Senate GOP is committed to impeachment

The result of former President TrumpDonald TrumpBlinken Holds First Calls As Biden’s Secretary of State Discusses Resolution Dobbs: Republicans Lost in 2020 Because They ‘Forgot Who The Real Leader Was’ MOREThe second impeachment process was largely determined after 45 Republican senators voted in favor of a resolution declaring it unconstitutional and illegal deposition of a private citizen.

The voting booths in the vast majority of the Republican Senate conference in support of Trump’s acquittal on a single impeachment article before Trump’s House managers and lawyers even submitted their pre-trial briefing.

Her. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski Senate GOP Indicates Trump Likely To Acquire Second Time Only Five GOP Senators Vote Trump Impeachment Process Is Constitutional Portman’s Exit Underscores Republican Identity Crisis MORE (R-Alaska), one of the few GOP senators actively considering voting to condemn Trump, said on Tuesday that it is now hard to imagine that there will be anything close to the 67 votes needed to Trump.

“Whether or not we’ll see members change their minds after they’ve already voted, I think that’s hard for people to do,” she said.

“Because [people] are like, ‘Wait, wait, wait. You voted to say this was not constitutional and now you change your mind? “We don’t get much credit and we don’t get much permission to change our mind here,” she added.

“That’s why I think it was a bit of a shame that we had this very spontaneous vote on an extremely important issue without the deliberate debate and brief and analysis,” she said. “People had to make very quick decisions.”

Murkowski voted with just four other Republicans, Sens. Susan CollinsSusan Margaret Collins Senators Discuss Trump Approval Senate Resolution GOP Signals Trump Likely to Acquire Second Time Only Five GOP Senators Vote Trump Impeachment Process Is Constitutional MORE (Maine), Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt Romney Only Five GOP Senators Vote Trump Impeachment Trial Is Constitutional Senate Committee Advances Biden’s DHS Choice Despite Republican Pushback Press: The Case Against Citizen Trump MORE (Utah), Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government Used Patriot Act To Collect Logs From Website Visitors In 2019 Appeals Court Rules NSA’s Bulk Collection Of Phone Data Illegal Dunford Withdraws From Consideration To Chair Coronavirus Monitoring Panel MORE (Pa.) And Ben SasseOnly Five GOP Senators Vote Trump Impeachment Process Is Constitutional Senate Committee Advances Biden’s DHS Choice Despite Republican Setback Juan Williams: Let America be America MORE (Neb.), To file the motion declaring the process unconstitutional.

Sixty-seven senators or two-thirds of the senate present in the chamber must vote in favor of the impeachment article to condemn the former president.

Murkowski said she and her colleagues were “flat-footed” by the main procedural vote. She said she didn’t know until Tuesday morning that she would vote on Paul’s motion later in the day.

“I think just about everyone was quite surprised to not only take a public position today, but also vote on this. And so I think there were many who may not have been that prepared. I don’t feel like I’m as prepared as I wanted, ”she said.

She said, “The question deserved a more informed review by us, the Senate.”

Collins told reporters on Tuesday afternoon, “I think it is quite clear from today’s vote that it is extremely unlikely that the president will be convicted.”

“Do the math,” she said.

Her. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard Paul Senators Discuss Trump’s Censure Senate Resolution GOP Signals Trump Is Likely to Exonerate Trump Ex-Chief Says Senate Vote Signals Impeachment Effort ‘Dead on Arrival’ MORE (R-Ky.), Who offered the motion, declared victory after the vote, even though 55 senators, including five Republicans, voted to put forward his argument that the proceedings are unconstitutional.

It shows that the cordon is dead on arrival. If you voted it was unconstitutional, how would you ever vote to convict someone for it? ” he said.

“Forty-five of us, almost the entire caucus… voted that the whole procedure was unconstitutional, so this is a big win for us,” he said. “This vote indicates it’s over.”

Paul added that he last spoke to Trump about a week ago “but not about this.”

His motion stated that “Donald Trump does not hold any of the positions listed in the constitution as of 12 noon on Wednesday – he is a private citizen” and therefore the process is “unconstitutional”.

Paul’s motion also alleged that Chief Justice John Roberts was absent from the proceedings “[s] that this is not a trial against the president, but against a private individual. “

Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said Tuesday’s vote largely predetermined the outcome of the trial before it even got underway.

“It’s a procedural motion, but it’s a proxy for the real thing. That result doesn’t look very promising for the Democrats, ”he said. “When so many Republicans think the trial is unconstitutional, they are unlikely to condemn the facts.”

West likened the vote to a prosecutor who received a negative summary judgment from nearly half of a jury before even getting a chance to present introductory arguments.

“No prosecutor would want to create opportunities like that, so Rand Paul was smart enough to take advantage of them,” he said.

“The battle lines are clearly drawn and it seems there could be a majority vote to condemn, but not two-thirds,” he added.

Other experts said Trump’s acquittal by the Senate is now a sure result.

“It definitely points to an acquittal and I don’t see any additional pickups in terms of people willing to find [Trump] guilty, ”said Ross K. Baker, a professor of political science at Rutgers University who has served as a senatorial officer for several periods.

Senate Republicans held a lunchtime rally just before the vote at which they heard a lengthy presentation by Jonathan Turley, law professor at George Washington University, on why the constitution trial is unconstitutional.

Murkowski said afterwards that it was the only in-depth presentation she and many of her colleagues heard about the constitutionality of the process before voting on that same question, even though there are conflicting academic views on the subject.

“We knew this issue was going to be one that would come up during the trial,” she said on the matter of the process’s constitutionality. ‘There was a wish and a design to, hey, let’s hear from some constitutional scientists.

“And so he was invited, but it wasn’t just then [hearing] the perspective of a constitutional scientist is, “Hey, we got to vote here in an hour.” ”

She regretted that Turley’s was the only opinion heard before the vote.

“So we heard one side,” she said.

Romney was the only Republican at Tuesday lunch to stand up and oppose Turley’s arguments, Sen. Kevin CramerKevin John Cramer OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Court upholds ruling invalidating Dakota Access but fails to close pipeline | Schumer calls on Biden to declare climate emergency | Biden wants to bolster Indian court consultation and confirms ruling invalidating Dakota Access but not closing pipeline Group of GOP senators tries to block Biden movements in Paris, Keystone MORE (RN.D.), who attended the meeting.

Collins asked for clarification of some of Turley’s arguments, although her comments were not seen by colleagues as a direct backlash to the law professor.

Collins later told reporters that she decided the trial should go ahead after taking “a lot of time” to consult constitutional scientists and legal experts.

“I spend a lot of time talking to constitutional scholars and other legal experts and concluded that the text of the constitution, the purpose of the provisions, and the senate’s precedent all said the process should go ahead, especially since the House was acting while the president was still in office, ”she said.

Other potential Republican swing voices said they found the lunch presentation ‘convincing’.

“I think there was a lot of agreement,” said Sen. Joni ErnstJoni Kay Ernst Senate GOP Indicates Trump Likely To Exonerate Second Time Only Five GOP Senators Vote Trump Impeachment Process Is Constitutional Senate Committee Advances Biden’s DHS Choice Despite Republican Pushback MORE (R-Iowa). “It was a compelling argument and we are aiming for a private individual when there might be a criminal charge in lieu of Congress.”

Her. Jerry MoranGerald (Jerry) MoranModerates Promises to ‘Be a Force’ According to Biden The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s crisis agenda hits headwinds OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden’s Home Office temporarily blocks new drilling on public land | Group of GOP Senators Attempts Biden Moves in Paris, Keystone | Judge grants provisional approval for 0M Flint water crisis scheme MORE (R-Kan.) Said he found the presentation “interesting” and “useful,” but added that he is not “ready” on how to vote on the impeachment article itself.

Chairman of the Republican Senate Policy Committee Roy BluntRoy Dean Blunt Only five GOP senators vote Trump impeachment process is constitutional Trump, allies raise pressure on Senate GOP ahead of impeachment This week: Senate stuck in limbo MORE (R-Mo.) Told reporters Tuesday that the senate leader of minorities Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Humanist Report host criticizes ‘Conservative Democrats:’ They ‘have more power’ than progressives Dobbs: Republicans lost in 2020 because they ‘forgot who the real leader was’ Biden’s cabinet gradually confirmed by Senate MORE (R-Ky.) Invited Turley to give the presentation to GOP senators immediately before the main ballot.