Senate Republicans, including those who do not intend to vote to condemn former President Trump
Donald Trump Finance Chairman NRCC: Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment will not be punished Blinken, UN chief shares first call after US rejoins climate accords, WHO GOP senators met with Trump’s impeachment team to talk more about strategy, say this week’s impeachment process has effectively ended any chance of him becoming the GOP presidential candidate in 2024.
From the point of view of some Republican senators, the coercive case brought up by House prosecutors has a silver lining: it means they probably don’t need to worry about Trump becoming president again in three years, while at the same time increasing his influence. hollowing out the party. politics more generally.
Several Republican senators became enraged by watching videos of the violence and chaos at the Capitol on January 6, including footage of police officers being called “pigs” and “traitors” and an officer shouting as he was knocked down by rioters calling a police line.
Interspersed with the traumatic scenes were clips of Trump urging his supporters to march to the Capitol, warning them “if you don’t fight terribly, you won’t have any land” and telling them “we love you; you are very special” , shortly after the attack.
“You just realize what a bastard Donald Trump is,” said a GOP senator after watching the second day of the House Managers’ presentation.
The lawmaker suggested that Democrats could ultimately help the GOP by sidelining Trump.
“They are unknowingly doing us a favor. They are disqualifying Donald Trump from running for president,” even if acquitted, the senator said.
Other Republican senators, even those who have indicated they will vote for acquittal, say it would be a good thing if the impeachment trial helps the party distance themselves from Trump, who has thoroughly dominated GOP politics for the past five years. .
“I can’t imagine the emotional response, the deep-seated response to what we saw today doesn’t make people think, ‘This is awful,’ whatever their opinion is on whether the president should be impeached or sentenced,” said one. other GOP. senator. “What would strike my colleagues is that there was no rescue, there was nothing to stop it.”
House impeachment managers stressed that the National Guard was not deployed until two hours after the onset of the attack on the Capitol, delaying the arrival of troops until 5:00 p.m. that day.
Rep. Ted Location
Senators Ted W. LieuGOP praise impeachment managers but say Trump will be acquitted Managers are trying to make the GOP think twice about Trump’s acquittal Democrats claim Trump will incite violence again. (D-Calif.) Noted in his presentation that Trump was not on the list released by the Pentagon of government officials who were consulted on the final decision to deploy the Guard.
Democratic prosecutors also presented a report that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin McCarthy Conservative House Republican Welcomes Clark as U.S. Chamber Chief Kevin McCarthy Defends Son’s Marriage Amid California COVID-19 Wave LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats Close Case Against Trump MORE (R-Calif.) Got into a heated argument with Trump on Jan. 6 during a phone call pleading with the president to denounce the rioters as they stormed the Capitol.
“This reminded and confirmed and probably added a deeper emotion to the view that the president’s involvement in the party, while bringing in new people, is very detrimental to who we are, what we believe and what we stand for – what we believe we stand for, ”said the second GOP senator.
The senator said many voters think “Trump is a huge problem for Republicans,” while acknowledging that there are many GOP voters who think the former president has been “railed” by the establishment.
“This is very detrimental to any future political race for President Trump, but I am amazed at the amount and intensity of the support despite all the other things that have happened,” the senator added.
Her. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann Murkowski The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Republicans Talk Privately About Trial Votes GOP Senators Likely To Vote For Trump’s Conviction (Alaska) this week was the only Republican senator to publicly express the view shared by many of her GOP colleagues that Trump’s actions since losing the election have wiped out his future viability as a presidential candidate.
“After the American public has seen the full story here … I don’t see how Donald Trump can be re-elected as president,” Murkowski told reporters on Wednesday.
Other Republicans personally said they agreed with that assessment.
A third GOP senator said the facts set forth in the impeachment trial underscore how difficult it would be for Trump to portray himself as an eligible presidential candidate in 2024.
‘I think I should close the door for that [Trump] Chapter is likely to be generally positive, ”said the senator.
But the legislature acknowledged “it’s a bit of a dance,” because many voters in the party still like and sympathize with Trump’s claims that the election was influenced by unfair decisions about absentee ballots.
“We as a party have to be careful to embrace those people and the big question is, ‘Were they just Trump Republicans and not Republicans?’ The senator said, predicting that those voters could invade by addressing the same issues. Trump did during his presidency, such as pressuring schools to reopen for personal learning during the pandemic.
Polls show a majority of Americans think Trump should be condemned, a shift in sentiment from his first impeachment trial in 2020.
A CBS News / YouGov poll released Tuesday found that 56 percent were in favor of Trump’s conviction, with 44 percent against.
In December 2019, shortly before Trump’s first impeachment trial, a CBS News / YouGov poll found that only 42 percent of respondents supported a conviction.
The New York Times reported last month that the Senate leader is minorities Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Advocate for Marijuana Legalization: ‘This Could Be a Priority for Congress’ The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Republicans Discuss Private Votes for Trial Votes LIVE COVER: Democrats Close Case Against Trump MORE (R-Ky.) Had told his associates that he thought Trump had committed untouchable transgressions and that an impeachment lawsuit would make it easier to clear Trump from the party.
McConnell has not spoken to Trump since December 15, and he has made it clear to GOP colleagues that they are free to vote their conscience on whether or not to condemn Trump on the charge that he instigated the January 6 riot. At least six GOP senators have indicated that they are seriously considering a vote for conviction.
A fourth Republican senator agreed that Trump’s power in the party has taken a severe blow because of the detailed account of his behavior leading up to the Capitol attack and subsequent actions.
‘It certainly could not have been helpful for him to discuss all this and link it together. In his case, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t run, even if he knew he couldn’t win, ”added the legislator.
If winning the Republican nomination in 2024 seems increasingly distant, Trump may not want to risk becoming a two-time loser in presidential election, lawmakers say.
But they warn that even with diminished power, Trump will remain a powerful force.
“Even if he cannot be the candidate, even if he cannot be elected, he will participate in that discussion for a while,” the senator added.