Reason # 88: Second Impeachment
Why do we need to defeat Donald Trump and ensure that a Democrat occupies the White House?
On January 13, 2021, the House of Representatives impeached Trump for the second time on a charge of incitement for insurrection, based upon the glaringly obvious video and other evidence showing how he and invited racist white nationalist groups like the Proud Boys, 3 Percenters, QANON etc. and incited them to invade the capitol and compel or forcibly prevent Vice President Mike Pence from certification of the Electoral College votes and confirm Joseph Biden as President of the United States. This was the first time that a president had been impeached after his time in office. Trump’s clear and obvious actions to lead an insurrection designed to forcibly prevent certification of the Electoral College vote for Joseph Biden constituted the worst offenses ever committed by a U.S. President. They would have to move quickly; he would only be in office for another six days. Only ten of 207 Republican Congresspersons (Katko, Kinzinger, Upton, Beutler, Newhouse, Meijer, Cheney and Gonzalez, Valadao and Rice) voted to impeach.
https://www.npr.org/2021/01/14/956621191/these-are-the-10-republicans-who-voted-to-impeach-trump
Four Republicans abstained. Only 16% of Republicans polled nationally supported impeachment. The House delivered the charge to the Senate on January 25. During the Senate trial, 57 Senators, including only seven Republicans (Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey), voted to impeach.
This was insufficient to convict (2/3 required). Given the copious video evidence, this vote exposed the cowardice and total lack of integrity of the Republican Party. Donald Trump had once again wriggled out of any responsibility for his unforgivable assault on our democracy.
Only three years later were criminal charges brought in the State of Georgia and nationally by the Department of Justice. Both of these trials have been repeatedly delayed and have not been allowed to move forward before the November election.
Had Republican Senators showed any integrity and voted to convict, Trump would have been barred from holding public office in the future.
Republicans could also have removed Trump from office for the remainder of his term, by invoking the 25th Amendment. Mike Pence refused to do so. It is not known how many Cabinet members would have supported such an action. Betsy DeVos and Elaine Chao resigned rather than invoke the 25th Amendment.
There is only one interpretation of these events. The entire Republican party, starting at ground level with voters and extending upward through state officials, Congresspersons, Senators, Cabinet officials, and White House Staff are morally bankrupt cowards. Rather than risk their political futures by removing a clear and present danger to our democracy, they vacillated and failed to bring a criminal conspirator to justice.
When considering who to vote for on November 5, keep this in mind and do not vote for any gutless Republican candidate who betrayed his oath of office by supporting Donald Trump. And certainly, do not waste your vote for president on Donald John Trump.
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Why have I committed to posting 100 Reasons NOT to vote for Donald Trump? Because I do not have time to post 10,000.
Fred Grannis
October 11, 2024