Senator Bill Cassidy, R-La., Who crossed party lines and voted along with six other Republicans to condemn former President Donald Trump, said Sunday morning on ABC News’ “This Week” that he was conducting a full investigation into Jan’s events. 6, like other lawmakers who appeared on the show, called for a 9/11-style committee to investigate the Capitol attack.
“I think there should be a full investigation into what happened on January 6. Why was there no more law enforcement, the National Guard was already mobilized, what was known, who knew, and when did they know, all that? because that builds the foundation so that this never happens in the future, “Cassidy, who said he believes Trump’s actions fit the definition of an insurgency, told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos.
‘I have listened very carefully to all the arguments. But if you describe the uprising as I did, as an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, we can see the president two months after the election, claiming that the election was stolen, ”Cassidy added. It was clear that he wished lawmakers to be intimidated. And even after knowing that violence was taking place, he continued to punish the mob that was there, and only later did he actually ask him to leave. a method. And that’s wrong, he must be held accountable. “
In interviews following Cassidy, House impeachment manager Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., And Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., Told Stephanopoulos that they would support the creation of a 9/11-style independent committee to combat the attack. on the capital.
“Think about it,” Dean said to Stephanopoulos. “But for the first time in many years we had an uprising provoked by the President of the United States. … The house was desecrated, the Capitol was desecrated. People were being terrorized. This was instigated by the President of the United States. Of course, there must be a full committee and an impartial committee, not led by politics, but filled with people who could resist the courage of their beliefs, such as Dr. Cassidy. “
Cassidy indicated at the beginning of the week that he might vote to condemn the former president by reversing his stance on the constitutionality of the process in a vote on Tuesday, joining just a handful of Republicans who also voted that it should continue. The Louisiana GOP voted to convict Cassidy hours after he voted to condemn Trump, but Cassidy defended his stance to his Louisiana voters, telling Stephanopoulos that he had taken an oath to uphold the constitution.
People want to trust. They want to trust their leaders, they want people to be held accountable. Now we hold – I’m trying to hold President Trump accountable – and that’s the trust I have of the people who elected me, and I have confident that people will move to that position with the passage of time. ”
Stephanopoulos urged Cassidy on Trump’s future within the Republican Party.
Do you think he can run another credible campaign for president? Will he remain a force in the Republican Party? What does that mean for the Republican Party? ‘ Stephanopoulos asked.
“I think its power is diminishing, the Republican Party is more than just one person. The Republican Party is about ideas,” said Cassidy.
Dean, one of the impeachment managers, told Stephanopoulos that she credits Republicans who voted to condemn the former president.
“I appreciate the seven Republicans who stood by us, who followed the facts, who looked at the law and looked at the evidence and found this president guilty of serious crimes and felonies,” she told Stephanopoulos. It was powerful to hear the 57 culprits. And then it was puzzling to hear and see Mitch McConnell stand up and say “not guilty,” then get up again minutes later and say he was guilty of everything. History will remember that statement that he spoke from two sides of his mouth. “
Stephanopoulos challenged Dean as to why House impeachment managers abandoned their plan to call witnesses after gathering enough votes to consider it in a vote on Saturday morning. Deputy Jamie Raskin, the chief impeachment manager, said the prosecutor wanted to sue Republican Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler over a conversation she had with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy about Trump allegedly refusing to stop the rioters.
“Some Democrats say you succumbed,” Stephanopoulos said.
But both Dean and Coons said in their respective interviews that they don’t believe calling witnesses to testify would have changed the outcome of the vote.
“We didn’t need more witnesses. We sat in a room full of witnesses and victims, we didn’t need any more witnesses. But what we were able to get was a determination by the former president’s lawyers that what she had said was true. included in the record as a further witness to the high crime and insurgency instigated by a president, ”Dean said.
Stephanopoulos challenged Coons on that point as well, asking if he thought it wouldn’t have made a difference.
“So you don’t believe that a full trial, more witnesses, more documents that give us a sense of what was going on inside the White House would have served the cause of justice and accountability better?” Stephanopoulos urged.
Coons said he was impressed by the 57 votes the Democrats managed to get, the most twofold accusation in the country’s history and some he didn’t think would reach.
“They could have had an additional 500 witnesses, it wouldn’t change the outcome. Once Mitch McConnell made it clear that he intended to acquit despite the compelling evidence, the house managers didn’t need more witnesses or more evidence. all need more Republican courage, “Coons said.” I honestly didn’t think at the time that months of fighting over additional witnesses would have changed the outcome of this trial a bit. “
The Delaware senator was also convinced that there would have been the 17 Republican votes it took to condemn the former president had they cast secret ballots.
“I’m pretty sure there would have been a vote to be convicted by secret ballot,” Coons said. “I honestly think a majority of Republicans took their hat on an unconvincing constitutional argument, and we need to find a way to hold that accountable. Ultimately, it’s in the hands of the American people. the Republican Party is currently deeply divided, and I am grateful to the seven Republican senators and 10 members of the Republican House who stood up for the Constitution and stood up against President Trump. ”
At the urging of Stephanopoulos, Cassidy and Dean declined to say whether they believe there are grounds for additional proceedings against Trump.
But, Coons said he believes there are, although that’s not his top priority right now.
“I think there are grounds for further proceedings, both civil and criminal, against former President Trump,” said Coons. “But George, I’m also focused on making progress in delivering the urgent pandemic relief, revitalizing and strengthening our economy that President Biden has focused on since he became president. … I think that phase of accountability to the courts will now go, and we in Congress must continue to deliver the comprehensive unemployment controls, the stimulus controls the reinvestment in our economy that the American people so desperately need and deserve. ”
Stephanopoulos pushed Coons about how twofold the beginnings of Biden’s time in the White House have been, as Democrats lay the groundwork for pushing ahead with a simple majority to pass on possible coronavirus relief.
“George, let’s be clear, President Biden has met and talked to a bipartisan group of senators and a broad aid package,” Coons said.
“But we in the House and Senate, the Democrats, have set a path so that if in a month’s time, as unemployment controls for 10 million Americans are about to end, we can move forward with a bill for just the Democrats, ”he continued. President Biden is uniting the American people. He is moving forward with help that has the support of three-quarters of the American people. And from the way he spoke at his inauguration to the actions he took in his first few weeks, he shows us “See what real presidential leadership looks like in stark contrast to its predecessor. He ran on unity and I believe he delivers unity for the American people.”