawley.and all the other Retrumplicans who spewed baseless allegations of voter fraud and filed 60 lawsuits seeking to overturn the results of a fair, free election – which Trump lost.
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Trump's lawyers are claiming that what Trump said is "political speech" and should be protected, not punished. That is really crazy.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/absolut...did-a-good-job
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Trump's lawyer admitted the voters rejected Trump. Poor Donald can't find any lawyers willing to agree with him that he won the election but it was "stolen" from him. Umm, maybe that is because he didn't win the election.
Trump unhappy with his impeachment attorney's performance, sources say
https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/09/polit...tor/index.html
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MSNBC aired the 13-minute video that the Democrats' impeachment managers showed to the Senators. It is truly frightening. Rioters chanting, "No Trump, no peace!" Rioters chanting "Hang Mike Pence!" Rioters entering the Senate room and one yelling, "Where the f*** are they?" One rioter saying they need "30,000 guns" and vowing to bring them "next time." A police officer screaming in pain as rioters are trying to crush him to death.
These rioters were incited by Donald Trump, who instructed them to march to the Capitol and "fight like hell." Senate Retrumplicans – who have sold their souls to Trump – will of course vote for acquittal. But Senator Richard Blumenthal told CNN's Erin Burnett, "He will be convicted in the minds of the American people. He violated his oath of office."
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House impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett has shown that what happened on January 6 was not a rally or a protest. It was a riot – and it was carefully planned. Plaskett said Trump knew rioters were planning the Capitol attack online months in advance. He and his social media team had been monitoring social media sites and online forums and ignored warnings from the FBI that the violent threats were credible.
"They posted exact blueprints of the attack openly, loudly, proudly – and they did this all over public forums," Plaskett said. "These were not just hidden posts and dark websites that Trump would not have seen. Quite the opposite. We know President Trump monitored these websites. We know this because his advisers confirm it."
She showed several posts from these sites, including one that said, "The Capitol is our goal. Everything else is a distraction. Every corrupt member of Congress locked in one room and surrounded by real Americans is an opportunity that will never present itself again." Another post detailed how to carry guns and other weapons into the Capitol. Other posts detailed which tunnels to use and how to get to the Senate chamber. Some even posted specific floor plans and the layout of the Capitol building..
Plaskett pointed out how Trump spent months making false claims of voter fraud and a stolen election, then called his supporters to march to the Capitol building and "fight like hell." She told the Senate jurors, "Leading up to the event, there were hundreds of posts online showing that his supporters took this as a call to arms to attack the Capitol. There were detailed posts of plans to attack online. Law enforcement warned that these posts were real threats and even made arrests days leading up to the attack."
Will Retrumplicans still vote to acquit Trump after hearing all these details and seeing all the videos of the violence? Considering they have sold their souls to Donald Trump, that is very likely – and then they will wonder why so many voters are leaving the Republican party.
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Senate Retrumplicans have sold their souls to Donald Trump and are blindly loyal members of his cult. They worship him almost as much as he worships himself. Here is the least surprising headline of the day:
Republicans unswayed by evidence Trump 'incited' mob against US Capitol
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/impea...b681d093428cfc
