Impeaching Trump a second time is not only plausible, it may become necessary. House Dems must continue to investigate Trump's electoral malfeasance & be ready to impeach him again if the evidence warrants. The Senate GOP must be made to own its unwillingness to protect our elections & the Constitution from this wannabe dictator.
9
Gingrich is amoral at best and does not understand basic concepts, like the definition of a coup. I wish he'd stay in Rome with his third wife and pray.
5
Since its inception, this nation has held itself to be above all others in the quality of its governance, its purposes, its statecraft, and of course its high moral standards, all while performing genocidal wars against not only its own native peoples, but many of those to its south, all the way to the tip of the South American continent.
Arrogance and bullying have been the constants of USA relations with other nations, at first in this hemisphere but for most of a century now, with the world.
The Trump administration has perhaps done a great favor to the people of the USA, in exposing itself in so many of its actions that cannot be disguised as peaceful, moral, or even good governance. Will the voters finally see that we are now like so many of the authoritarian governments we have at least supported, and at worst put in place...a Banana Republic in all aspects, except not cultivating bananas.
5
Impeached FOREVER! We all know the Senate did not conduct a real trial, much less a fair trial. The acquittal therefore is meaningless.Of course Trump will trumpet his exoneration. But since he's already told some 15,000 and counting lies what's one more. The truth will come out and the facts and history will show Trump and his administration to have been corrupt to its core. It will be shown that Trump could and should have been impeached for many more acts and omissions. Americans should vote him out of office but only time will tell. Republicsns have and are doing their utmost to suppress votes in any way they can and the existence of the antiquated Electoral College is also a burden to overcome. Hopefully every citizen of voting age will register and vote.
9
"Autocracy is coming...to the USA." Time to rewrite Leonard Cohen's song, "Democracy."
5
The barel concealed snot nosed cynicism of Baker, Schmidt, Haberman and other Times reporters will sour with time. Trump should never ever been allowed out of Manhattan. A lot of this is on Cy Vance and Morgy too.
1
Do we really believe that being impeached in the House is a “stain” on Trumps legacy? It’s really not much more than a slap on the wrist. And I think Trump could care less, same with his supporters. What we need to see is Trump humiliated and shamed publicly more often. Being booed at the World Series last October was one of the few times he has been humiliated publicly. We need to see more of that. One of the ways you take a bully down, is to humiliate them.
10
President Trump survives another Democrat sham show. What’s next he colluded with Turkey? The doom and gloom Democrat party and their crazy followers are losing their minds... today is a good day.
4
Actually it are the dems in the house who are stained in History. Only a few more months until Trump is re-elected and the dems lose the house.
5
With 45 Senate Republican seats on general election ballots in the next 33 months, I wouldn't be too sure those senators will indulge more installments of Trump's 2019 governing model, which followed GOP loss of the House majority. Recall the shutdown, the trade war sacrifice of farm belt grain markets that will endure for years, betrayal of Kurdish allies, Ukraine, misappropriation of defense spending, and so on.
Offset by "booming" economy? Real weekly earnings are unchanged from 12 months ago. No infrastructure plan/jobs. Still trying to shrink Medicare. Manufacturing jobs grew by less than 0.5% in 2019, year two of the tax cuts.
Senators are taking a hit by refusing to call witnesses when 75% of the public wants them.
Another nine months of Trump being Trump will harden opposition to him. In Pennsylvania he's underwater, 41-57%.
If a majority of Republican senators voted in favor of censuring him and Trump took responsibility for "Ukraine", I bet his approval rating would jump five or more points. If he persisted in acting like an adult this year, he might win reelection. Not likely he could stay on the wagon that long.
4
I can’t express how much I am disgusted by how much space and credence the writer(s) of this piece have given to that repulsive little liar, the very appropriately named Newt Gingrich.
41
Hey, newts are really adorable and interesting creatures.
3
The man is very vindictive. A prediction: He will especially go after the one demographic group that hates his guts. African-Americans.
18
The endeavor to impeach President Trump for obstructing Democrats attempt to frame him has failed.
15
He was impeached and has not been exonerated yet
4
Democrats made Trump much more powerful by their sham impeachment based on assumed phony charges. America should never attempt to impeach a President based on silly charges on a partisan basis. Hopefully that is the lesson we learned.
17
Fact check: even Republicans agree that he did what the charges assert. They just don’t care.
15
@Alex K
Attempted extortion of foreign ally Ukraine that is defending its nation in a border with Russia by holding up Congressionally approved taxpayer millions in exchange for an announcement of one's campaign opponents is not a PHONY or SILLY charge.
It has corruption, amorality, lawlessness and 3rd-world tinpot dictatorship written all over it.
It's too bad your critical thinking is in critical condition.
15
@Alex K trumpist deflection and projection. is a sham trial by republicans. A trial without witnesses because the republicans are too cowardly to stand up to trump and do their paid job. John Bolton’s book is coming.
6
The Democrats in their zeal to overthrow the 2016 election attempted to tear asunder the very fabric of our Republic.
Luckily, they failed.
Make America Great Again, President Trump!
23
@steve Isn't that what impeachment is though, overturning the results of an election? Are you suggesting that impeachment should be done away with altogether?
6
@ Steve Wait until Trump comes after something you need...food stamps, Medicare, the greenskeeper at your country club gets deported.
4
He's not suggesting anything, just mouthing the lines provided by the glorious leader and the apparat.
4
History will mark this event as the key inflection point at which American democracy and world leadership began an irreversible long term decline. Truly a sad day.
1139
@Larry G.
No, that day was three years ago. The descent rate might increase now.
107
Trump will be the first President to be Impeaced twice. His crimes will be investigated and Republicans will lose their edge in the Senate. The Impeachment articles should include economic treason. Trump's deals with Dictators. It would help to subpoena the non-strategic contents of "the Safe" where Trump secrets his transactional deals with foreign leaders. Trading with Turkey for a withdrawal from Syria, destroying NATO, and more, for Russia, ending military exercises in South Korea and for Israel, war with Iran and Jerusalem delivered. Of course, he is getting rich selling us out. His children are witnesses. These are crimes against Our Country!
99
@Larry G. Discontenterd politicals have been projecting the end of The American Republic each time they have lost since the country was formed, and have often found that the next election proves otherwise.
6
Nothing has changed.
The Republican Senate has refused to hold this administration accountable...same as always these past three years.
But impeached Republican President Donald Trump remains forever impeached.
Would it have been good for America to remove him from office sooner rather than later?
Yes.
Will House Democrats continue to do everything in their power to limit damage done to America, despite continued Republican obstruction?
Yes.
We will endure, and we will vote come November.
447
@Riley C
Trump did nothing wrong much less impeachable as Ukraine needed to be investigated.
Schiff could have called more witness in the house . Schiff prevented the president's lawyers from asking questions or presenting witnesses and prevented witnesses from answering questions and also released only biased bits and pieces of the proceedings.
Ukrainegate was part of a three year palace coup and the whistleblower , a left wing Schiff and Biden crony is part of the attempted coup
5
@KBronson
Yes, that is the beauty of America. We each get to vote based on our understanding of the world.
And whether we agree with our President on all things or not, we are all Americans. The freedom to openly disagree with our President is the freedom of every American.
I cannot see the future, but I do keep my eyes open.
10
@Riley C Yes we will endure and yes we will use our voting power come November. The Entire group of intimidated Republican Senators needs to be replaced. They have all identified themselves.
13
We have a major American party that refuses to hold its president accountable to the Constitution.
Voters should remove the majority of these people from our Senate- they have told us who they are. And we need to believe them - they have tossed their oath and oversight out completely.
1485
@Harry
You are off in the weeds - at NO point can a president solicit foreign aid to interfere in an American election. That was against the law.
You sound too young to have gone through the Nixon impeachment with the ideas you put here. Read up.
The GOP Senators absolutely did not uphold their oath to the US Constitution- that is not in dispute.
Rudy running a stealth State Dept is completely unacceptable. Trump holding up aid? Completely autocratic and impeachable.
Accountability exists whether the GOP Senators believe it or not.
179
@Harry
This is something far more important than judging it in simple matters of "good" and "bad".
I suggest you take a look at the U.S. Constitution, because clearly this president and Senate Republicans haven't.
88
Oh, @Harry, you must have not been paying attention in school.
40
Didn't Wall Street journal report that president felt pressurized by senators to kill Iran's general in exchange for receiving the necessary help on impeachment trial"
I wonder what media and Democrat would have done if he was instead pressurized to kill some difficult guys somewhere in Venezuela or Mozambique or Mongolia or North Kore in exchange for similar promises.
“ He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump. It’s going to be Trump to the third power.”
Exponential is greater than any power...
3
Trump will claim vindication and exoneration. When reelected in November he will rule without Congress and he will defy the courts. The Republican Senators have essentially anointed him King Donald the First. I wouldn't be surprised if he declared himself President for Life. Without a Democratic House and Senate who will stop him?
2
Trump will be himself, He doesn not know how to just move on. He will beat his chest and go after the other side. In the end he will do to himself what others could not, have the public see "who he really is".
The only good news these days is that Republicans are digging their own grave from which they will never return.
2
"But will he succeed on Nov. 3, 2020?. He again need all four rust belt states. PA, MI, WI and OH ..."
Actually not. If he wins FL and OH, as he did last time, he needs only one of the other three. He won all three in 2016, but any one of them would have been sufficient.
Most Americans consider this predictably-doomed impeachment effort to be nothing more than "non-democracy." They say -- and I agree -- the Democratic Party should just try to win in November.
There's an old saying about a dog chasing a truck: "What's he going to do if he catches it?" I've wondered that here too. President Pence?
1
The Republican legacy now is one of sycophantic cowardice. Full page adds should come out every day against Republican Senators and Congressmen. Unless the party is fully repudiated in 2020 it cannot properly rebuild and if it doesn't rebuild we'll descend into a banana republic for at least a generation and American democracy will be in the gravest possible danger.
2
The latest contribution of Alan Dershowitz and Donald Trump to political theory: anything an American president does while in office is, by the nature of the case, in the public interest.
The latest contribution of Alan Dershowitz and Donald Trump to political science & history: the United States is officially a failed experiment whose end is now increasingly in sight.
R.I.P. the United States of America.
1
Ha ha trump- the Republicans refused to call witnesses that could exonerate you.
Dear Dem's. It's over. We won, but lost the vote. I am so proud of our house manager's, and equally disgusted by the pure craven cowardice of the other side. Our next step is to get in touch with our election official's, demand paper ballots, and have vote minder's to make sure there is no funny stuff. We need to seriously and firmly take on suppression of the vote,..... the next tactic the enemies of democracy make will be in that arena. We the people will take these rotten cowardly excuses for human's out in Nov. It's our only choice. We have to protect our election by any mean's needed. Remember, the Senate was on trial, too. During the campaign this needs to be thrown in their faces over and over and over. McConnell also needs to be removed, or at least minority leader. I want to believe the good folk's of Kentucky will do the whole country a favor. He is the main player on this attack on Democracy.
Is the problem with our country today that we write articles, post comments, and omit the step of being out in the streets with pitchforks?
4
Intellectual laziness. A taste for corruption. Grinning defiance of law. Vindictiveness. A love of the smear. An appetite for blowhards and fantasy news. Deceit.
All descriptive of the president and a Republican Senate?
Oh, yes.
But it goes further.
Check out the image in the mirror.
1
By not removing him and by giving up on checks and balances the GOP has set the stage for the next democrat president to run rough shot over the red states.
The Republican party will be a big loser, they could have acted in the people's interest and didn't, again. Trump will lose in November.
3
At the State of the Union rambling on Tuesday, I do hope that Democrats walk out if the Grifter starts insulting them.
Let him gloat in the midst of his Republican cowards and enablers.
3
Trump can be shackled. He is completely undone by slights to his narcissism. Line up his accusers at the debates, persistently show his many basic diction errors, and never let him go one day without reminders that he was impeached. This is not venal; it is reality, who this guy is in all his sleaze and subversion.
1
Trump has never played by the rules. He's a lifetime grifter, serial adulterer, sexual predator, greedy business fraudster. Nobody can dispute his sleazy track record.
Now he and the GOP have taken over the Senate, executive branch and SCOTUS. They've broken the rule of law and the constitution.
The dismantling of what's great about America will accelerate, and only a mass mobilization of citizens can stop the total destruction of all we hold dear.
6
Remember Grant?
Remember Lee?
Forget them all;
Remember Me.
- Donald J. Trump
Looks like our profoundly immoral Trump is above the law and his evil GOP congress ,senate and supporters also. I won’t watch the State of the union with Trump staring. He lies so much you don’t know the truth until our great NYT’s fact checks all the lip service he gives. I hope all the Dems boycott this or make lots of noise so no one can hear his lies. I will watch the Dems state of the union. How did Trump ever have a successful Tv show with his horrible personality.
3
history will mark this as the swan song of democratic party.
No witnesses.
No evidence.
No justice.
Welcome to Russia.
4
Vladimir Putin is smiling.
The primary reason to impeach and convict Trump is that he endangers our National Security by repeatedly and consistently aiding a foreign power, Russia.
Secretary Clinton pointed out that Trump is Putin’s puppet. Speaker Pelosi told Trump that all roads lead to Putin with him. They are both entirely correct.
Convicted felons Roger Stone and Paul Manafort know the details of this, but they will not talk because Trump promised to pardon them if they keep quiet.
Trump’s tax returns would also show that he is in hock to Putin-connected Russian oligarchs, which is why Trump is so desperate to hide his financial records.
Mueller was prevented from investigating Trump’s finances by Rod Rosenstein, and William Barr terminated the investigation prematurely.
For further information on the Russian conspiracy, see The Moscow Project https://themoscowproject.org/.
Remarkably, virtually the entire Republican delegation in Congress is in complete denial of all of this.
The GOP has become the Gang of Putin!
6
This sham of a presidency has accomplished so many despicable “firsts” that his escaping impeachment without witnesses doesn’t surprise me.
I totally agree with Trump when he boastfully proclaims “he is the chosen one”. I just question whom he was chosen by. Once again he escapes seemingly unscathed. But even Satan was ultimately kicked out of Heaven.
3
Why do reporters keep quoting Newt Gingrich? Next, Sarah Palin?
4
Who cares? He will be re-elected. Stain or no stain.
Makes Deadwood look civilized.
1
Republican senators have shut their eyes and ears to the truth about their leader Donald Trump. Senate leader Mitch McConnell has so entwined himself with "the Donald" that Trump now controls the Senate as well as the White House. Donald Trump was a liar, cheat and thief before he ran for president and he is still a liar, cheat and thief and probably will be until the day he dies. He ran his presidential campaign on pledges to stop "those people" from crossing the U.S. southern border. He called "those people" rapists and thugs, but of course he was appealing to voters who didn't want more brown people in America. He also courted Evangelicals, those superlative Christians, with a pledge to appoint judges who would rule against Roe v. Wade. The anti-abortionists apparently didn't consider the harm Trump might do to living children and their moms and dads who didn't make a living wage.
And so we have this ego-maniac Trump wanting 4 more years and a Republican-controlled Senate eager to give it to him.
There is scripture that describes these Trump-worshippers:
"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." -- Matthew 13:15
2
Any of us mere mortals would surely know to maintain a low profile after being acquitted of a crime that we actually committed. When you dodge a bullet, you shut up and be grateful. It would be my guess that the bloviator in chief will crow to the highest rooftops how he was exonerated, and then release the flying monkeys; we ain’t seen nothing yet!
2
Everybody should have known that this would be the outcome. Trump coming out of it victorious, Democrats perceived as losers and whiners...It was written on the wall!
1
This is on you, Republicans.
Trump is your problem.
You own him and everything he does and doesn’t do.
Good luck to you.
3
The system of check and balances doesn't work. Trump has proved. We have to go back and rewrite the constitution. There must be something other than good will to enforce it.
Avenol Franco
Most Americans disagree (I do):
"make no mistake about it ...Trump is corrupt and completely immoral."
Most Americans consider Trump to be a buffoon (I do), but they like most of his policies (I do). It's easy to call someone "corrupt" and "immoral," but a lot tougher to prove that. True, Trump hasn't released his tax returns, but neither did JFK or LBJ. They considered tax returns to be private, and so does Trump (along with me an most Americans). I have faith that the IRS has for many years been watching Trump carefully, and would have challenged him long ago if he really cheated on his taxes. To call him "corrupt" and "immoral" may be correct, but there's been no actual evidence of that.
2
He now has even less (if that's possible) reason to hold back from additional crazy, egomaniacal moves here at home and abroad.
2
Obama annoyed Republicans by using executive orders to address injustices while Republicans refused to cooperate in governance in order to deny him accomplishments to reduce his popular support. Like it or not he respected the laws and discretions no differently than previous Presidents. In addition, his attempts to make health care inclusive with private insurance, to reduce the distresses from the Great Recession, to begin to address global warming, and to extend basic rights to people formerly treated unequally seems to have horrified Republicans based upon reasons that are inane. They slipped into rage and accused him dog of being an anti-American socialist would be dictator.
Then the Republicans become Trump’s peanut gallery repeating even his demonstrably false assertions just because they are afraid of what he us about them. On Wednesday, Republicans in the Senate will nullify the authority of the rule of law in our government to suck up to Trump.
Our government is based upon humans’ ability to idealize an imaginative order of behaviors and to live according to them. They rely upon a fundamental consensus about having mutual interests. We are losing that consensus with Trump’s demagoguery which is based upon keeping Republicans mistrustful and in fear of being denied their rights and properties by the rest of us.
Pure speculation:
"trump will tell his base he will cancel the election and invalidate the constitution and they will dance and cheer."
Unless I missed it (which I didn't):
1. Trump won the 2016 election.
2. Trump has never disobeyed a court order.
3. Trump has never "invalidated the constitution."
Many reader write about what Trump "will" or "might" or "probably will" or "is likely to" do, but he hasn't actually done any of those things. He did threaten to disregard the 2016 election if he lost, but I recall that I couldn't have cared less how he felt in 2016. He was allowed to run, not to count the votes or to declare that the votes don't matter. If he'd lost but tried to move into the White House on January 20, 2017, he'd simply have been turned away by security guards.
But, again, that didn't happen. Trump WON in 2016, and he's never actually disobeyed a court order or invalidated the Constitution. Many people speculate that he WILL do one of those two things some day, but that's idle speculation.
1
Yes, History will not be kind to him and to those who supported him, not only for the impeachment episode but for many other episodes as well, even when he will not read them, but the rest of the world will, and the American History books and the media will keep them. As for the Senators, individually they will also pay their collaboration as History has no end, and each one will be placed in their respective places, some soon, others, later. This country has lost a great deal of its credibility, but I am sure that it will be remebered only as a sad episode, and nothing more.
"Why are not more Mitt Romney's in the republican party?"
I'd probably have voted with Romney and Collins and all of the Democratic Senators -- let in more evidence.
But the vote would have been the same: Trump is acquitted. This has long struck me as a dispute the courts should decide. We can't allow Congress to declare the limits (or lack thereof) on its authority, or let Trump decide that the opposite is true. Many Americans noticed (I did) that the House simply canceled its subpoena to Charles Kupperman when he asked a court to "referee" the Congress/Trump dispute.
In Watergate, courts were heavily involved. Judge John Sirica, a Republican picked by a Republican President, was one of the most prominent players. Why is there no John Sirica this time?
I object to the framing of this article. Anyone who knows anything about American history, the Constitution, and the rule of law knows that this president has flouted the rule of law to an unprecedented extent. Some branch of government had to oppose him, even if unsuccessfully. We have no way of predicting what the electoral consequences will be in November, but the right thing to do is the right thing to do.
I believe we always need to remember the environment that made Trump. Trump was not created in a vacuum. Why was he elected? Americans were sick of politics as usual. Even though Hillary Clinton won a small minority of votes, he still appealed to millions of voters. Why? What was it about him that made him the person so many voted for? Democrats need to look carefully at those qualities, see what it was that he offered voters, and listen to what their votes told them about politics and their beliefs about what they need from government. He still enjoys support. Ignoring those voters completely is not the solution. Listen to what their vote says. Perhaps I'm naive, but I still believe some unity is possible. Now that he has been acquitted, he will be even less controlled than before, and if the Democrats emphasize their policy ideas and what they can offer America over what he has done, they might still win over some of those voters. Or at least, Democrats might understand why their message failed and what might make it more effective in the future.
2
There was never a question that Trump would be acquitted. As Senator Alexander noted, what he did was inexcusable, but did not raise to the 'high crimes' mentioned in our Constitutioon.
1) a Congressional censure and 2) a good campaign for the next presidential term was the appropriate approach for those who want a change. My concern is that the impeachement show trial by the Dems has dimmed that prospect.
1
Peter Baker does a good job, as always, in helping to explain and interpret 'political reality'. The magnitude of the problems we face as a nation and society are immense and urgent.
The, President, who has never had majority support, will continue to inflame his minority with claims and actions that call for an almost religious zeal. The 'rallies' actually seem similar to pre-WWII German rallies, proclaiming a national secular 'religion'. Such rallies were designed to draw otherwise good people into evil 'belief' and action. I am defining evil as doing and supporting actions that harm, and even destroy, the 'other' and 'the least among us'.
Even those of us who have, and are satisfied with, our (more than) 'enough' are baffled as to what we can actually do to face and helpfully counter the unfolding catastrophe that the planet and its people face. Perhaps the best we can do is help, aid and support the young who must live with our mistakes and unrecognized selfishness, as they work to save their future. And Vote!
2
The House should either cancel or boycott Cheating Trump's State of the Union speech.
I myself will not watch it. He doesn't deserve my precious time.
1
It's NOT an acquittal. Without a trial there can be no acquittal. It WAS a whitewash, coverup, sham, and "show" trial but without witnesses and testimony under oath there is no actual trial. The GOP Senate is afraid of 3 things: trump, their base, and the truth.
There's much to be said but I'll cut to the bottom line. If trump and the GOP remain in power after this next election--know this--they'll loot Social Security and any remaining public supports. You and I will literally be left out in the cold. So let's all face the facts. The GOP and their corporate masters have been after Social Security since forever. We all saw what happened in 2008...
1
Is McConnell wrong to block Senate votes?
If a measure is sure to pass, or sure to fail, what good comes from having the Senate vote on it? For examples, was there ever any doubt that Trump would win this impeachment effort? Was there ever any doubt that Merrick Garland would not be confirmed? I appreciated getting to see Schiff, but the other House "managers" were underwhelming. I agree that the Democratic-controlled House had no real choice but to impeach Trump, but that's water under the bridge. Should the Senate spend even more time on a predictably-doomed effort?
According to a rational standard of decision making favored by economists the greater gain is to be selected over the lesser, and the lessor loss over the greater. But if people see that someone is using intimidation to compel into making a particular choice, they will usually disregard the gain or loss to resist the effort at intimidation, which the economist can only see to be unreasonable.
The lesson to be learned is that if people are seeing anything to be a effort to control them to eliminate their ability to control their lives or to take unfair advantage over them, no matter the merits otherwise, they will oppose. They will ignore rational choices founded upon the seemingly relevant acts in favor of other considerations.
Trump shows every day a real inability to reason through problems in a rational manner but he is very adept at distracting attention to a message about a struggle against the dishonest press and the traitorous Democrats. It works because Republicans long ago accepted that they have been left out of the consensus upon which our government is based.
Oh come on!
"History will mark this event as the key inflection point at which American democracy ... began an irreversible long term decline. Truly a sad day."
The Senate's vote not to allow more evidence will be a footnote in the history books.
Mr. Baker - I completely disagree with the premise of your column - that Trump will emerge unscathed from his impeachment and the Senate hearings. Consider the lifetime stain on Nixon and Clinton. Then look at the much greater sins and crimes of Trump.
Trump's record will be one of the very darkest chapters in our history books (if we are lucky enough to survive the ever hotter planet we now have). And Congressman Schiff's summation in the House will shine like a bright, bright star.
2
As long as we are before the final vote is taken, there is still a sliver of hope, slim as it is, that two thirds of the Senate will find its conscience and convict this egotistical transgressor. But assuming they don't, all energy must now be devoted to decisively electing a Democratic president, majority Democratic legislative branch, and all levels of state and local leadership. This will mean overcoming Trump's lies and those of his acolytes, not to mention the "outside events" like foreign intervention, dark money, packed courts and the ever-present gerrymandering. It can be done but only if Democrats can unify quickly, can force themselves to think more than one step ahead and are willing to "color outside the box" as needed, which may be frequently. "Half measures availed us nothing," as the saying goes, and if we don't pull out all the stops, we will again get nothing. Come on, Democrats - get angry, get smart, get active.
I question the whole fabric of our representation. If it's "we the people" it should be more reflective of the people and not skewed to give outsized representation to undersized populations. Yet, not only are we there now, but this is the foreseeable future unless something changes. How about giving Washington DC senator representation? Should all states have 2 senators? The current "caucus" control of the senate is a sham. We need some seismic changes to our government and soon!
1
Oh please!
"[T]he Republican senators are even more vile. They had an opportunity to stand up for truth and justice."
It was a party-line vote. Republicans (except Romney and Collins) all voted to exclude further evidence, and all Democrats (100%) voted to let it in. I'd have sided with the Democrats, but it really doesn't matter. There's not any dispute about the facts. I consider them sufficient, but most Americans don't. Trump ain't going to be removed, and the House managers have long known that. The Senate has many other things to do.
I give up -- so what?
"Dems will call characterize his Impeachment trial as a Sham."
The outcome of this Impeachment trial was obvious before it started, and many Americans think the Senate has better things to do. While I don't think the Democratic Party had any real choice BUT to impeach Trump in the House, I also see no need to prolong this distracting exercise. Time to move on.
There's plenty of evidence out there already that Trump did bad things. We don't need more. While I think the evidence is compelling, at least 34 Senators don't, and it's their call.
"When Trump is reelected by a landslide..."
Much can change between now and November (for example, Trump might get hit by a truck), but a landslide re-election looks right now to be likely.
If so, the Democratic Party has only itself to blame. Its utterly baseless "collusion" allegations plagued this country for nearly three years. While I consider the "Ukraine Incident" to be qualitatively different, most Americans just consider it to be more of the same. So Trump wins this battle -- and, if he doesn't get hit by a truck, he'll be re-elected.
It is now imperative that every citizen 18 and older vote on November 3. And please make sure you are registered and you have a valid ID if required in your state. Also it is best to vote by mail so you will not have to wait in long lines or possibly be denied a vote. Vote by mail to insure your vote is counted. I don’t necessarily trust the voting machines. When you vote by mail you can know that your ballot is official and legal and there is a paper trail. Please vote. Our country needs you now more than ever.
1
If the U.S. Senate has failed to represent the American people for the past 3+ years, passing legislation that is solely the will of the Executive, and
If this same body deliberately lied when saying they would try Trump's impeachment case impartially, to assure his, and therefore, their hold on power, and
If Senate Republicans are so aligned with the Executive, they no longer serve as a check, but as an accomplice,
Is the Constitution still valid?
The alignment of elected Republicans with the Executive all but destroys one of the three branches of government, leaving a hotheaded, uneducated bully to do his worst, unchecked. Trump is very creative at plunging the depths of evil, without thought to consequence.
Elected Republicans, having allowed the President to destroy the environment, turn now to dismantling healthcare and social security. They refuse to represent the majority of Americans.
The Supreme Court is controlled by conservatives. Only the minority is sure to uphold the law and the Constitution.
No government body exists to reign in the President and keep him from doing harm domestically and abroad.
Is the U.S. now a dictatorship?
1
Trump's unscrupulous victories have diminished all three branches of government, leaving a vacuum and, as leader, a vengeful bully with monarchical leanings and disregard for the law.
Once again, during impeachment, GOP leaders have relinquished more powers of Congress in order to stay in power. As for the Supreme Court, Chief Justice John Roberts could have forced Congress to have a trial with actual witnesses and evidence but stayed mute. He wasn't willing to even cast a vote on it and create a tie.
Checks and balances? Right now they're pretty sentiments in a teetering Constitution.
Even the Executive Branch has become servile under the president. He hammers his own administration and cabinet, constantly firing officials who've displayed insufficient fealty; eroding the intelligence branches; constantly accusing the FBI and Justice Department of "Deep State" plotting against him; jumping into military action without his military; hijacking foreign diplomacy and policies for his own malevolent purposes; and installing an amoral Attorney General who eagerly erased critical findings against Trump by the AG's own special counsel.
By living in Peru in the 80s, I learned that a country can have successive democratic elections and also an autocrat for president for his or her term. Even strong constitutions can be warped, laws ignored and justice warped. Now I see it can also happen here. That's the mightiest shocker. And the Trumpettes in "power" are letting it happen.
It's not been "lost" on me and other US "peaceniks" that even Trump's threatened (or "promised," depending on one's point of view) withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan was opposed by his critics.
Is there absolutely nothing Trump can do that his critics approve of? Are they even willing to be war-mongers merely because Trump wants the opposite?
Interesting that Gingrich thinks Trump has the option not to go after Democrats. I'd be glad to take a bet on whether he does and I'm not a betting woman! I'm afraid this election is going to be a train wreck.
1
This travesty of justice will serve as a model for future presidents who ignore the law and use the power of their office as if it were their personal fortune, or just break the law.
Simply because a coterie of week-kneed sycophants has meekly refused to chasten one of their own is no reason to think these bandits have won the war.
2
"grievance, persecution and resentment"
Trump and his base are largely white men. What do they resent? They're afraid because they are not the majority and their days of absolute power are numbered.
2
This isn't journalism - what was its function? Anyway - Donald Trump was impeached - the GOP controlled Senate did what was predicted of it. This doesn't end the investigation of Donald Trumps many and continuing crimes and abuses of office. The House of Representatives can continue to investigate all of these abuses. Yes the media will clutch its pearls regarding congressional overreach and the possibility that continuing to investigate the President will somehow harm Democrats electoral chances in November - pretty sure Peter is already writing the outline for that article and Dean Baquet can't wait to ok the final copy - having learned nothing from the past that this paper has had a heavy hand in framing.
The U.S. Senate just said that foreign interference in American elections is A-Okay. Meanwhile, Donald Trump has alienated pretty much every American ally we once had.
- So Europe, if your listening, please interfere to support the Democratic nominee.
- And Canada and Australia, do the same.
- And that goes for you as well, Japan and S. Korea.
How do you like dem apples, Republicans?
You reap what you sow.
1
Don't let trump get in your head. You've done your best. Now, let go for awhile? Why torture yourself by watching the State of the Union?
All this beauty in the world--the birds, stars, trees...are there to remind you to trust our Creator for all that you do not see.
1
The Democrats, by this baseless & overdone clown show, have just about assured a second term for President Trump & have shown America they still haven’t come to grips with losing in 2016. Bernie, anyone?
China, Iran, Ukraine, EU member states: Please hack Trump. Please release his financial information. Please engage in information warfare to defeat Trump. We now invite all foreign interference into our elections. Use your power to defeat Trump. It’s in your best interest and ours.
More evidence likely would show Trump's committed crimes. Dershowitz' defense of Trump is that his client believed what he was doing was right, even required to defend his reelection because: he believes he's the best President for America; and he thought Joe and Hunter Biden were persecuting him for trying to win reelection by plotting to undermine his effort. It reminded me of the M'Naghten Rule. Don't try this at home unless you're Trump.
Under M'Naghten "...a criminal defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity if at the time of the alleged criminal act the defendant was so deranged that he did not know the nature or quality of his actions or, if he knew the nature and quality of his actions, he was so deranged that he did not know that what he was doing was wrong.
Congress was publicly warned by a group of duty-bound psychiatrists that Trump is not sane. Senate Republicans do admit what he did wasn't right (a euphemism for wrong); still, they're suppressing real evidence. They also know that once acquitted Trump will keep it up. It's not like he absorbs position papers all day. If they're aware of the risk he incurs because he knows not right from wrong, are they in any way responsible for bad outcomes? Trump stated he can shoot 5 people on 5th Ave. and get away with it. If under M'Naghten he's insane, are his protectors in any way responsible for knowingly abetting a lunatic? There aren't enough dunce caps to go around.
Trump's lurid combination of behavioral pathologies, rage, grandiosity, and abiding insecurity, along with his colossal ignorance and incompetence guarantee that he will overreach, probably spectacularly.
The great hope is that he does no more grievous harm to our country while revealing in some new ways to his more astute followers that this man should be nowhere near giving orders to anyone.
;Latest Franklin and Marshall poll asked voters what they wanted in 2020: 40% stay the course; 57% wanted to move in another direcdion with President Joe Biden.
It's time to divide the country at the Hudson river, the Ohio river and the Mississippi river from the East
and the Second Mountain Range from the West.
Everyone south and east and west, continue on with your republican trickle down dream.
What is Newt Gingrich on standby to supply political drivel.
What an awful, sad time in American history.
Look at his attitude and heightened brazenness after the Mueller report. After this, his feeling of empowerment will have no limits. I am truly scared.
"Unshackeled"?
I missed it -- was there a time when Trum was ever shackeled?
"When you have 34 Senators from your party, they let you do it. You can do anything..."
1
I agree with a majority of the comments here. This is a frightening day, which we knew and feared would come, and it has. 45 will be re-elected because us Democrats just had to field 22 hopefuls because we just couldn't figure out what to do to beat this guy. And we will lose. Just keep one thing in mind. In theory, 45 can't campaign again, for the next 4 years, as he has so far. He can't just hold mega-rallies to scream and throw red meat. He needs to try to get down and actually DO something, not just raise money with stupid hats. Of course, that assumes we will follow the constitution and allow him only 2 terms, and he doesn't call out the troops to create a coup de etat to keep himself in power perpetually, like his icon Putin. We'll see.
The Republicans are such liars, and their lying was on display for the whole country to see and hear this week. The House managers did a yeoman's job (bless them) presenting their case for impeachment. They lost by 2 votes. (Bless Susan Collins and Mitt Romney.)
Trump isn't the victim. We Americans are the victims of his disastrous, thuggish presidency and the cowardice of the Senate Republicans who sabotaged the fair trial we should have had, making a mockery of their responsibility to hold presidents accountable for abuse of power.
We witnessed the debacle. And we'll remember and vote accordingly.
I had hope that there was a conscience in the GOP, both house and senate. I was wrong. A lying president, a corrupt president, an immoral president and they supported him. They prevented evidence that might have proved him right, but tried and found him not guilty without evidence.
Absolutely disgusting!
As a Republican, I will do all I can to get those that supported Trump out of office. I will also support the Democratic Candidate to defeat Trump. It is the only moral and right thing to do.
The only stain will be on the House. The Democrats wanted Trump gone before he took the Oath of Office. Those that do not understand that the left was engaged in a coup are ignorant to the facts.
Congress was publicly warned by a group of duty-bound psychiatrists that Trump is not sane. Senate Republicans do admit what he did wasn't right (a euphemism for wrong); still, they're suppressing real evidence. They also know that once acquitted Trump will keep it up. It's not like he absorbs position papers all day. If they're aware of the risk he incurs because he knows not right from wrong, are they in any way responsible for bad outcomes? Trump stated he can shoot 5 people on 5th Ave. and get away with it. If under M'Naghten he's insane, are his protectors in any way responsible for knowingly abetting a lunatic? There aren't enough dunce hats to go around.
"Trump Unchained" sounds like a horror movie. Donald is now effectively free to ask Putin or any authoritarian head-of-state to help him win re-election. After all, Prof. Dershowitz claims it's perfectly fine if you believe your re-election is good for the country, right?
Quid pro quo, no problemo! They do it all the time, and in the immortal words of Mick Mulvaney: "Get over it."
It's depressing to have to watch Trump's infantile strutting and preening. But he is now a killer "king" and very dishonest. He will be surrounded by equally infantile and dishonest henchmen and enemies: he sets the tone.
Isn't it fair to suggest that if he wins with doubletalk he can also loose with doubletalk? He may think his victory may look good for him but it doesn't flatter our government. I still find it very hard to believe all that was claimed about 911. Now I think Murder Inc has become permanent. The country is now openly an organized crime syndicate and it's almost pointless to insist on a better rule of law. The President never truthfully demonstrated that he was fit to execute the laws That's only for the poor saps who don't have better lawyers.
I will never believe him because he didn't share his tax filings. I never tried to read them anyway before I had a computer. But the computer makes it possible now to see them. It is stupidity to believe a deeply dishonest man.
We have just installed the first
American dictator. We’re in big trouble . I never imagined that I would live to see the United States of America turn into a corrupt dictatorship .
Shame on the Republicans for changing our democracy into a true autocracy . It’s extremely upsetting and disgusting . They have no patriotism . It’s appalling .
1
If Trump walks away triumphant and unshackled, the United States does not. The free world is averting its eyes in embarrassment over this display of a legal system not worthy of its name. It is proven beyond doubt that money and power rules, not the law.
This is a small step for man but a giant leap for mankind towards the end of the civilized world where dignity used to play a certain role. Oh, the ignorance, the sheer ignorance...
1
Have you ever been in a relationship in which the primary topic of conversation is The Relationship? Usually one person feels aggrieved and begins the conversation (e.g., you aren't open with me, you don't respect me). There is no discussion of, say, books, ideas, movies, how to fix the house, the meaning of life. Just one aggrieved person constantly unhappy.
That's the relationship we have with the Whiner in Chief. All he ever talks about is how persecuted he is, how no one shows him respect, just constant wah, wah, wah. There is almost no discussion of ideas or how to fix the house.
It's exhausting, of course. And boring. Eventually, the relationship ends. It's not sustainable on a personal level, and it's not sustainable on a national level. I hope we break up soon.
Let me propose this hypothesis: Suppose President George W. Bush had delegated Vice President Dick Cheney to handle affairs with the Ukraine, and, in doing so, one of his daughters, although without experience, landed a lucrative job with Burisma. Would the Democrats have faulted President Barack Obama from using aid to the Ukraine as leverage in order to get them to investigate the Cheneys’ activities in their country? What hypocrites the Democrats are!
Congress was publicly warned by a group of duty-bound psychiatrists that Trump is not sane. Senate Republicans do admit what he did wasn't right (a euphemism for wrong); still, they're suppressing real evidence. They also know that once acquitted Trump will keep it up. It's not like he absorbs position papers all day. If they're aware of the risk he incurs because he knows not right from wrong, are they in any way responsible for bad outcomes? Trump stated he can shoot 5 people on 5th Ave. and get away with it. If under M'Naghten he's insane, are his protectors in any way responsible for knowingly abetting a lunatic? There aren't enough dunce hats to go around.
"... he will be the first president in American history to face voters after an impeachment trial ..."
His Base will love it! They will be energized!
Before the last election, I said to friends, "there is no way Trump will win, unless he cheats." How I wish that did not turn out to be true. Now that his cheating and lying have been approved by the Senate, I do not delude myself into thinking he will not do way more of it. The only hope of getting rid of him is a landslide against his lies. I wish there could be such a thing as the return of integrity. Maybe some day there will be a counterforce to this destructive garbage. I hope.
I would knot say he has emerged unshackled at all. He has made it manifestly clear that he is an enemy of the people. His lawyers were horrid. Ty Cobb would have been proud of them. This is the end of nothing - except some naivety on our part.
As with Brexit, cowardice and ignorance won the day. How Republicans in Congress live with themselves is an absolutely mystery to me. God help America.
1
Yes, the acquittal after the trial will embolden Mr. Trump to continue his stupid claim that the Constitution “allows me to do whatever I want.” It bothers him the least that the world laughs at him every time he does it. What we must watch for, however, is the vindictive way will go after his adversaries who are responsible for putting him through this.
The biggest culprit here is Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. He will go down in history as one who converted a legitimate trial at the U.S. Senate into a kangaroo-court-type trial. Congress may want to explore whether he can be impeached for obstruction of justice.
That said, there is something wrong with a political system in which one who trailed his opponent 46 percent to 48 percent in popular vote emerged victorious. Strictly speaking, the system makes a mockery of the very definition of democracy, which is rule by the majority.
And there is something wrong with an impeachment proceeding in which the final verdict doesn’t reflect the will of the people. As stated in this story, 49.5 percent of the people favor impeachment, as opposed to 46.4 percent who don’t. The most laughable of all is the fact that a handful of representatives in one of the two chambers of the legislature can trash the impeachment verdict legitimately arrived at by the other, by blocking witnesses and documents central to the impeachment trial.
At this time i would vote for a ham and cheese sandwich over Trump. Dem's.....we have to unite. PS Bernie will not unite us. I would vote for him while regurgitating if be's the only one, but his people have already shown their spite last time. They will again because they're fool's.
The third power *IS* an exponential. Just sayin....
--------
“He’s going to be Trump to the third power now. He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump. It’s going to be Trump to the third power.”
1
Don’t be afraid of the Republicans in the Senate, be very afraid of the people who elected them....!
1
“We still don’t know what the other half truly thinks, feels, and believes.”
- half of all Americans
1
Rubio: “Just because [Trump’s] actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a president from office.”
Rubio’s apology is using Dershowitz’ crooked law: Just because Trump’s impeachable actions are illegal, it does not mean they’re necessarily illegal if they’re done for the national interest. Since they’re done for the national interest, Trump’s illegal actions are legal!
1
He will commit more crimes with the full protection of the world's LEAST deliberative body.
I am so tired. But I will gather myself to do what I can to get this horrible man out of office.
Everyone needs to remember: he FAILED with Ukraine, and no other country will ever feel obligated to go along with him. Not the UK, never the EU, Japan, etc. That's why he's cultivated dictators, hoping they could accomplish his malignant will.
He is actually impotent and always will be. Mark my words. Every move he makes will be scrutinized by the people of the nation and the whole world with an eye to looking for his not very well hidden evil intent...
Once upon a time there was a great country. They called themselves America, even though there were tens of of other countries which thought that was the name of a continent they belonged to... (Just in case you don't grasp the meaning of that just try to imagine Germans calling themselves Europe...).
One day there came a King of America who said he was invincible. And his court agreed and praised Him...
Some said HRH's name even had that very triumphant meaning. And then, some years after his (sorry, His) luminous reign
...
I wonder, have you heard of the Roman Empire and it's fate?
Nearly all the Republican senators have shamed themselves and betrayed the American people and our democracy. Thank you senators Collins and Romney! You can stand proud and I’m certain the Democrats you represent will remember your courage and character. They will also remember the Republicans who are complicit and in service to Trump! To my state’s senator, Rob Portman, I promise to do everything I can to persuade voters to vote to remove you from office. You are an embarrassment to Ohio.
1
Please, write to your Senators, Republican and Democrat. Dont just write to the NYT. I will devote my knowledge, time, talent and networking skills to have Martha McSally defeated and I've let her know this. Do the same. Today. Google their email address, it is simple.
1
The American voters will impeach Trump come November 2020.
Hit him again. He richly deserves to be hounded until his last day.
1
This first American dictator needs to be removed from office by voters in November! Please everyone, vote against this slide into autocratic rule.
Watch this space: 1) In-your face pardons for Flynn, Manafort, and any convicts associated with his campaign. 2) Justice Department-sponsored "investigations" against House impeachment witnesses, perceived enemies within the intelligence communities (e.g Brennan, Comey), even Democratic members of Congress. 3) FCC regulations selectively relaxed for Fox, Sinclair, and the like. 4) Executive orders precisely targeted to methodically deconstruct every achievement of the Obama administration.
...and GOP senators will play the lute while Rome burns.
Every 75-80 years, generational historians say, the U.S. faces a major crisis that threatens its very being as a nation.
In the 1770s and early 1780s there was the American Revolution.
From 1861-65 there was the Civil War.
The Great Depression and World War II of 1929-45 was the next major test.
Perhaps Trumpism of the late 2010s and early 2020s marks the next crisis.
@richard r
Mitch McConnell is nothing like Andy Taylor. He’s more like one of the evil bank robbers that came to town, and Adam Schiff seems nothing like Barney. He’s much smarter.
The Dems can't have it both ways. They say their case is so strong, solid, and overwhelming that Trump needs to be given the sack. It's URGENT! The Dems also demand that more evidence and witnesses are needed no matter how much time it takes. Which is it?
Adam Schiff is like the Barney Fife character in the old TV series The Andy Griffith Show. And Mitch McConnell is like the Sheriff Taylor character cleaning up Fife's mess.
5
@Reader In Wash, DC - I believe the request for witness testimony was to ensure that voters knew the extent of the behaviors that are so offensive. The house knew the senate wouldn't break rank. They'd announced that plainly.
But as you and I know from recent polling, a strong majority of voters wanted witnesses. (After all what is a trial without them?) Unfortunately the senate chose to ignore what the people requested and wanted.
If our view from here is so abominable, imagine how much the insiders know and cannot or will not be able to share with the public.
About all that stands between more of this misery and We The People is the upcoming election day 2020.
I'm calling on every American to end this idiocy by voting. Don't forget today's events. REMEMBER IN NOVEMBER
How can we withstand another term? We simply must fire all these impotent enablers and get ourselves a new president.
1
But will he succeed on Nov. 3, 2020?. He again need all four rust belt states. PA, MI, WI and OH. and who be his Democratic challenger?
America is no longer the shining light on the hill ... thank you, republicans! You can’t promote democracy around the world if our leadership is corrupt and make no mistake about it ...Trump is corrupt and completely immoral.
3
Nyt did it’s best. Timely release of exercpts from John Bolton manuscript.Drip drip leaks daily. Despite, it is not making a dent in the Republican stonewall! it is not just trump unleashed it is the Republican Party. They want to control the country totally. From judges to mayors to governors.
I just keep wondering if all the conservative pro life Catholics evangelicals truly believe in it, why aren’t each couple having 12 kids each during the woman’s entire fertile lifespan? They are definitely using birth control and they are definitely using abortion. Of the 3 wives of trump how many did use birth control or abortion? What about the entire Republican house and senate? Don’t their families use anything to limit their family size? Why don’t they have dozens of children!
1
Will emerge unshackled? He's free now.
The WH is "not yet ready" to meet with President Z. Coinidentally, Ukraine started an investigation as to violation of int'l law regarding ambassador Yovanovich and own law about protecting ambassadors.
They'll get their meeting at the WH when they stop their investigation.
1
He's shackled by his own ineptitude. And that is our saving grace. Unless he drops a bomb before the election. Hopefully the generals will stop any reckless behavior. The Senate won't.
1
We know what to expect from Trump but to see the Republican party have the lunatics taking over the asylum is truly frightening.
1
Read Timothy Snyder.
The Road to Unfreedom.
Chapter 6 first....
Then understand.
Everything.
January 31, 2020 The Day Democracy Died
What a travesty of justice the Impeachment Trial of trump and all republicans have made by not calling Any Witnesses nor any Documents. Unprecedented in the history of America. Trump and all republicans must be removed en mass in the next election. Shame on you.
1
Witchhunt 2.0 failed. Trump2020. More winning.
2
So much “winning” that the Republic is on the ropes.
3
With this inconsequential speed bump now behind him, the demagogue in chief can indeed be expected to put the pedal to the metal and "floor it" on America's road to outright despotism. If there ever has been a time for "In God We Trust," this is it.
4
Th US has basically become an appartied gov't. A minority of white men controlling the govt, which rules a culturally/ racially diverse population which out numbers more than the minority.
3
When a man is unshackled by any concerns for anyone or anything other than himself, it's really not that difficult to navigate the Presidency. From the outset, Trump has shown that he will be happy to take the nation down with him should he fall. Trump has always been unshackled.
Those closest to Trump have been saying for years that he will never leave office. He will cheat and lie his way into another four years, and if he still fails to win he will not accept defeat. From the day he took office, it was clear that he intended to remain in power indefinitely. If given long enough, he will ensure that Donny Jr. is handed the reigns upon his death.
As Maya Angelou famously said, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” Trump is a Putin-style dictator. He is a liar, a cheater, a traitor, a con man, a narcissist and a fraud. He alway has been. Why pretend otherwise?
5
This article could have been written before the impeachment started.
3
As disgusting as Trump is the Republican senators are even more vile. They had an opportunity to stand up for truth and justice.But, chose to yield to political privilege and greed.It's all tied into money and political power. Greed power are what politics are all about. Not seeking the truth,or standing up for what's morally and ethically. You think Trump was an egotistical, loudmouth before. Just wait until after he's acquitted. You ain't seen nothing yet. The political system is broken.Trump is a mere symptom of a larger problem. Greed,power and privilege are the root causes. It is no longer a government of the people ,for the people, by the people. It's government of the rich ,special interests and elite.It is a sad time in American Democracy.
2
Trump’s success is the results of failure by the print and the air waves (including the internet) media neglecting to adequately label Trump’s lies, incompetence, ignorance, and lack of integrity.
Until the media points out the lies, etc. before quoting Trump’s and his enablers’ 24/7 garbage and also reduces the constant appearances of Trump and his cult on and in the media, our democratic republic is in immediate peril.
1
Why does the press listen to or ask Newt for his views and opinions?Newt has proven time and time again that he's nothing but an opportunist,liar and serial adulterer.Him and thumper are birds of a feather.No one with a modicum of common sense would pay heed to anything he says.Newt while serving in the house of reps was a dead beat dad.The local church had to provide food and clothes to his ex and their children.It was only when Newt was told repubs wouldn't support him in his re-election bid that he ponied up the money.A truly ogrish waste of flesh.
2
Given how vindictive he is there is no doubt Trump will go after any Democrat. In turn, I think, they should welcome the fight knowing well that unhinged Trump is self-destructive Trump.
2
The Democrats should get up and silently file out of the chamber the moment this criminal opens his mouth to speak at the State of the Union.
1
Do we really want another 4 years of wealthy & corrupt oligarchs, religious fanatics, fascists, bigots, industry lobbyists, mob bosses and Fox news zealots running our country?
William Barr, Mike Pompeo, Stephen Miller, Jared Kushner Betsy DeVos, Andrew Wheeler, Rudy Guiliani Wilbur Ross, Mick Mulvaney, Sean Hannity ... these self-serving grifters and zealots are as good of a reason to vote Trump out of office. Same goes for Trump's Republican lackeys in Congress who've turned a blind eye to the corruption in this administration.
4
Trump will get over the "stain" just as Bill Clinton did. Trump will weaponize impeachment and use it as fuel for reelection. God help us all if he wins. Imagine Trump "unchained."
2
History will show that the Democrats missed the low hanging fruit in the 2020 Presidential election by acting like impudent children. You can't take down dishonesty and hypocrisy by being dishonest and hypocritical. Big surprise huh. Foolishness on the left is insurmountable.
1
What pray tell tell dishonest about the way the Democrats made their case against Trump’s malfeasance? Oh yeah, they used facts, those pesky pests that you can never fully exterminates, that tend to get in the way of out and out fiction.
4
Please don't quote Newt Gingrich in your fine newspaper. He doesn't deserve to be quoted. He is just another mouthpiece who has sold his soul. Perhaps he can seek redemption at the Vatican.
2
Trump has been given NO green light. He and his corrupt senators have been exposed. He has been proven to be a pathological liar and an amoral and unpatriotic operator. And his political enemies will remind the voters at every step of the way. It irks me when newspapemen portray a cynical cover-up as a political victory, an exoneration of sorts, which the criminal can brag about.
5
Let's just impeach him again if he ever dares to step out of line again. And then vote him into oblivion and hopefully jail time for tax fraud and whatever other crimes he cooked up. Cheer up everyone, good times ahead!
2
Stained in history? That's hilarious! The absurdity and incompetence of the House Impeachment will make a big fat blot on history and should cause shame amongst the miscreants...but they're too consumed by hatred to recognize that fact. Actual real live people across America are much more aware than you can imagine what a pile of hogwash all the proceedings have been.
1
It won't take long for him to embarrass us again and especially anger his Republican besties. He loves to talk and make sure others will pay the price for this and not just he alone. He never takes the fall alone.
1
How long after the acquittal will it be before Belarus announces an investigation into Hunter Biden?
My bet is 2 days.
They made it off the leaked late-January 2020 travel ban list at the last minute somehow -- Minsk must have promised something.
1
Oh, Newt! If there’s anyone in this game who is pathological, it’s the guy with the Captain Queeg marbles rattling around in his head.
The only bright spot in all of this is that there will be no need to waste time with witnesses and evidence in Mitch McConnell's treason trial.
2
Not so fast NYtimes! This president will be impeached again within 3 months. Hopefully this time the case against him will be even stronger. Let's go Dems!
2
Let's not forget Obama declared he was unshackled. "I have the pen and the phone."
During the Clinton Impeachment I was equally angry at Clinton, Gingrich, and the Washington Post for teaching my then 12 year old daughter way more about oral sex than I wanted her to know at that age. Now I have to look at an American President who is not only unqualified but untruthful, untrustworthy and untethered by our laws and Constitution. Is it too much to ask that our President be knowledgeable about our government and the last 50 years of global history? To be able to critically evaluate this information to attack real problems instead of building a wall that blows over in the middle of the desert? And to have a moral compass that guides their decision making for the benefit of the country as a whole? Any moral compass at all?
2
So, Trump REMAINS impeached by the House and will remain Impeached for life... regardless of whether he is removed from office, by the Senate.
Why would the RNC even be interested in allowing an Impeached 1st-term President to run on their ticket for a 2nd term? How is it even LEGAL that an Impeached 1st-term President is qualified to run for a 2nd term, as an Impeached President? Is this really the best candidate the RNC can offer on the ticket? Are no other qualified Republican candidates available thus justifying an RNC primary be allowed?
This has become nuts. Wild and wooly times ahead.
Please vote - Nov 2020.
————————
The DNC needs to be extremely focused on WINNING the Senate majority and also RETAINING the House majority.
At least then, if Trump wins re-election they can work to stifle some of his antics. He can just go play golf for a couple years.
If the Republicans maintain Senate majority, it may well be a downward spiral that can not be corrected assuming Trump wins in Nov...
1
Here come the proscriptions.
The more appropriate observation, and concern, is whether the House will remain unshekeled.
1
What will we do now.?
You know, Republican presidents have come and gone, just as Democratic presidents. But this one is not normal and shouldn't be the new normal. This president is not a leader of the country, he's a rabble rouser and a charlatan who happens to be currently occupying the White House and drawing in the very worst people. He may feel triumphant for this seeming victory, but if karma is any indication, he and those in his orbit will soon be mentally, if not physically, shackled forever more.
3
I expect impeachment 2.0 in the next couple of months from another "bombshell" dropped by the NY Times. There may be impeachment 3.0 if the polls look bad this summer. The Democrats will fight on till election day using whatever means necessary. In the words of an old Chicago pol. , "don't get mad , get even".
Using Gingrichs’ “coup d’etat” quote is irresponsible without greater context. The Times should do more to explain the hyperbolic nature of the language and history of the word used by the former disgraced philandering speaker.
1
The stain is on House Democrats.
Democrats has no choice— not impeaching him over what he did with the Ukraine would have left him just as emboldened.
3
Creating a dictator. History will frown on the GOP, the party of "family values."
1
Newt Gingrich is quoted? Really?
3
There are no Republican Senators, just groveling courtiers.
3
I have this terrifying sense that Trump is going to turn the US into a modern day analogue of Germany during the late thirties.
3
The Downfall and Destruction of the GOP and Sheep that vote for them. 2020 bring on the BLUE WAVE and Tidal Wave high.
1
This is Gangsterdom, replete with Omerta, Intimidation, an support from within the population.
1
I cannot believe how pathetic our government and our country have become. We have an incompetent buffoon in the White House who has alienated more than 60% of the citizens of our country, but he retains such control over the Republicans in the House and the Senate that he can get away with anything. What is the most upsetting, though, is the nearly complete absence of bipartisan efforts in the government. This country has become so divided... a steady decline that started with Reagan in 1980...
2
So if you get away with your crimes, you can take that as vindication.
The first line of this story about killing the king can and will be misconstrued by the Right. Why give them that?
1
The tipping point has been reached. Short a complete economic collapse that might drive him from office, this will indeed embolden his worst instincts -- though I have to ask; are there any other kind?
And the entire event begs the question; what were the Democrat's thinking? From the start it was clear that the Senate would never convict, so what is their long game? Is impeaching him enough? Did that ding him more than rape allegations, Access Hollywood and a myriad of other horrid affairs? Have they pulled a few voters over to their side?
Or is this just on episode in this long, sordid reality show that seems as if it will never be cancelled....
Did anyone Notice Justice John Roberts SMILE after he delivered the verdict!
Hmmm I don’t think we have an impartial Chief Justice after all.
2
...and when the Democrats take over the Senate in January, they can impeach him again.
Trump is his own worst enemy.
He will tweet his little black heart out and say things that will drive away potential voters.
He will continue to ruin the environment and disrespect our allies. Gee, what fun we will have!
About the only thing we can count on is that Trump will be Trump.
Another plus is when Trump goes down, he will take his nasty crew with him.
Thank God for George Conway, Kellyanne's husband. When I need a reality check, I get on Twitter and see what he's tweeting. Mr. Conway has done more to restore my belief in the resistance than any other civilian figure in the news today.
Trump belongs exclusively to the Republicans now. Trump is their precious ! They will hold him tight as his corruption rots their party inside out.
1
Actually it is House Democrats who will be shackled by their incompetence and how they will explain to voters why they wasted all this time and resourced when the outcome was never in doubt. I still want to know why Hunter Biden was paid 83,000 dollars per month when he didn't even speak Ukrainian.
Let Democrats explain this.
They should at least vote for censure with no ability to run for any office again. let Trump eke out his miserable existence till December then leave for good! We have zero faith in him.
2
Trump conciliatory? Hah! Theres an old adage: “Never take advice from a man named Newt.” Trump only has one strategy- it comes directly from the dictator playbook: Lie, shout, bloviate and cheat your way to more power and adulation.” He’s in the game primarily for his own personal gain, whether it be his precious ego or his family’s pocketbook. This article fails to mention that he has not only the Senate, but the Judicial under his thumb. He can feel invincible because well, at this point he is unstoppable. Woe be the nation if he’s re-elected. Talk about bad karma - if you thought his first term was a disaster, you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet.
1
“He’s going to be Trump to the third power now. He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump. It’s going to be Trump to the third power.” - Scaramucci.
I think you need some remedial math classes, Mr. Scaramucci. Exponential functions increase faster than cubic functions.
Didn't you go to Harvard?
2
"I think this is going to empower [Trump] to be much bolder."
--Mickey Edwards
It's going to empower Putin to be much bolder as well.
1
Okay, we've endured this pathetic show of lies and more lies. The corruption continues and the GOP remain ever spineless, all of it brazenly exposed for all the voting public to see. The real test now will be whether America gets out to vote to throw the mafia thugs out of the WH and the Senate. I'm depressed now, but if all of this continues after this November, I will be in severe despair. Please everyone - no sitting at home when it comes time to vote! Especially voters in Kentucky, Maine, Colorado, Arizona!
4
The Republican senators who voted no are a sorry bunch.
3
The SOTU speech should be a humdinger.
I hope Trump turns around and hands Pelosi an “acquittal pen”.
2
When you are acquitted in the US you are deemed innocent. We uphold the "innocent until proven quilty" rights for all citizens. What is "stained" is the one-sided media coverage and the Democrats hateful behavior. When Trump is reelected by a landslide you will hear gnashing of teeth by those whose lives are filled with hate and jealousy.
1
Unshackled? I think unhinged might be more appropriate.
As for the others:
Poor Ted Cruz. Trump leaked Ted’s dad’s role in Kennedy’s assassination. Unforgivable what Ted’s father did.
Poor Lindsey Graham. Living up to John McCain’s legend when you are at best a sycophantic fool is difficult.
Poor Lisa Murkowski, who was so deeply offended by someone saying she was complicit that she actually, you know, is.
Poor Susan Collins. Mitch orchestrated a for-show only vote for her and she’s still going to lose re-election.
Poor Lamar Alexander. He’ll have to think about what he’s done while enjoying his comfy retirement and excellent health care provided by all of us. On second thought, forget it! I don’t feel sorry for Lamar!
2
Why are not more Mitt Romney's in the republican party?
1
A decent President-the likes of Nixon- would resign.
1
Here is my take on future history. I had predicted his impeachment and acquittal last year, which have come to pass, and these following events, that are yet to come, depending on who the dems choose as their candidate:
1. While his base celebrates, the backlash from his acquittal among the general population leads to Trump losing the election in 2020, despite Russian and other interference from foreign actors.
2. Trump will claim that he lost because illegal aliens, and others who were not eligible to vote voted illegally.
3. He refuses to concede, or leave the Whitehouse. Calls on his base, including racist and neo-nazi groups, Bikers for Trump, the armed forces, and police to protect him.
4. The police and armed forces stand aside, but the extremists surge into DC.
5. Political violence in America. The outcome, and the shape of the government to come, not predictable.
This, because a significant minority feel that the system is not working for them, and politicians from neither party have addressed their concerns.
An inveterate liar and narcissist focuses solely on winning and margins. But what he fails to observe is that winning is of little consequence when at the same time he loses far more than his opponents. It is now up to the Dem party to ensure his losses continue until the election. I hope he gloats about this every day, and attacks his domestic opponents with vile and porno statements. The man is his own worse enemy, and I believe he has singlehandedly lost the necessary trait needed to be elected president. He has lost all respect, and the people of our country will not stand for it.
To all of you in red and purple states: concentrate on flipping the Senate and strengthening the House. That means you, Kentuckians!
4
When Lamar Alexander said convicting Trump would be like pouring gasoline on the fire, it felt just like gasoline hitting the flames devouring the last shreds of democracy in this country.
Maybe Trump devotees don’t feel the fire, but the rest of us do.
Vote every single one of these traitors out in November. Every last one.
4
In a world where democracy continues to thrive in the United States, the GOP does not survive this treachery.
4
Something we must remember: This is a real crisis for our country. The Republican Senators didn't get there on their own. Americans voted for them, so we need to ask ourselves who are "We, the people"? A country gets what it votes for, and an ignorant populace will get an ignorant president and a group of self serving followers. The choice of the Republican opponent has never been more important. We face a war where the enemy is FOX, bots, foreign interference, lies and more lies. The battle begins now. Who can beat Trump? Keep that criterion in mind, and vote with your head, not necessarily with your heart. A lot depends on that choice.
5
@Daphne correction of my statement above. The choice of the Democrat candidate has never been more important.
I trust Mr. Scaramucci's political sense, but not his arithmetic ("He’s going to be Trump to the third power now. He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump"). Arithmetically, exponential not only beats third power, it beats any power!
And I don't see Trump limited to any power anyway; that's always been his modis operandi - maximum nasty.
It's standard operating procedure for former White House advisers to let the WH "vet" a book or article, and that doesn't change just because the adviser's book is leaked. The NYT seems to feel that a former adviser -- Bolton, for example -- may and should just tell all.
But that's not how it works. Never has been, and future Democratic Presidents will want to know that they can meet with advisers without worrying that their conversations are some day going to be splashed across the front pages of newspapers.
1
@ Commenter
Executive privilege does not apply when there is criminal activity involved.
I want to see Trump's tax records. I hope they come out before elections. This is what con-man Trump fears the most. His tax records hold an ocean of evidence of cheating and robbing America. Disclose Jevanka's tax records too. We may gasp at how easily Americans allow themselves to be conned.
3
@Expat
Do you really think so? Do you think that people engage in criminal activity and then dutifully declare it on on their taxes? Really? Are people of voting age really that naive?
The priority is voter participation. We can unseat these hucksters in the senate and white house with more turnout.
We had an election last Sunday here in Emilia-Romagna, Italy to elect the regional president. Thanks also to anti-fascist Sardine movement that filled piazzas large and small, voter turnout doubled from 2014, and the capable center left candidate won reelection when a far right victory seemed plausible. You can't believe the sense of relief.
More voter registration and urge for participation please!
3
Yes, this is going to be the obvious outcome I am loath to say, however as Tom Cruise said in the last MI film "It's never over, till we say it's over..." Call it as the legal profession does in such matters as "The unforeseeable" e.g. health, acts of God and much more and this game is far from over with. Having said that I feel sick and ill to my stomach. We cannot have this go on any longer! I mean more mayhem, chaos and madness for another 4 years?
I think not. America is or was a very strong country, however we have no more time or patience for all of this 'crazy'. None whatsoever. Climate change alone with not stop nor cease while 'The Donald' plays with our world while flying in his gold plated jet.
Maybe it is indeed to leave the USA for other more evolved destinations in Nordic Europe etc. However I love my home in California. Now I'm not going to sleep tonight, or the weeks and years after this time.
God help us.
2
Unshackled, unimpeded, unhinged and very dangerous to our country Trump will be.
Why obey any statute or Constitutional provision when the see nothing, say nothing and do nothing Trumplicans will just turn away from the actions of a despot they enabled?
Those authoritarian leaders our founders attempted to prevent will soon be upon us and the sad politicians will merely wring their hands.
2
Thanks to the Democrats who began looking for a do over the day after the election that they could not believe they lost, impeachment will be the new normal for successive presidents.
1
This travesty is more evidence that no god or real justice exists.
Any bets on when Democrats will roll out their next hoax?
I’m predicting the morning of Wednesday, 5th February. Exoneration Day.
2
@JQGALT
Prepare yourself for the oncoming waves of evidence of corruption perpetrated by Don the Con and his mafia clan.
You good with that?
1
@Jgalt
Haha.
No trial.
No exoneration.
1
Trump is expecting Democrats to fold after Wednesday. The best thing to do is to not comply. Keep hounding him. He deserves it.
3
The last thing the world needs is an emboldened Donald Trump. His Republican Party is a thoroughly corrupt cult obsessed with greed, reckless plundering, and fiscal irresponsibility.
The overripe economic recovery so carefully crafted by the Obama administration is precarious. The deficit is ballooning like a bloated carcass. Putin has something on Trump and his enablers, and it's only a matter of time before he exploits it. Climate change is probably already irreversible, and his indifference to consequences will only hasten and exacerbate the coming crises.
Oh, and there's a deadly new pathogen spreading like wildfire, and he dismantled our response system.
What's not to look forward to?
2
Trump has been ruling by fiat since the day he took office. His dismantling of regulatory protections, his unchallenged demonizing of immigrants and others, his congenital lying, and this dog-and-pony show of an impeachment trial illustrates what a phony democracy we have in this country. If one man can wreak this havoc unchecked, while the super rich clean up in the stock market and silently approve, we indeed live in a plutocratic autocracy. There's never a Winter Palace around when you need one.
1
@Tony Long
I liked the Winter Palace reference.
All roads lead to Russia.
“Victory”? He was impeached. The stain will stay with him forever in history.
Forever.
3
So what is the remedy? The House of Representatives can impeach any executive or judicial government official. Impeach Vice President Mike Pence now. Impeach Attorney General William Barr now. Impeach Secretary of State Mike Pompeo now. Impeach Acting Chief of Staff Mike Mulvaney now. And then impeach President Trump again for all his other unprosecuted crimes described in the Mueller Report. Sue in the courts to enforce the Houses’ subpoenas.
Fight Trump now 24/7 every day he remains in office. Defeat him mercilessly in the campaign and the 2020 election. If there is any possibility of Trump winning the Electoral College in October 2020, the Democratic candidate should ask every foreign government to contribute money to the Democratic Party, and instruct their cyberwarfare departments to hack the computers of the Republican Party and every Republican candidate. It’s legal. It’s fair.
1
Considering wthe Senate's obfuscation and crime of not living up to their sworn obligations - The Democrats should vote for a new set of impeachment violations that Trump has made - such as well take your pick.
Democrats may as well jump into the scuffle with both feet!
Go after that GOP Senate with everything you got, a new round of impeachment charges for starters...
1
Democracy is supposed to protect the people against the rise of autocratic rulers. With an acquittal from the Republican senators on the impeachment charges, they may be about to give birth to an American autocratic president in the mold of Benito Mussolini. The obstruction of the congressional right to investigate the executive branch was plain to see by anyone following the news. The president’s lawyers did not contest that. Where else but Mitch McConnell’s senate could this have happened?
2
The Republican Party has made it clear to Americans: we don't care what's obvious or right. We'll rig elections as we please with help from whomever we can get it from. Try to stop us.
3
According to Dersch et als arguments, IMPOTUS can now ask the Russians to hack our voting machines and rig our elections because he sees it as in his best interest to be re-elected, which means its in America’s best interest. Can fealty oaths be far behind?
3
Considering that Trump did not win the popular vote, that he has not ever had a majority of Americans liking how he's done his job as president, and that he was impeached, most politicians ought to take what happened as a warning. There are limits. Trump has trespassed, has committed crimes. The GOP was wrong to refuse to have witnesses testify. What were they afraid of if Trump was innocent? It's plain that the GOP is not a trustworthy party or one that has the best interests of the average American in mind.
Trump will be acquitted and the losers will be the American public. Neither he nor the GOP will take what happened as a warning. It's not a case of once burned, twice shy. It's a vindictive, selfish man/men going out of his/their way to take advantage of power no matter who is destroyed. It's a sad day in America.
2/1/2020 7:45pm first submit
2
Unshackled? More likely emboldened.
Look, I find Trump both repulsive and inept, but statements like “Now Mr. Trump, who has said that the Constitution ‘allows me to do whatever I want’” knowingly take his words out of context in order to feed the view—created and perpetuated by Trump himself—that he is both above and outside the law. The NYT should not play Fox’s game of fearmongering and misrepresentation. It only justifies Trump’s cries of “fake news” when nearly everything else he says, taken IN context—is usually enough to make him unfit for the highest office of the land. Trump wasn’t saying what you are implying he was saying, Mr. Baker. Maybe in his head he believes it, but it isn’t what he was saying.
The Republican Senate has joined the long list of everyone and everything that Trump touches is corrupt.
1
GOP senators were all co-conspirators in President Trumps crimes and each should pay the price in their next elections starting with Mc McConnell and Lindsey Graham. Every republican with sound hearing heard the testimony of witnesses and heard the words of the president and his chief of staff and knew without a doubt that “their Don” was guilty.
Lamar Alexander stated that the evidence was clear the President was guilty but hid behind more Dershowitz malarkey that for the “for the good” of the of a divided country, he was going to vote to acquit the president.
It is fanciful to believe that for three years Trump did nothing but divide and deconstruct the nations institutions to such an extent that all we are left with is something resembling a box of disassembled Legos and the GOP is “NOW concerned” about a divided nation. This Kingpin President committed crimes and his lieutenants were complicit. They should all be “taken out” in November.
Trump will be supporting Caligula’s horse to run for the seat being vacated by Lamar Alexander. If the horse wins, Vegas will be taking book to see how long it will take before any of the other Senators notice the change.
1
Maybe he will be the first with multiple impeachments on his record. The Democrats in the house need to double down on presidential oversight now that we now toe Cowards in the Senate will not do their jobs. The first thing they need to do subpoena John Bolton.
Short of declaring Marital Law, I do hope the FBI is keeping tabs of right wing militias" there is little Trump can do to stymie House Investigations. The more he obstructs the more guilty Americans see the Trump.
A more intelligent president would be humbles by this close call. The ignoramus Trump is embolden. It Trump continues he risks making all Republicans look like obedient neutered poodles.
If acquitted as expected Trump is not stained as all.
It's those, Pelosi, Nandler, Schiff etc... who are stained.
They sent to the senate an impeachment case that was as solid as a soap bubble.
2
@Reader In Wash, DC
The case was solid, at least to anyone who looked at the evidence impartially. This Senate would not have convicted Trump even if he had said "I asked Zelensky to make up dirt on Biden and withheld the military aid because Vlady (Putin) told me to"! The Republican Senate didn't want add'l witnesses and documents because they didn't want the American public to see how corrupt Trump is.
3
Mr. Edwards may believe that "they can't impeach him again", but they can, and they should. The House should deliver another bill of impeachment, and another after that, until the carbuncle is drained.
1
This is why Nancy Pelosi took so long to submit the articles of impeachment. She knew it wouldn't work. Yes it bothers Trump to know end. But he will be stronger & he will seek revenge. He will do things on purpose just to get at Democrats. Gut more regulations. Go after Medicare & Social Security. Tons more money to the military. Wherever he sees he can stick the knife in he will. Emboldened, yes indeed. And lord help us if he is elected again, because he will be totally unrestrained. ..
You know what's the best thing people can do right now. Don't tune in to the State Of The Union. Make it have the poorest ratings ever. All it will be is a bunch of lies anyway. And extremely boring. With the Republicans standing & clapping every couple minutes. Just a complete joke.
2
I wish I could believe that democrats will learn to put on their boxing gloves. Each time an opportunity presents itself to show some chutzpa and hit them with the truth, democrats "go high". Genteel behavior has no business in the ring with the republicans. They have shown time and time again they will stand behind
a lying, amoral, unethical president and swear he tells the truth. I am beyond disgusted and I thought I couldn't be any more outraged than I was when he was elected. We've got to fight fire with fire, I'll live with my guilt.
2
“the Constitution 'allows me to do whatever I want' “
Thank you very much for providing a link to the *full quote* which many contend has been extensively misquoted and quoted out of context. Judge for yourself:
"Look, Article II. I would be allowed to fire Robert Mueller. He wasn't fired. Okay? Number one, very importantly. But more importantly, Article II allows me to do whatever I want. Article II would have allowed me to fire him [Robert Mueller.]." – President Trump
Trump is referring to his ability to hire and fire anyone in his administration, with or without cause, for any reason or for no reason at all.
“As the duly elected president of the United States, Trump has the authority to hire and fire anybody in his administration.” – Charlie Spierling
1
That specimen Trump thinks he is unshackled. He will get a dose of reality if the House decides not to stand down, and continues to investigate him.
1
If Trump goes off the rails completely in his second term, can he be impeached a second time?
We think that the Senate is the world's greatest deliberative body.
I saw a trial without documents or witnesses. I saw a trial unlike others held to remove judges and presidents. I saw a professor from a prestigious school invent a cockamamie theory to give cover for the stable genius’ (SG). If a politician thinks his election is in the public interest, he can do whatever he wants to win the election? Even break the law? The professor needs to leave the Ivy League halls to mingle with those of us who don’t belong to the cult. We know malarkey when we hear it!
I saw the GOP knowing their verdict before the trial began. I saw the GOP so afraid of a Congress that reflects our changing demographics that they are willing to give carte blanche to the SG! I saw the GOP willing to kowtow to the SG in exchange for conservative judges and tax cuts. I saw the GOP willing to jeopardize our Republic!
What I didn’t see was deliberation! Putin and the other dictators must be having a grand time at our expense. Our allies must be laughing at us for allowing this farce without protests.
BTW: I have jury duty soon. Shall I tell the judge that I have plans and can’t spend much time in court? Shall I tell him that I’ve decided on verdict and don’t need to see documents or hear witnesses? Shall I tell him I think the defendant behaved inappropriately but it’s not bad enough to send him to jail? Shall I ask him why I can’t do the same things as the GOP jurors?
1
How will our empire survive?
1
Trump doesn’t do remorse, he does revenge! There will be eight more months of bragging and bullying and foul mouthed insults.This performance is trite and tiresome.The voting public will want to know when they can get good health care and be assured that Medicare and Social Security will not be altered.Trump thinks that it is all about him-in 2020 voters want their voices heard, their concerns addressed.Trump’s narcissistic ramblings have played in a loop for three years-enough-the voters have a chance to silence this loudmouth in November and put the pieces of their Democracy back together again.
1
America has now it's first Dictator. The office of President, a person who is supposed to uphold the Constitution and speak for all Americans is NO MORE!
And as someone in trump's administration put it, "Get Use To It."
I disagree. He is not intact. He is this weak mouse protected under layers and layers of hard shell formed by sickening political interest groups. We have to hit this shell as hard as we can every time and it will show crack and then it will break and then it will crumble. That’s when the mouse is exposed.
Was Obama shackled? Must have been if Trump is unshackled. What does it mean pray tell? The House no longer in session? Pelosi stays in CA? The federal courts stop all actions?
1
Wish I knew of a way to move myself and about 80,000 like minded people to Wisconsin, Michigan or PA for a year. I knew trump would be awful but had no inkling of the pure criminality to come, back in 2016. Was never religious, but it does feel now like the devil has been unleashed.
2
Trump will be acquitted next week. And that acquittal will only strengthen his notion that "the Constitution “allows me to do whatever I want”.
The corruption so many of us believe he was guilty of in the past will, in all likelihood, be pale in comparison to what he may do in the next 10 months, and heaven forbid, the next four years.
This nightmare only gets worse and scarier by the day.
Thanks Republicans (sarcasm inserted).
2
Anyone that truly thinks trump will change is wrong and does not understand people like him. They are never wrong in their own minds and therefore believe they can continue to exercise a level of corruptness and righteousness and get away with it. trump is a prime example of an ego that is larger than he is and therefore he can do as he pleases. That's the way bullies operate and certainly he is a grand bully. I doubt that he has ever admitted that he was wrong about anything in his entire life.
2
Point is, Donald John Trump is America at its worst.
And we elected this....person.
Time to sort ourselves out, accept a few responsibilities, kick not just him but this to the curb.
Maybe even show up to vote, Millenials.
2
Predicting that DJT will use the acquital by his band of Merry Traitors as his excuse to not debate the Democratic nominee. He won't be able to defend his record these past
3 years, in any debate, without further incriminating himself or carelessly letting slip another of his illegal actions.
His cowardice should finally be the end of us having to hear the name Trump.
1
I really hope, that when all is said and done, Trump will drain the swamp, as he has promised he would do. The swamp of the present terrifically irresponsible and shameless Republican Senators who have bowed down to Trump, and who I hope, will all go down the drain, following his suds, in likely 2024, if not before.
The Dems instigated this nonsensical impeachment morass and now they complain about the outcome which any even semi-informed person could have easily predicted. Leave it to them to always overplay their hand.
2
@ Gustavo
No, leave it to the Republicans to be so corrupt, so craven, as to
have a trial with no witnesses.
(That trip toMoscow this past July by Senators Shelby, Daines, Kennedy, Thune Moran, and Hoeven, and Representative Granger really paid off for Putin.) No one would believe that these self-serving, hypocritical Republicans would think it was just marvy for Don the Con (aka Putin’s Puppet) to obstruct congress and justice in plain sight. No documents, no witnesses. Just like a government trial in Russia!!!
1
The only cause for optimism in this whole disgusting mess is that he still believes enough in democracy to continue to campaign. Who will be surprised if he declares the election unnecessary and proclaims himself king?
1
“It’s the economy, stupid.”
In the privacy of the voting booth, most people vote for who they think will best help them and their families. With a record stock market and lowest unemployment in 50 years — there’s little chance any of the current Democrats can unseat Trump, with the exception possibly of Bloomberg. Warren and Sanders appeal only to the progressive base and will be destroyed in the general election if they think radically changing the system is the answer (as in sports, don’t change a winning strategy); Biden is weak and tainted; the others are too far out of it to be considered.
Best chance for Democrats: a brokered convention and Bloomberg getting the nomination. He has the cred on the economy and would win the Democrats, most Independents, and many disgruntled Republicans.
2
Only stained in the Dem's history books. This was an entirely partisan effort to overturn a national election. Dems don't like Trump. I get it. But they totally blew the Impeachment. Couldn't find any crime - let alone an action worth removal from office. What a farce!
1
How did anyone not see this coming? Trump and his followers will now claim acquittal as an exoneration and emerge from this more arrogant than ever.
The Democrats now have the chance to compound their enormous error by nominating Sanders or Warren, ensuring another four years of this.
I find it shocking so many people still believe our elections are fair and free. This Impeachment shame has foretold that Trump will stay in power no matter what, maybe indefinitely. This is how Democracy dies.
Mostly what I took away from this piece is that Gingrich is still awful and prone to lying almost as casually as Trump. The rest was pretty much known already.
Will anyone be surprised when Trump puts a hold on the 2020 aid to Ukraine until Zelinsky announces an investigation into the Bidens? And why just Ukraine?
That’s what I would do if I were so unfortunate as to be Donald Trump.
How does it alter the Bloomberg push? He is armour plated against a trump full frontal so he might get the ticket yet
The Republican Party will pay for this betrayal of justice.
1
“Trump to the third power” would be “power Trump”—not “exponential Trump,” which would be something like “3 to the Trump.” The Mooch is indeed (inadvertently) correct that “exponential Trump” would exceed “power Trump” in the long run, since “Trump to the third” is less than “3 to the Trump” as Trump approaches infinity, but he doesn’t quite get what exponents are as being “Trump to the third” is not different in terms of classification from why I’m guessing he thinks “Trump squared” is. Regardless, it’s good to confirm that people in high places in government couldn’t pass 6th grade algebra. Not like they make important calculations regularly.
“He is going to ratchet it up to another level now,” said Anthony Scaramucci, the onetime White House communications director who has broken with Mr. Trump. “He’s going to be Trump to the third power now. He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump. It’s going to be Trump to the third power.”
Democrats will be energized.
Independents will be energized.
Even the civil rights movement had its setbacks.
The long arc of history may bend towards justice eventually.
I think we have the evidence to seek justice at this moment.
2
More evidence likely would show Trump's committed crimes. Dershowitz' defense of Trump is that his client believed what he was doing was right, even required to defend his reelection because: he believes he's the best President for America; and he thought Joe and Hunter Biden were persecuting him for trying to win reelection by plotting to undermine his effort. It reminded me of the M'Naghten Rule. Don't try this at home unless you're Trump.
Under M'Naghten "...a criminal defendant is not guilty by reason of insanity if at the time of the alleged criminal act the defendant was so deranged that he did not know the nature or quality of his actions or, if he knew the nature and quality of his actions, he was so deranged that he did not know that what he was doing was wrong.
Congress was already warned by a group of duty-bound psychiatrists Trump is not sane. Senate Republicans admit he was wrong, yet they're suppressing real evidence. They also know that once acquitted Trump will keep it up. It's not like he absorbs position papers all day. If they're aware of the risk he incurs because he knows not right from wrong, are they in any way responsible for bad outcomes? Trump stated he can shoot 5 people on 5th Ave. and get away with it. If under M'Naghten he's insane, are his protectors in any way responsible for knowingly abetting a lunatic? There aren't enough dunce hats to go around.
Trump's credibility problems will continue to escalate after impeachment because of an American public (outside of his base) who have gotten very exhausted by his endless scandals.
3
History- and the next generation- will not think highly of Trump.
5
For a behind-the-scenes account of how the GOP got to their witness vote, read WaPo’s “Inside the Senate Trial” dated 2/1.
Probably not the Last Word on this story.
2
The president hasn’t been beaten up for three years; he’s made three years of unforced errors, unfulfillable promises, and corrupt practices. He didn’t triumph here. A trial with witnesses might have looked something like a triumph even with a forgone conclusion. This is just a coverup.
6
Depressing and frightening. Trump is renown at hitting back harder at anyone who criticizes him. No more whistle blowing.
America is in no way a democracy, a federal republic maybe, but now with the GOP acts as if we had a Parliamentary system and follows its dear leader in lockstep.
And finally, what's to stop Trump trying for a third term or at the very least using the tools he has developed to ensure a Pence presidency.
I only have one observation.
Yes trump seems to have escaped his latest battle with the aid of a timid, scheming and lawless republican senate.
But this in no way suggests that justice in any way was responsible or even present at this public republican charade. No documents, no witnesses allowed, cherry picked lies, legal augments that bordered on the absurd, and a very partial republican majority in no way equal justice.
So no matter what happens in the next few days...the over riding truth is the president of the United States committed impeachable crimes against the country; he knows it.
4
The Democrats should have censured the president. It would have been a clear non-partisan message that the president's tactics are not in keeping with the ethics and standards of a US president. No, they tried to overturn the election and made a mockery of the impeachment process and buffoons of themselves. Opportunity lost by a self-inflicted wound.
1
@W Ogilvie
A mockery?
Ha. No, they just exercised their Constitutionally mandate of oversite of the criminal in the White House.
Trump makes a mockery of the Constitution, laws, truth, and facts everyday that he is in office.
Trump is not stained. The losing Democrats with their partisan antics are stained. History will portray this as one of the most bifurcated times in our political history. And the shallow effort of the Democrats attempting to remove Trump as president will be viewed as a low point in our history. Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative, this is dismal point in our country.
2
Peter Baker got it right-Trump always plays the victim. He will be full of sound and fury but signifying nothing. Dems will call characterize his Impeachment trial as a Sham.Those Republicans running in 2020 will have to defend Trump. That will put them at a distinct disadvantage with Independent Voters. My fearless forecast is that the Dems will win the WH, the Senate and hold the House come November. Revenge will be served cold.
3
The more he gets away with the worse he will get. Impeachment didn't make him worse; so-called "exoneration" didn't make him worse. He is who he is. Repub pols who enable him are who they are. These events present the perfect opportunity for the nation to renounce its worst tendencies, all of which Trump embodies. Are Dems supposed to stand down and not participate in the election in order to avoid giving any offense to His Majesty? G.W. Bush and his crowd should have set the Republican Party back a generation, but it didn't. Trump gives us a second chance. Blow this one and we might not get a third.
2
Trump's been a bad boy.
But even his supporters should not be be going around saying "Now he can ratchet up..." or "Now he can do anything he wants".
We the people must continue to point to bad judgement, manipulation, lies, loss of protections and regulations and the short term inflation of the economy that looks good now but historically leads to suffering from the middle classes down to the poor while those at the top don't care.
This is not over. Vote in November!
5
Citizens United puts corporations in charge of our government since "they" are actively buying our representatives. That decision makes R Senators look like homeless persons lined up for a meal. McConnell controls the CU payouts. The Puppetmaster at work. Fight to get rid of Citizens United. Stock holders already have their voice, as Citizens!
1
George W Bush thought his re-election in 2004 was vindication of his handling of 9/11 and Iraq - basically an attaboy from the American public for the torture, WMD lies, Abu Ghraib, and the calamitous management of the wars. He bragged that he had a mandate.
2005-2008 was a sorry tale of failure, decline and defeat for him. Please everyone go back and look at the news from that time. Your memory can be selective, but facts are all there, please check them and see.
January 30, 2020, will be the beginning of the decline of the Trump presidency. This is not a wish, just a fact. The shine is off the statue, and the rubbish at its core is showing through.
1
It is easy to anticipate Trump's next move. Just think what would a ruthless mob boss do that had just escaped conviction after successfully rigging the judge and the jury. Celebrate and ramp up his operations.
Of what use is the SCOTUS if POTUS is no longer subject to investigation or indictment?
Republicans will keep losing elections for a long time, a very long time.
3
“When you strike at a king,” Emerson famously said, “you must kill him.”
We have no kings to strike at, but we do have those who would so aspire and worthy of striking at, regardless of party.
We need not name all names as our media names most of those for us. But, crying in the wilderness of the electoral college are those whose voices are hardly heard.
Et tu, Brute´....
1
Nothing, not even the so called acquittal, would change the fact that this president is a person with NO integrity and with him the majority of his Republicans.
Unfortunately, this is the beginning of the end of the Republic...
“He is going to ratchet it up to another level now,” said Anthony Scaramucci, the onetime White House communications director who has broken with Mr. Trump. “He’s going to be Trump to the third power now. He’s not going to be exponential Trump because that’s not enough Trump. It’s going to be Trump to the third power.”
Wow, our country really needs MATH (Make America Think Harder). The exponential function grows faster than any power function! He should have said, "It's not going to be Trump squared, or even Trump cubed. It's going to be exponential Trump."
Never thought I would see the day America would become a corrupt dictatorship. Voters must remove Trump and all the Republican senators involved in this cover up if we are ever to restore our democracy.
2
Trump has my vote. The Democrats have exposed themselves as the true threat to democracy, trying to overturn an election by hook or crook. Sad.
3
Would the NYT’s and other media outlets please stop quoting or giving any platform for Newt Gingrich to express his opinions. The man has done so much to damage America that he should be treated like toxic waste. That he continues to support or disgraceful president is all that needs to be said.
2
Unshackled?
He has never been shackled. Does not acknowledge any form of shackle.
He will just be able to continue his “executive power” plays.
I would like to hate the Republicans for all the GOP has done, but I can't. On an individual level I know too many good ones who are close to me, good friends and relatives. To the citizen who happens to be a Republican I suppose I would say, don't fear me because I love a black woman. We are still your fellow citizens and neighbors, whatever skin our children may have. Don't fear your fellow Americans over skin color. We are stronger together.
1
trump will tell his base he will cancel the election and invalidate the constitution and they will dance and cheer.
I'm no longer sure winning the Presidency is as important as winning the Senate. We must win the Senate and then vote to destroy it.
1
Let's get those old and "frozen-in-place" Senators being held hostage by Trump and his Mob replaced by some new blood soon. They have been in place too long and have seemed to have forgotten that this is a democracy with three equal branches of government. The pendulum swings back and forth. I will make the best use I can of my voting power.
The outcome of the impeachment process was not acquittal, since there was not a trial, but surrender by a bunch of GOP cowards serving an autocrat. No matter the outcome, the impeachment was necessary because the obvious abuse of power by an unscrupulous president could not go unchallenged. The president can be aggrieved all he wants but most people will eventually tune him out, repelled by a grown man who whines all the time.
True patriots in government and the media cannot give up efforts to uncover the vast corruption of this administration. Everyone knows it is not necessary to hear from the Ukraine whistleblower, rather, threats against him serve the purpose of intimidating potential new whistleblowers. One can only hope that trump’s mobster mentality coupled with incompetence and inability to solve real problems (rather than clean up messes he created) will lead to serious trump reality-show fatigue. Not sure this will happen before November 2020, but if he is re-elected, I look forward to the inevitable rush to start talking about 2024. That will drive the whiny narcissist crazy.
1
The McConnell Doctrine, Part 1: No Supreme Court nomination shall be considered during a Presidential election year, unless the Senate and President are of the same Republican party.
The McConnell Doctrine, Part 2: No impeached Republican President shall be convicted by the Senate.
2
If this whole tawdry affairs culminating in the grifters’ savage abuse of the constitution doesn’t motivate patriots to get out the vote in November and tip this foul lot out of power, I truly don’t know what will.
As Thomas Jefferson said, “The government you elect is the government you deserve”
2
The recent, ongoing, challenges to America’s political experiment of democracy, a blob in human history and civil and less than civil society, ethics, laws, traditions, rights, obligations, accountabilities, personal and systemic wellbeing, can be an opportunity for much needed reassessments.
What are the boundaries, if any, for the freedom to BE complacent about...or complicit in...?
What are the boundaries, if any, for constraining the direct operating of a consensualized principle of one person, one vote?
Perhaps even based on national criteria; not local, in a functioning United States, not only semantically?
Given that policymaking, from micro to mega issues, entails types, levels, and qualities of relevant awareness, perceptions, sensitivities, thinking, feeling, judgment, decision-making, timely implementation, learning from outcomes in order to be more effective the next time, cease as well as begin anew when realities change, should selected and elected candidates, and those already serving, need to be (re)licensed? As drivers are. Doctors and dentists are. Plumbers are. Teachers are.
A paradox: parents and policymakers, both complex roles responsible for the lives, health, wellbeing, and much more, are unlicensed. By and large doing as they choose to. How they choose to.When they choose to.Or not.With impunity.
Parents create their offspring through intercourse. Policymakers, all too often, create their “offspring” through a similar but other named process.
There is no “stain” on Mr. Trump’s record as a result of this purely partisan impeachment. All this demonstrates is that the Democrat party hates him, and Republicans stand with him—but we already knew that. The impeachment was nothing but a vicarious election.
@Guapoboy
How is a partisan Senate acquittal any more valid than a partisan House impeachment? The Senate actions merely indicates that the Reps in Congress fear Trump and his base in the party. There action indicates thast they care nothing of the 75% of Americans who wanted to see and hear additional witnesses.
After the up coming election, “if it’s in the national interest” according to the republicans to have one, if we lose the electoral college AGAIN even with a 10 million popular democrat vote count AND if Putin’s puppet wins again, many of us (who can afford to) will be deciding if we want to live in a dictatorship or not.
Have your passport ready and your ducks in a row.
There is no perfect place, but to go live where it isn’t a dictatorship is a start.
2
Trump and McConnell will get their payback in the next election. They are political dinosaurs.
Prediction:
Trump will win a second term. Voters will give him control of the House, he'll keep control of the Senate and in 4 years he will just be reappointed as President. Think that's crazy? Who's gonna stop him?
@Todd
Voters who are sick and tired of corrupt and lying Republicans will stop him. If not, say goodbye to this country's constitutional government.
2
Trump will pull some unConstitutional stunt again real soon, and be impeached again - don’t worry it’s only a matter of time.
What kind of person deserves to hold the highest office in the land? Despite what I think Americans feel qualifies as an ideal candidate for the Presidency – someone with high ideals, someone thoughtful and just – it looks as if many voters seem to relish your president’s shortcomings. It is incomprehensible how a man who lies more often than he tells the truth, lacks empathy, who has no problems using inflammatory language, a philanderer, who is grandiose, callous, rude, arrogant, disagreeable and narcissistic to the core could hold such sway over his party. It is imperative he is ousted from his undeserved post. We all know that if not for the Electoral College he would not hold the office. I think it is crucial that the workings of that archaic institution - which no doubt served the country well hundreds of years ago - need to be re-vamped. The fact that despite many Republican Senators admit his guilt and yet will not impeach him is another complication; I do not know enough about the Senate’s workings to suggest how one could amend this shortcoming. Let us hope that this disastrous president is a one-off, and that sanity will prevail in November.
1
I feel held hostage in my own country.
Such a sentence was never even a germ of a thought, that combination of words. It is so ludicrously farfetched.
Yet here I am. Unfathomable. Tearing me up. Unimaginable. Yet true.
1
Donald Trump is a petty vindictive bully. The vote on witnesses showed us that the Republicans fear his vindictiveness more than they love Our Country. So many have stated that what he did is wrong but does not qualify for Impeachment as "abuse of power". That is a cop out. Of course his obstruction of Congress has been aided and abetted by the Republicans in Congress. If the Independents that supported Trump in 2016 decide that Trump is NOT fit to be the Face of America for another 4 years and the Democrats run an intelligent campaign (what Hilary Clinton failed to do) by not sinking to his level he will lose in November. My big fear is the damage Donald Trump's vindictiveness will do to Our Country between election day and January 20, 2021. I am, however, willing to take the risk of voting against him in November because giving Donald Trump anoither 4 years will be more dangerous.
1
Speaker Newt Gingrich, a strong ally of the president’s. “He’s been beaten up for three solid years and he’s still standing. That’s an amazing achievement if you think about it.”
Sorry Newt, all this shows is that the republican congress are nothing more than a bunch of lackeys who collectively have no backbone nor respect for our country and constitution!
1
There is a discrepancy between Dershowitz's position and that of the Supreme Court in the case of Nixon's tapes. In that case,
' The Court's opinion found that the courts could indeed intervene on the matter and that Special Counsel Jaworski had proven a "sufficient likelihood that each of the tapes contains conversations relevant to the offenses charged in the indictment". While the Court acknowledged that the principle of executive privilege did exist, the Court would also directly reject President Nixon's claim to an "absolute, unqualified Presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process under all circumstances."
The Court held that a claim of Presidential privilege as to materials subpoenaed for use in a criminal trial cannot override the needs of the judicial process if that claim is based, not on the ground that military or diplomatic secrets are implicated, but merely on the ground of a generalized interest in confidentiality. Nixon was then ordered to deliver the subpoenaed materials to the District Court.'
2
What will soon make feel itself in the US is the trickle down effect that was conjured so often by the Republicans.
Except what will trickle down is not prosperity, it is the foul smelling juices of the rot at the top of this government.
3
Bravo Mr President . It’s been sad to see the Democratic leadership debase the Congress by engaging in its farcical impeachment show . Speaker Pelosi has proven herself to be completely incompetent and should do the nation a favor a resign.
2
@Common Ground
Trump is the farcical feature in Washington and should do the nation a favor and resign.
A dark, thoroughly depressing and entirely plausible scenario, but it omits the possibility that the Democrats can take the Senate this fall. at least that would limit the damage he can do, and another impeachment could succeed.
1
I guess it is now unimpeachable and lawful for any future president to seek assistance from any number of foreign allies - or adversary's for that matter - by using financial coercion, or otherwise, to obtain damaging information against an opponent. OK: "Russia, China, Ukraine, etc., help us publish Trump's tax-returns and any other financial evidence that he has broken the law." What's good for the goose....
2
@logic Just wait until Democrats try the same thing and then laugh at Republican indignation. It will be the true test of their faith. Republicans are big on audacity.
The "emboldened Trump will take his victory" also to Russia and Putin for assistance, as well as the Chinese, Turkey's Erdogan, Saudi Arabia' MBS, and every other foreign state with both expert hackers and a friendly strongman.
3
“He’s been beaten up for three solid years and he’s still standing. That’s an amazing achievement if you think about it.” No, Newt. It.s not. He’s only still standing because the Republican Party has unanimously propped him up. Had they had the moral integrity to put the country before their own party or before their own ambitions, he would have been dead in the water a long time ago.
4
Don't forget that some people will lie to pollsters about whether they support a controversial figure. It's a recognized phenomenon. Trump may have more support than polling indicates.
1
I'm sending a congratulatory letter to McConell & Co. Thanking them for increasing presidential powers/executive privilege. This will greatly facilitate President Sander's administration.
As for "letting the voters decide," has anyone noticed the "changes" to the GOP primaries/nominating process?
This is what dictatorship looks like.
2
A lot of column inches were devoted to this news analysis, but I didn’t see one mention of the crazy notion that Democrats pursuing impeachment for such grave offenses were proceeding simply because it is the right thing to do. Not one. Nor was it noted that the Speaker resisted “going there” for months, despite enormous pressure from her caucus and plenty of legitimate reasons to do so. Instead, the framing is exactly how GOP wants the impeachment articles to be perceived, all done in the name of a political calculation: it didn’t move the needle on public opinion polls and serves up fodder for his next Fox interview. Even the headline is framed pro Trump: “first” tainted? Forever tainted.
1
Trump cut back the Medicaid expansion of the last decade last week, while we were all focused on impeachment. Now the elderly and disabled won’t have access to the healthcare they need. President Trump and the Republicans are ruining our great country.
2
I wonder how much more damage an unleashed Trump will do. Republicans in Congress, it will all be on you. I hope voters remember this in November.
3
Since acquittal was never in doubt, McConnell made a tactical and strategic error. The tactical error was in working in tandem with Trump.
The strategic error was in 'limiting' damage by holding a witness and document-free trial. It fooled no one and showed how dishonest Republicans are. Obviously Democrats made a compelling case. Even those Senators who saved Trump had to qualify their participation in a rigged trial by acknowledging Trump's wrong doing. Their one out was to say it didn't reach the level of impeachment. Frankly that should have been McConnell's play all along. But in working in tandem with Trump he had to go with the 'perfect call' story line. Someone should have explained to Trump that no one believed that for a moment.
The only participants who looked worse than Republican Senators were the Counsels for the President. They were an embarrassment to the legal profession, promoted infantile arguments and NEVER offered a defense for Trump. It would have been smart for them to have offered one or two exculpatory witnesses. As if any existed.
Trump vacillated between a full trial and the no-trial preferred by McConnell. Trump won't get what he wants, an acquittal before the State of the Union. Everything will come out and Republicans will look more ostrich-like, burying their heads to avoid seeing the Emperor with no clothes. On second thought, that's probably for the best.
I have supported Trump up until now. The impeachment has nothing to do with it. I never thought he was guilty of anything. I am just sick of him and think he needs to go. To me he is just a provocateur and he has gone too far. The whole Palestine thing was the last straw. I just hope that Sanders or Warren get the nomination as either would make a great president.
1
This is mind-blowing. Our government has become unrecognizable, and Trump is now essentially a monarch.
2
Let's hope our intelligence agencies and state election officials are closely monitoring foreign interference. Races down ballot should also be watched. Expect Trump and the GOP to cheat again.
2
Think about it: Trump's miserable life has been one lawsuit or legal entanglement after another. He doesn't know any other way of interacting with others. This is just the latest permutation of his obsession with dealing with others through lawyers, the courts and trials, only this time it's been on our dime and has put his name front and center as no other legal quagmire has.
I'm just tired of the man, and have been since the 1980s when I wondered what the big deal was about this awkward, unattractive social misfit who was always in front of the cameras talking about himself, women and money - as if he were God's gift to the world. On the contrary, he's only been God's gift to the tabloids and to all of the Republicans who are bored and fed up with the usual political candidates sent to them from central casting.
The sooner we are rid of this scourge - and we will be - the better.
1
The President will emerge able to showcase and challenge the "Resistance" that would destroy everything in its path to keep power, hiiding behind a Constitutional fig leaf, to subvert the will of the nation expressed in 2016. And I am absolutely convinced that, looking at the spectacle of Pelosi, Nadler, Schiff, and the rest of them, the country will respond by sending President Trump back to the White House.
Baker you always seem to leave out important information like 75 % of the public polled they wanted witnesses and evidence.
And the Senate Democrats did not fail at anything they and the American public were foiled by crooked immoral Senate Republicans.
And reflecting on President Clinton to not mention the misdeeds of Hastert ,Livingston and Gingrich is hypocritical to be polite.
Chief Justice Roberts absolutely knows it is against our constitution to withhold evidence and witnesses.
Republicans in the Senate must be held accountable and must be voted out of office .
2
I am afraid that the longer that Trump remains president and in the public eye, the more stained and degraded the family image will emerge and decay. There are too many investigations outside of his empeachment trail that will continue to unfold and bring prosecution to Trump LLC in the coming years. He is not going to be swept under the carpet.
Too many people of my age (over 65 ) want to see him and his family suffer for the rest of their lives. We will never relent in our effort to see him and his family destroyed.
1
The Date the Senate GOP rules on Trump's fitness for office as the President of the United States of America and the Leader of the Free World is another Date in American history "that will live in infamy."
1
This article could have been written months ago. The outcome is no surprise. Trump-hating Democrats allowed Schiff to convince them that there was actually a chance that Trump might be removed from office. That was never ever going to happen and now liberals will enter a long period of mourning with occasional primal screams.
@William
As a pragmatic democrat, Schiff didn't have to convince me that Trump could be removed from office. I knew that with the Republican Senate in the majority they would never convict him of the crimes that he actually committed. Those crimes were impeachable crimes. The democrats in the house had no other choice but to bring impeachment charges down on Trump, otherwise they would appear to be complicit like the Republicans are in the crimes committed by Trump. We democrats will not go into a period of mourning either. I for one will do my best to see that Trump is not elected on Nov. 3, 2020. As for primal screaming, the only ones I have seen screaming is Trump along with his fellow republicans like Marsha Blackburn, Martha McSally, Linsey Graham, etc. etc. etc. To save our democracy NOV. 3, 2020, VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
1
It wasn't a trial. It was a coronation.
2
If we want America to survive, Trump needs to lose as well as most of the Republicans in the Senate that voted against allowing the American people know what happened.
They say let the people decide, but the withhold the information that we need to make an informed decision. The Republicans have shown they’ll sacrifice anything, even a founding principle (no foreign influence in our elections) to retain power. We need to kick them to the curb or we’re done.
1
Republicans keep saying "Let the voters decide".
With the way the GOP has rigged entire voting processes, and now condones foreign interference in our elections, they are telling me MY vote does not count but Putin's does.
Trump has trumped Obama’s Nobel Prize with the Senate conferring him Nobility.
King Trump will excommunicate any of his republicans who try to distance themselves from Court Jester and Acting Alchemist Dershowitz’s soliloquy.
The Republicans have a few days to marinate over Esquire Cipollone’s revealed conflict of interest leaked from former Squire Bolton’s tell all and the unredacted emails released to the Center for Public Integrity about the Ukraine aid shenanigans.
Highly unlikely but maybe some of the Republican serfs will revolt and return democratic rule to the US government by changing their vote from “nyet” guilty to guilty.
The House should absolutely continue their corruption investigations undaunted. They should go to Court, the should question witnesses, including Bolton and Parnis, and they should get Trump's tax returns! If the situation was reversed you KNOW that's what the GOP would do.
1
So is Mr. Chief Justice going to the State of the Union?
Today’s Republicans lawmakers aren’t worried a future Democratic president will enjoy the precedent being set by Trump and the Senate. This is because they know the Democrats will never let a president from their own party walk all over them.
Republicans know they can trust Democrats to be the Vanguards of the constitution when Democrats have the majority. So
Republicans can just continue to be their reckless selves and let Trump run all over them and hijack their party.
They have made the calculation that yes Trump may be a despot but at least he’s their despot. And they believe, wrongly perhaps, that they can remain in power by hanging on to his coattails.
But, more than likely, they have underestimated the American people. When the Trump sugar high is gone, they will lose everything if not in November 2020 then definitely by 2024.
And how will they ever explain this to their grandchildren.
Have faith in the constitution and in the longevity of the nation in which we live. This is not the worst our history has seen. We have survived a civil war and a fight for civil rights that continues to this day. Trump may see this as tacit encouragement to abuse his power to an even greater extent, but really was he conducting himself with any restraint before. Trump, no matter how he blusters, is a sad, ineffective and insecure man, he will be his own undoing. I am reminded of quickly American resolve turned to fear after 9/11. One attack and we were ready to give up our rights to privacy and crater the rule of law for mere assurance of protection. We were willing to condone the torture of human beings to assuage our fears. We are better than this and this nation and the bravery and resolve that it took to create it are stronger than one petulant man.
45
@Michael You're wrong. This is absolutely the worst thing we have ever seen.
When a party chooses party over nation, it is a first and becomes the worst thing our nation has ever seen.
4
@Michael Thank you for your faith. The faith and dedication of the House managers, principally Adam Schiff's eloquence, and people in leadership as well as normal life who are of same mind, heart and spirit, might repair us and quell this monster that has arisen. We must vote.
6
@Glenn Thomas - With all due respect almost 750,000 men lost their lives during the Civil War, a full 2% of the male population, if it were to occur today 6 million men would die. To put that in perspective consider that the entire population of Boston, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Chicago were disappeared. Really, the worst thing? That a few politicians did the expedient rather than the honorable thing and were unable to put country over party? Glenn, we must be made of sterner stuff. It's not as if there isn't an election in 10 months. Join me and vote the bums out.
2
The Democrats clearly made a damaging error when they decided to impeach Trump. They didn't have a clear case. The Democrats had a serious problem making Ukraine a major domestic issue. Completely at odds with what has happened in Ukraine. They still haven't recognized that Zelensky is completely different from the previous leader. He has negotiated a cease fire and a deal for Russia to reopen the natural gas pipeline to Ukraine closed in the wake of the illegal anti Russian coup backed by Victoria Nuland. Trump offended the neo con establishment with his disregard for their strategy. Even as he worked to arm the Ukrainians. Who, as it turns out, are not in need of them. This is a surreal blunder by the House.
I wonder if those senators, like Lamar Alexander, who believe Trump did wrong, but not worthy of removal from office, will instead support an effort to formally censure him. I won’t hold my breath.
What a sad state we find ourselves in today. Our democracy was been fatally wounded .
2
I almost fell on the floor laughing at the proclamations of how this marks the fall of Democracy in the US. And all its variants in the comments on here. I got news for people who missed it Democracy in the US died along time ago.
Several examples:
Let's start with our so called representative government. The governor of CA is the nephew of the speaker of the house (Gee you think that had to with donor networks & connections or competence? Gee I wonder)
We have the last Candidate for President a women whose sense of ego & entitlement was truly ludicrous. Was the wife of former president truly the most qualified? Running spouses is the mark of comic opera dictatorships not democracies.
On the other side we have the Senate majority leaders wife who doubles has the secretary of Transportation.
or their favored candidate the last election who would have been the 3rd from the same family in less then 40 years.
You know that all sounds like oligarchy not democracy to me!
Next we have the policies carried out by BOTH parties. You know the policies that essentially grind the faces of the poor into the mud while making the donors very very rich. You policies carried on to great cheering by both parties. Such has NAFTA & admitting China to the WTO. Both done by a DEMOCRATIC president. So spare me the Democrats care anymore the the GOP for the poor. Death of Democracy? Yeah right! Spare me the hyperbole it died along time ago. Long before Trump.
1
The Democratic field is filled with intelligent, earnest, well intentioned persons anyone one of whom would be a better president than Trump, but none of them appear to have a message capable of beating Trump.
The only person currently capable of beating Trump is Trump, the silver-lining being that in his unshackled state, he may just do it.
The sad truth is that Trump has been unshackled all of his adult life. And, yes, our history books will portray him as he really was, among the cruelest and most destructive presidents during the life of our nation. Yet, we are enduring what is to be his infamous legacy. I do not want to wait for his final judgement. I want him to be revealed and judged for what he is NOW. He, his Republican Senate, and his Cabinet, most especially Pompeo and Barr, are chipping away at the foundation of a Constitutional democratic republic. So much damage has already been done that it will take years to make right again. One more term of Mr. Trump along with his sycophants McConnell et al. will do the country in. And only we can stop this insanity.
1
The senate republicans look very bad - because inter-alia they went against public sentiment by making a sham of Trump's trial.
The silver lining is that public sentiment is not with the Republicans.
2
We should remember that most of the damage that Trump has inflicted has been signed off by the Democrats: Federal judges, massive military budget, neglecting impeachment charges on: declaring war on Sulemani, violations of the emoluments clause from day one, literally stealing migrant children from their parents. The rot we see is not coming from a single person but from the holders of the majority of the accumulated wealth in this nation. We have no representative party to turn to.
1
@Eric Jensen
The "rot" was apparent long before the advent of the Trump.
Bernie Sanders notwithstanding, both Parties are corrupt and are in compliance (cahoots) with the current income tax system that caters to Wall Street and the wealthy.
Joe Biden's nomination would maintain this status quo.
And of course, as usual, he will say that he is totally exonerated. The facts are still there whether or not any of the GOP sycophants have enough courage to say so because they are really snowflakes and afraid he will call them names.
Personally I don’t care if he bloviates til kingdom come. What disturbs me is that the corrupt legal representation (some of whom were witnesses to his wrongdoing and hid their involvement) twisted the logic of the law into pretzel that is antithetical to what our Constitution and reason demand. Any president in the future, and indeed any Senator, will disregard the ethics and morality that our forefathers labored over in crafting our democracy. We are now a third world country dressed up in greed that fell down the rabbit hole and became an autocracy.
I hope we can rescue our nation at the ballot box. Wonder if the ballots will be written in Cyrillic!
This is why Sen Alexander’s admission that Democrats proved their case demands Censure of President Trump by Congress as soon as possible.
So will Trump crown himself Emperor on Wednesday, or wait until his investiture/inauguration next January?
1
History will record Democracy: Born June 21, 1788. Died January 31, 2020
It was born thousands of years earlier. And it will hardly end with America.
Newt Gingrich talking about supposed open dishonesty is the most shameless display of hypocrisy in this decade. This is the man who really started the tactic of using lies and smears and justifying it.
2
But really. When was he ever "shackled?" Ever?
tens upon tens of millions americans know what evil resides in this presidency. the failure of the republican party is not yet the failure of this country
2
Acquitted... and Impeached Forever!
Just ask Bill Clinton, who was acquitted, too, and who shows up here, in this story about Donald Trump’s impeachment!
Impeached forever, President Trump. Go split hairs with Richard Nixon.
2
As if he were shackled before?
He’s not the only one who will be “stained by history.” All of his Republican sycophants and enablers, those cowards, who used whatever crumbs of alibis his craven lawyers threw up in his defense so as to have something remotely plausible in order to vote to exonerate him.
“He’s been proven guilty, but not impeachable...”
“Every politician thinks their election is in the public interest, so it’s ok...”
And Susan Collins, waiting until her vote would be moot in order to “play both sides...”
They are all beneath contempt. Our political system, Rule of Law, not of men,” has been severely damaged.
Let’s hope their will be historians left who will be allowed to tell the truth...
2
Right-wingers and Republicans, you're on notice.
Americans will not go on tolerating your head-in-the-sand, back-to-the-past, dishonest, racist, unpopular minority rule very much longer. One way or another, majority American common sense will prevail. You won't be permitted to let Trump turn into Putin, or to turn the country into a Russia-style oligarchy based on Big Lies.
Get ready to be marginalized.
4
Keep the Impeachments gathering on the horizon, and unleash them in rapid succession, like summer thunderstorms rolling across the prairie!
1
“He’s been beaten up for three solid years and he’s still standing. That’s an amazing achievement if you think about it.”
Only achieved with the help of you bunch of crooks.
4
Wow, Trump was shackled up until now? Who knew?
1
Our national nightmare continues . . . .
Republicans . . . It is on your hands. How will you answer to your constituents?
1
And this is “news?.” You can’t impeach someone and remove them unless 1) You have a significant and easily understood crime 2) You have bi-partisan support and 3) You have a large majority of the public behind you. The Democrats had nothing.
How about when you strike at a nation? What about when you trash a constitution? The Republicans are due to be in for a surprise this November when Americans show them what happens when they throw in with a "king." We are angry now and they are going to feel the burn, possibly in more ways than one.
Historians William and Ariel Durant concluded that we transmit our "civilized heritage" to our children....our inexhaustible legacy, knowing that it's our "nourishing mother and our lasting life". Death star Trump and his band of depraves from Mar a Largo have now spread through the land. We have arrived at a place where we can no longer negotiate away decency and rule of law.
There will be no sitting around the campfire singing Kumbaya with the Republican Party now that they have shown their true face. To prevent further depravity and destruction of civilization they will need to be pushed back as far as Mar a Lago - that is where the depravity began. This, and only this, if we are going to save the idea of America.
1
Yes he and his republican enablers are unshackled. Hope they are ready for the onslaught that is coming. Old white men who have made billions on the backs of the U.S voters
Remove Ernst, Gardner, Collins, McSally and then you get McConnell.
3
So FOX is using their sports outlet to support their Faux News...Count me out...no Super Bowl for me!
3
A treasonous mafioso type political figure in a democracy who thumps his nose at the public because of his nefarious political party absolves him of his crimes will eventually face justice. When he and his enablers do, we should never forgot that they had a lot of help from global gangsters like Murdoch and Putin. They too must pay!
2
This article continues to normalize Trump. Trump's lies. Trump's corruption. Shameful.
3
The biggest hypocrites in this saga are the 4 incumbent Senators who voted to impeach President Clinton because he lied about sex and are slated to vote to acquit Trump. They are: Crapo, Grassley, McConnell, and Imhoff. Party over Country.
4
The whole thing is disgusting. As horrible and repulsive that he is the Republicans who voted against witnesses and ultimately acquittal are even worse. The whole system is broken. Democrats, Republicans it's all tied i to $ and greed and corruption. Trump is just a symptom of a failed ,broken government. If you think Trump was an egotistical, loud mouth before just wait until after he's acquitted. We ain't seen nothing yet!
3
Another fractured fairy tale comes true...All the king’s senators and all the king’s men could put Trumpty together again.
Its up to us. As neocon Bill Kristol recently tweeted, "we're all Democrats now"
2
I agree with Bill Maher's approach: " Do the wrong thing" and give him what he gives out-https://youtu.be/c5jkYN_wG7c
Nice job dems! Way to “handle it”!
1
If one looks at fascist history, one is reminded that Hitler's base were devoted Christians who were German nationalist and Hitler spoke the language they wanted to here. Trump has the makings of another fascist leader who has his base of followers following him into a very dark place in human nature. These are troubling times.
5
Nope. Never. Nada.
Mr. Baker,
Why ask Newt Gingrich anything?
Cheers
5
“The Redacted President Acquitted!” – the headline.
“He didn’t not do everything we don’t know he didn’t not do”, Republican Senators say. – the storyline.
1
Trump unshackled! One thing we can expect for sure is that he will do something so egregious, so cruel or so illegal that it will cost the Republicans 10 Senate seats and 50 House seats. He can’t control his worst instincts. It’s going to be ugly.
4
One of the obvious outcomes of the deplorable saga that is Trump and the GOP (as well as conservative and/or populist governments around the world) is how irrelevant they have made themselves.
The benefit of having 3 co-equal branches of government (or tiers of government in other countries) is to ensure that there are appropriate checks & balances in place to prevent what amounts to essentially a dictatorship from occurring. The Senate republicans, over the past 5-8, have shown that the need for the Senate at all is questionable. States, largely in modern times, do not require Senate representation at the federal level any longer. With the stonewalling that McConnell has performed, ensuring that little legislation is ever debated, let alone passed and the lack of independent thought that Senators seem to demonstrate on a daily basis, one could question the need for the Senate at all.
One of the foundation principles of the conservative movement is limited government. Seems to me that removing the Senate entirely from government would be a step to achieving that to the benefit of all Americans.
530
@David B
I disagree with the idea that a bicameral federal legislature is no longer needed. However, Mitch McConnell and the current senate Republicans have clearly revealed that the powers our constitution grants the senate can be misused.
This is a problem that needs to be addressed, perhaps by a constitutional amendment.
This is yet another reason to elect strong Democratic majorities to both the house and the senate in November.
96
@David B,
I agree with your comment regarding the need of the Senate.
I disagree with your comment regarding "One of the foundation principles of the conservative movement is limited government."
History has shown that the conservative movement's real foundations are:
1.) lie and gaslight citizens, as a feature.
2.) corrupt is ok, if it is my guy.
3.) use government to limit the rights of others.
4.) violate your oath of office and the Constitution to consolidate power.
5.) use government to protected and rewarded the 1% with government welfare.
6.) use name calling, rants, photoshop, victim card and hater card to achieve the foundations above.
7.) use foreign help or any other means necessary to stay in power.
127
@David B I agree that there is no need for the senate. Many countries are governed well without one. If we look at the history of the senate, it seems to have truly created policy in the years after the Constitution was passed and through the Civil War and some years after. Since then though the Senate has largely been an impediment. Certainly in regard to civil rights for African Americans the Senate was the body where every piece of legislation to free them was sent to die, given the power of the Committee Chairmen and the filibuster. By some miracle the Senate did pass FDR's progressive legislation but that stopped after 1937. Given Lyndon Johnson's mastery of the senate rules and his trickery, he was able to pass Voting rights legislation for African Americans and Medicare. Since then the Senate has largely been a graveyard for legislation. I think it should be abolished.
18
Vanity, pettiness and vindictiveness are a lethal combination, especially when combined with grandiosity, narcissism and non-stop exaggeration and lies. Unfortunately it looks like Trump was correct when he bragged that he could get away with shooting someone on Fifth Avenue. The Republics should be ashamed of themselves, but their actions in the past led to Trump and the situation we’re in now. When Mitch McConnell proudly announced that his “goal” was to make Obama a one term president, blocked and continues to block any Democrat initiated legislation, and refused to hold hearings for Merritt Garland, he thumbed his nose at the Constitution and at all Americans. Despite the outcome, the Democrats did the right thing. They now need to find the appropriate balance between holding Trump’s feet to the fire through investigations and, if necessary, legal action while effectively communicating his mendacity to the American people. And of course at the same time they have to do their best to enact and enforce sane legislation that will protect entitlement programs, keep us out of war, maintain a clean environment, and otherwise protect the US and the world from this dangerous man. And all we can do is to vote him and his enablers out of office.
25
@LHW - McConnell won his 2014 Senate election with 804K votes. it's disgusting that one senator from the tiny state of Kentucky can override the 60 plus million voters who voted for Obama. Our system is fundamentally flawed to allow this type of asymmetric power where a super tiny majority repeatedly overrules the will of the people.
Not only that, but I believe the Republican majority in the Senate represents something like 12 million FEWER voters than the Democratic majority. That is disgustingly sick. I don't want to hear ANY Republican say the phrase "will of the people."
9
@LHW "all we can do" at this point, yes.
The House should continue investigations and adding articles of impeachment as new evidence continues to come out about the Ukraine extortion and other dangerous acts by this POTUS against our Country's interests and National Security. The GOP Senate has abdicated their duty to the Constitution and betrayed the oath taken during the impeachment trial. They have enabled a cover-up of dangerous behavior by a vile grifter in the White House. You can't call this a "trial" because the GOP Senators did not allow witnesses and evidence of the wrongdoing even to be heard. If this criminal POTUS won't be removed by a corrupt Senate, he should be investigated and censured all the way to the next election. The House should continue in court with enforcing the subpoenas for tax returns and other testimony. The full extent of the rot must be revealed.
35
Democracies across the world, if you’re listening, the GOP senate has just approved foreign interference in US elections. It’s time for you to join those of us in the United States who want Trump and McConnell out!!!
51
The guy was NEVER shackled to begin with, at least where Congress and the Constitution are concerned.
He had some damping rods in the nut job reactor that he is when some of his more ethical and intelligent staff (I know that is almost an oxymoron.. but consider the reactor) would work to talk him down off the roof of absurdity... but they are gone now.
Trump has ALWAYS operated from the mindset of an authoritarian monarch... since Daddy first handed him hundreds of millions of dollars to play with.
35
To say that Donald Trump runs government like an organized crime boss would be an understatement. He is surrounded by shady operators. He uses twitter to kneecap anyone who strays or as a threat to any one of his lieutenants in the Senate. If all else fails he has an army of radicals willing to do anything he asks and we've seen the dangers of that.
It's amazing how Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham and others in the Republican Family friendly Senate went from haughty "never Trumpers" to actual profiles in cowardice as they have abandoned all the good sense of the Constitution and will now allow this man to govern as he pleases. Edmund Burke must have foreseen this when he said, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” Here we are, we citizens must decide between a raging undisciplined executive or the Constitution in November. We must do the right thing or the founder's idea of functional democracy is dead.
155
This a very predictable man - deranged, vengeful, beyond arrogant and pathologically omnipotent. To expect anything other than vitriolic attacks and clandestine revenge on his adversaries is not going to happen. He will campaign, holding untold rallies where he rolls out the same old demagogic blather, extolling all he has done and never a word where he has failed, never a hint of humility or contrition. He has sullied the Constitution as have his feckless GOP colleagues and they, not the Democrats, should hang their cowardly heads in shame for their irresponsible passivity. A long time until November and do the American people really want to be subjected to another Trump term? Without doubt, a very dark and sad chapter in the history of this Country - Donald J. Trump remains unfit, incompetent and unable to faithfully discharge the oath of office he pledged to uphold, a pledge which means nothing to him and his GOP stalwarts.
83
@Horseshoe Crab
Beautifully analyzed and written!
One caveat: should the virus balloon here, he will have to stop his rallies. He’s terrified of germs.
8
Make no mistake about it. The GOP have effectively annointed the USA's first dictator, answerable and accountable to no one. This is fascism. Period. We've seen it before. Attack the media, Attack the intelligentia. Normalize corruption. Attack a scapegoat (Latinos, Blacks, Women, Gays, Transgenders, Muslims, Democrats, Republicans who dare to oppose Trump.
We have always wondered how dictatorships can happen? This is how, with the consent and encouragement of the GOP.
407
@Michael
You left out, obliterate the public interest at the expense of private interests.
29
@Michael you are correct. They will scream socialism at us from the rooftops, but no one is talking about the GOP in terms of their fascist resolve and transgressions. Not one candidate or pundit will use what we all know to be true, afraid of the weight and depth of our new reality.
3
He could become the first president to be impeached twice, the first impeachment was only based on a fraction of his extensive criminal behavior in office. Never surrender to the evil and immorality that pervades the White House today.
OTOH I might witness possibly the first impeached president to be reelected by losing the popular vote twice. Hopefully the latter scenario will not happen if a blue wave washes out all this dirt and corruption in Nov. 2020.
24
Quoting Gingrich as a source of admiration for Trump's "amazing achievement" (of keeping power)?? Without editorial comment? Really, this stretches the duty of politeness beyond reason.
"He built a Cult that have sent thousands of threats to moderates; supported an army of Nazis who were threatening an elected Legislature; forced 30 moderate Republicans to quit, hinted at armed insurrection if challenged; made veiled death threats himself; failed to say he'd obey a fair election; ordered his officials to defy subpoenas, cowed an entire Senate into violating their oaths, and had his lawyer proclaim him entitled to ignore the Law as he pleased because he's a monarch."
At the sight of that, sure, Newt Gingrich is delighted.
37
@Tara. It’s what news stories are supposed to do. Your comment reveals a great deal about how those on the left misunderstand the purpose of journalism.
1
@Tara
Have any of you Trump haters ever heard of the WalkAway Movement? I guess not. Thousands of former Democrats, like me are fed up with their party and will never vote for democrats again if all they can do to win is character assassinate and lie instead of debating policies. The black community is fed up with democrats to and can't be counted as an automatic vote. Times are changing and some in this country can't see this.
3
Unleashed, unhampered, unmoored.
Due to the Senate’s absolving Trump of anything related to impeachment, expect Trump to come out swinging.
Trump, by his very nature, is vindictive. I expect him to lash out with venom. Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, be prepared; get ready. Trump is coming.
The baby narcissist, in characteristic blue suit with red tie, will come out swinging with a Twitter tirade in ALL CAPS!
The baby will be looking for subjects to torment, subjects to ridicule.
But we haven’t seen the last of the Ukraine. Trump should be sending Pompeo, Giuliani, and God-knows who on a mission to dig up dirt and discredit the Biden’s.
And to think, ‘the baby’ is just getting started.
If Democrats loose in 2020, four more years of this. That is, unless the Senate decides to remove the restriction of two terms for President.
I shudder to think.
13
A message to Senate republicans:
You have sold out our country to a deranged, criminal fascist dictatorship. We will never forget each and every one of you., nor shall we forgive what you have done to our democracy, the rule of law, and human decency. What you have done is despicable beyond expression.
1
Republicans will come to regret their cowardice. Trump will embarrass and shame them even further. Their weakness has degraded America is the eyes of the world.
I think you mean unhinged, not unshackled.
Rome went from a republic to an emperor. Republicans just coronated their king by acknowledging that nothing he does is impeachable and the constitution does not really matter. On the 75 anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Dershowitz argues on behalf of a wannabe dictator.
1
Btw, the only way SDNY goes after Guiliani is if he rats out the current president. Speaking of insurance policies.
At this point, I can't see either side ever accepting defeat in November. Hard to imagine them simply going back to work like normal on Wednesday morning after such a divisive election.
Sadly, it seems that this is all going to get SO much worse before it gets any better.
I just hope we can endure it as one nation, but those hopes grow dimmer by the day.
Our Democracy is about to take a massive hit, and we already had one foot firmly planted in trump's authoritarianism.
Republicans have shown us they do not believe our government is "of the people, by the people and for the people", but "of trump, by trump, and for trump".
How far is this going to go ? Will trump imprison journalists who are critical of him, and don't give him favorable coverage ? Will trump imprison his political rivals ? We are close to this reality, and we better wake up to it before it's too late.
1
Technical question: Is the Senate's action really an "acquittal"? What did Trump get acquitted of? The Senate held a hearing to weigh arguments for and against whether witnesses and documentation would be summoned for a trial. As no witnesses were called and no documentation was presented, the majority of the Senators--by one vote--decided not to go forward with a trial. Seems to me, while the Republicans pretended to hold a trial and considered themselves to be jurists--the fundamentals of a trial were absent.
The impeachment system is fatally flawed. The Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments. No President shall be convicted without two-thirds of the Senate voting for impeachment. It is extremely unlikely that the Republican-dominated Senate will achieve a 2/3 majority to impeach a Republican President Donald Trump. In addition, Trump's wealth will insure many Republicans would fear reprisals if they voted for impeachment. They need his support to get re-elected. In reality the only way to unseat a US president ia through the ballot box.
"... Trump will emerge from trial triumphant and unshackled"
Actually that may turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Democrats. No doubt an "unshackled" Trump will get involved in more risky adventures and take more chances. And, inevitably, that would lead to more mistakes, some of which may prove to be highly serious.
In the past, Republicans were careful how close they appear to be from Mr. Trump. They were staying close enough to share credit with him when something popular was getting done. And they were maintaining distance from him to stay clean when the "mess" was hitting the fan.
Now, if Democrats have any sense, they will make sure that the US public realize that the Senate trial removed any distance between Trump and Republicans. They are now one and the same. As such they will be sharing all the mistakes, all the snafus, that Trump will be committing from now on.
That should be enough for many independent and republican voters to wake up and recognize that voting for Republican in the next election will be voting to empower Trump. And the main task of an empowered Trump will be to weaken the US legal system to the point that he can avoid going to jail for his past corrupt activities, once he is out of office.
I wish I could be as hopeful as some, but another 10 million votes against Trump in states such as New York and California will make no difference to the outcome of the Nov 3 election
3
A functioning Senate is a necessary part of our Constitutional democracy and will never be eliminated without a violent, revolutionary overthrow of our system. The operative word above is "functioning". The current majority party in the Senate has shown its unwillingness to function as Senators as that role was conceived. Their sole ambition in life is power at the expense of anyone who gets in their way.
To that end, the GOP stonewalls, refuses to perform their duties, (see Merrick Garland), promotes gerrymandering, removes non-complying voters from the rolls, and now ignores the Constitution when it serves their purpose.
It is the current party which needs to reform, even to the point of extinction, for the Senate to have a chance to return to its Constitutionally conceived role. For the McConnells, Grahams, and their complicit followers, GOP has become GUP, Give Us Power.
Mr. Baker is correct in his analysis. However, this may just prove to be the undoing of Trump sooner, rather than. Regardless, his legacy is that of the third American President to be impeached.
"Impeachment will always be a stain on Mr. Trump’s historical record...."
Actually it will always be a stain on the Democrats, who pushed a impeachment based on the premises that Democrats can't be investigated, regardless the obvious nature of their misbehavior, and that when the House demands a document from the President, it must be given, regardless what the Supreme Court may say.
With the pandemic of TDS among the Democrats and elites, the stain on the Democrats may not have much effect intraparty, but for free-thinking independents, let alone Republicans, Democrats will be the objects of scorn through at least the next election.
1
I think the Senate should pass a resolution condemning the President for some of the inappropriate actions the President took. If the Senate won't remove the President the members could and should take a less drastic formal action--highlighting their disapproval of the Presidents actions in a resolution.
The NY Times quoted Senator Marco Rubio saying that he did "not necessarily consider the president innocent, either". Senator Rob Portman said the delay "of aid to Ukraine were wrong and inappropriate." A vote to censure the President would only need 51 votes in the Senate and their may be some Republicans who would vote to take that action.
A vote to censure would send a strong message to President Trump and to future Presidents that there are ramifications to bad conduct. PAUL FEINER, Greenburgh Town SUpervisor
Every time I think trump couldn't get more "unshackled", I'm proven wrong.
For the first time in my adult life, I'll be a "single issue" voter this year...that issue will be to get trump out of office. Same goes for his Republican lackeys in Congress who protect and enable him at all costs to the country. I don't feel great about it, but the damage that trump and the GOP will do with another 4 years has left me no choice. It won't be safe for any of us.
Whether you support him or not, Joe Biden is right -- this year's elections will be for the "soul" of our country.
1
The Senate is obviously not going to vote to remove Trump
but there is still time for responsible members to pass a resolution condemning any effort to solicit a personal political favor from a foreign government. Those who find
Trump's conduct "inappropriate" if not impeachable should
at least make an effort to make it clear to this and future
presidents that such a use of presidential power is not
acceptable. There is still time at least to censor Trump's "inappropriate" conduct and to send a message that Congress has not totally abdicated its role of oversight
of the executive branch.
It's not about Trump any more. It's about the Republican Party and nearly half the voters who believe that this is the way the country needs to go.
We are getting to know many of our fellow Americans better and better every day. It was depressing, now it's scary.
We, the majority, must change the national direction in November.
We must.
1
To state the obvious:
If the Senate is still Republican-controlled and, therefore, Mitch McConnell-controlled in 2020, it makes little difference if a Democrat sits in the oval office.
In part, because of the Senate's herd mentality and the narrow rulings of US courts at various levels, the power of the president is approaching (and, arguably, has reached) dictatorial levels.
The disproportionate weight given to less-populated states in the country ensures unfair elections and socio-political-economic policies favouring the minority, not the majority.
Voter suppression also ensures unfair elections.
Racism, misogyny--bigotry of all sorts--control the national narrative, regardless of voices raised in opposition.
Just as the US Senate falls in line behind Trump, his appointed minions--permanent or acting--present no public opposition to policies damaging the planet and the people who live there.
And there is no national accountability beyond the House of Representatives.
It's going to take a whole lot more than electing a Democrat to the presidency to set things right.
Too many of you assume Independents will swing Democratic during the upcoming election; as if somehow being Independent means a leftward lean. Bad mistake.
1
The stain is on Schiff and Pelosi for a sham process in the House with a clear partisan purpose of interfering in the election. and they were aided by the Senate dems. no one seems to ask or care if Joe was authorized to make the threat about the prosecutor? also where is the concern that he jeopardized National and Ukraine existential security by threatening to withhold important aid over one prosecutor. surely there was a better way. unless of course he had something to hide or someone to protect.
2
@Sam
"No one asked if [Biden] was authorized to make the threat..."? Where have you been, under a rock? Yes, Biden was acting on established US policy on the behalf of Pres. Obama, a policy aligned with and supported by The countries of the EU, the World Bank and the IMF. These FACTS are in the public record, multiply.
This American democracy has exposed its blatant flaws, failures that now have us on the brink of a potential breakdown as a Republic. The checks and balance system as designed by the founding fathers failed because it never, or could not, have projected that a Donald Trump can win the Presidency.
The result of Trump's acquittal will be that the Executive Branch of our government can now manipulate the other two branches of that government and turn the Presidency into a Monarchy where the Executive Branch can rule as a King.
So now the president is free to interfere with the upcoming election and commit any crime he wants. And Republicans are refusing to do anything to prevent future election problems while also hindering voters. Republicans see nothing wrong with this picture?
Our Democracy may be gone. I am gutted. In my life I never thought this could happen.
Now Trump can proclaim that there is no limit to his power. The Constitution “allows me to do whatever I want”. This is not a democracy. It is a dictatorship.
Mr. Trump is the only president in the history of Gallup polling who has never had the support of a majority of Americans for even a single day.
1
Remember kids, Trump is moving forward, legal or not. Having been cleared by the Senate, we are out of options for removing him, or even legally checking his actions.
The next drug deal, there are probably 10 ongoing as we speak, all being run by Trump enablers at the White House and various thick tanks supporting Trump from the outside.
The end is near, Trump working on putting his payback plan into action and that will cripple the government until November
Vote in November
Considering Republicans have admitted Trump's malfeasance, and the public knows they are hiding evidence, they can still punish him short of removal.
Democrats should strike a deal with Republicans to censure Trump and state that if he abuses the law again, his second impeachment will be bipartisan.
I don't think he has been damaged where it matters. His supporters wanted a savior, someone who would toss tradition and institutions aside. In short, they wanted a godly king and, in their minds that is exactly what he is. I have long believed that impeachment would help re-elect Trump and I still think that that is where we are headed.
My question is whether, in his 2nd term, Trump will be "unfettered" or get bored since there will be no great victory to be had (i.e., another election win), watch more TV, and, as his fans look for a new savior for 2024, become miserable and do less and less of the actual governing (if that is possible).
I think the Dems had to impeach, given the circumstances, but believe they will come out of 2020 without White House, House or Senate. The message of resentment is works great within the masses and Trump embodies it so very well as he is a perpetually wounded person. It will not help if Sanders is nominated and Trump also has the "socialist" foil as the latter are seen as people who want to take from "hard working Americans" and give to those "lazy" others (more resentment).
Trump isn’t a King that is the point that the House Democrats were trying to make.
Trump managing to keep witnesses from testifying and mount a coverup is vindication only to his Republicans.
Jury nullification just shows that people even with the greatest responsibility will ignore them due to fear or self-interest.
Calling his avoiding impeachment vindication would be like calling the lack of prosecution of the killers of the civil rights workers in Mississippi in the 1960s, a vindication of their actions.
Unfortunately the United States has shown the world once again that it is unable to stop its own decline.
2
The thesis of this article assumes that the House will lie down and play dead. That's not the way it works. Remember the Republicans' relentless investigation of Benghazi? That was a sham, but Trump provides a target rich environment. There are dozens of other offenses that the House can investigate for possible additional articles of impeachment, starting with the 5-10 cases of obstruction of justice documented by Mueller.
Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski, you can no longer pretend to have principles.
There is no doubt in my mind that during the next nine months Anericans will have a front row seat of "Trump Unchained" with a scorched earth policy to democratic institutions, judicial justice and the rule of law, governmental regulations, and protection of the environment from the threat of climate change. Sadly, there is little we, as Americans, can do about it given the political cowardice by Republicans in the Senate. The Republican party lost the last remanents a soul when it chose political chicanery over the Constitution and the rule of law.
Our last best hope for America is the defeat of Trump and his minions at the polls on November 3rd. Otherwise there will be no turning back.
A sad day for our Republic. All 51 so-called Senators names will also go into the History Books as "a day of infamy"! FDR:1941.
Please VOTE on November 3rd to save our Republic.
Mr Trump's dedication to public service is unparalleled.
This pillar of diplomacy and statecraft could have remained in the private sector and made billions and billions and millions and millions an hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars. Instead of using his personal charms, economic expertise and suave articulation to amass personal wealth. he gave all that up for the sake of America and his beloved American population- not just some Americans but all Americans. Does he think of himself as he puts in endless hours for the greater good? No. He provides his acumen for free, even giving up a half a million dollar salary to do so. Even when playing golf he is focused- not on relocating the golf ball as a Democrat would for his own score- but in conferring with other noble public servants like Lindsey Graham. All in the pursuit of making America as great as it used to be. When others are trying to undermine him he buckles down to work.
And what does he get in return? Investigations and people nosing around in his financial matters. It is so unfair. He cares so much about American business he is even selflessly working towards allowing Americans to bribe foreign officials
“It’s just so unfair that American companies aren’t allowed to pay bribes to get business overseas,” Trump said, according to “A Very Stable Genius,”
And some have the audacity to imply that he wanted to bribe Zelensky. So unfair.
-Leaks and revelations of Trump's criminality will continue unabated all year.
-Many independents who gave Trump a try in 2016 will not make that mistake again.
-Democrats across the country are contributing to tight Senate races outside of their own states. Donate your time or money.
-Never Trump Republicans are working to defeat him (see The Lincoln Project). Donate your time or money.
-Don't engage in purity tests or "electability" propaganda. VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO.
Forget the gloom. The United States just proved resilience to coups d’états and that is a sign of strength, not weakness.
I find the outrage posted here regarding the outcome of the senate trial almost laughable, if not disingenuous. From the beginning of the house impeachment, everyone from the entire political system, 100% agreed and discussed thoroughly that Trump would be acquitted by the senate. I also find it comical that people feel there will be blow back on Congress. Congress has not been very popular for a long time, even before Trump. I’m not shocked how politicians vote/pander to their base and big money, neither should you. The election? It’s looking like a slow motion train wreck. The DNC now changing its rules allowing Bloomberg in but wouldn’t do it for Booker. The DNC staffing anti-Sanders members. The DNC considering letting superdelegates vote in the first round to stop Sanders. If Sanders doesn’t get the nomination it will be a civil war in the party. Whoever is the current strategist for the DNC needs to be fired immediately.
I’m saddened that there weren’t mass demonstration all across the country protesting the outrageous injustice just witnessed. Isn’t the future of American Democracy worth it?
Former House Speaker and Republican Newt Gingrich started all this in 1994 when he declared "The Republican Revolution", a false one intent on instilling martial law. Trump was appointed.
Mr. Dershowitz has stated that a president can not be impeached for any of his acts, whether criminal or not, If he considers them as for the good of the country.
Does that mean that if Pres Trump refuses to leave if he is defeated in the next election, that's OK?
The date of the nation turns on the (D)'s ability to select an electable candidate and run a much smarter campaign than they did in 2016. Somebody needs to be talking to Michelle Obama <- landslide victory.
1
I cannot find myself in total agreement with this article’s premise. Trump will (of course) be exonerated by the McConnell-controlled Senate and will be in debt to him/them for the balance of his regime. What Trump may want from the Senate they will consider while what the Senate wants Trump will sign. He cannot escape this grievous wound on his presidency nor the fact that the wound was only cauterized by the machinations of McConnell.
"The president’s Democratic adversaries rolled out the biggest constitutional weapon they had and failed to defeat him"
Please...it wasn't the Democrats that failed, it was the GOP enablers that failed the country.
1
President Trump is still your President and will likely win another term. Democrats don't have the ability to beat him and the the majority of the American public know it.
The strategy going forward should be:
No Democrat should attend the "State of the Union" address.
The House should restart impeachment investigations with subpoenas of all key witnesses.
The house should pursue Trump's other crimes with the objective of new articles of impeachment.
This investigation should start next week and continue on through Trump's illegitimate second term.
Truth must prevail.
Democracy demands it.
Resist!
We all know for sure, Trump will be acquitted. The question is - is there anything, he will learn? Or, he would feel that he did nothing wrong and the reason for his acquittal. For Mr. Trump, the acquittal is clear exoneration. Will he change himself? We will wait for the next NYT report to find out what happens.
" This was clearly a political coup d’état carried out by a group of people who were amazingly, openly dishonest and I think it’s going to be repudiated,” said former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a strong ally of the president’s". This statement by Newt is the definition of an Intellectual Sociopath in my opinion.
In view of Alan Dershowitz’s arguments during the impeachment “trial” – an argument accepted by Republican Senators - suppose President Trump shoots someone in the middle of Fifth Avenue, in broad daylight, and that Trump believes the shooting is in the national interest.
Would the shooting be an impeachable act?
Would the shooting even be a prosecutable act, despite the claims of many Republicans that a sitting President cannot be indicted?
The opening of this analysis sets a disingenuous tone for the whole. It implies that the outcome of impeachment was once in doubt, and that the Democratic leadership struck at Trump in the belief that he could be taken down that way; but they were wrong.
The implicit thesis of Democratic miscalculation is reinforced by time-honored journalistic tricks like the choice of “insist” in “Democrats insist that Mr. Trump has been damaged....”, which implies that Democrats are struggling to put a good face on a blunder.
This is in sharp contrast with the arguments put forward with great energy by advocates of impeachment — including, if memory serves, the editors of this paper — before the fact. Then, the privileged line of thought in these pages was that impeachment was a moral imperative, and even a political one, although acquittal was certain.
Evidence finally tipped the scales with the Democratic leadership and with others of us. Nobody failed to foresee the outcome, except those who failed to foresee that they couldn’t be satisfied with a moral duty done, after all.
The question now is whether Trump unchained can influence the election to his own advantage. If not, he’ll have the opposite influence in spades. This is not the time to declare ourselves confounded.
And democrats should unshackle themselves. They should immediately start impeachment proceedings based on Mueller report and start new investigations into Trump. This is for the soul of america and the survival of democracy.
Don't underestimate the American spirit Mr. Baker. A solid thread of my Puritan family arrived on the Mayflower 400 years ago this year. I will gladly give my life to defend this constitutional order if Trump oversteps the boundaries. I hate him, but so far, he has not. If he does, blood will be spilt including mine. He will not be king.
If the U.S. Senate has failed to represent the American people for the past 3+ years, passing legislation that is solely the will of the Executive, and
If this same body deliberately lied when saying they would try Trump's impeachment case impartially, to assure his, and therefore, their hold on power, and
If Senate Republicans are so aligned with the Executive, they no longer serve as a check, but as an accomplice,
Is the Constitution still valid?
The alignment of elected Republicans with the Executive all but destroys one of the three branches of government, leaving a hotheaded, uneducated bully to do his worst, unchecked. Trump is very creative at plunging the depths of evil, without thought to consequence.
Elected Republicans, having allowed the President to destroy the environment, turn now to dismantling healthcare and social security. They refuse to represent the majority of Americans.
The Supreme Court is controlled by conservatives. Only the minority is sure to uphold the law and the Constitution.
No government body exists to reign in the President and keep him from doing harm domestically and abroad.
Is the U.S. now a dictatorship?
Unlike Clinton's impeachment which arose from a moral failing, Trump's came from a corrupt act. While Clinton was seen by himself and the public as a flawed individual with honor, a person who was genuinely ashamed by his act (or at least the fact that his actions were made public), Trump has already weathered the moral transgressions, as displayed by the 2 identified extra-marital affairs and the Access Hollywood tape, he knows that he is corrupt and is not ashamed. Where Clinton was humbled by the public airing of his actions and relieved by the outcome, Trump has no capacity for humbleness, indeed believes he is "bullet proof", and is incapable of shame. This difference explains why Clinton was chastened by the experience and why Trump will only become emboldened by it. Now is the time for heightened vigilance of Trump and his actions by the responsible media. They must not shy away from their responsibility to the public; they are now the only protector of our Constitution as Congress, particularly Republicans, has shown itself to be impotent in the face of Trump. Dems must choose their battles wisely so as to not feed into "impeachment fatigue", but must call out Trump when necessary. The choice of the Dem candidate is now more critical than ever. Primacy must be given to defeating Trump, that is winning the electoral vote, over policy.
The House should continue investigations. It is imperative that we channel our outrage into action to keep the House and win the Senate. Then, time to overhaul our laws under a Democratic president. But what if Trump wins? Impeachment sticks.
The Walter Cronkite Republican has read of the man of lawlessness in the Epistle of St. Paul, 2 Thessalonians 2. The Republican leadership has cast its lot with him. Chief Justice Roberts enabled them both and joins them in their illegitimacy concerning the value of the rule of law in our nation. It is sad but we need to realize that all is not lost. We are merely at a crossroad and called to action. We remain a democratic republic, for now.
Trump's disgraceful words to the late Senator John McCain,
"I like people who weren't captured" explain a lot about his
warped personality and why he has evaded any and all responsibility for his actions throughout his life.
I have witnessed many presidents come and go but this one has filled me with a deep sadness that is hard to shake off. Everyday I pray that the scales will be shed from his enablers eyes and that truth will triumph. And I will donate whatever I can to candidates willing to fight for our country.
What victory? He’s one of three presidents to be impeached and we all knew he’d never been convicted as a result of the senate majority.
He has been disgraced and, if anything, voters will be furious that he and Mitch strangled the process so the full truth was not allowed to come out.
This is not a win for Trump. Just the opposite.
Lessons to be learnt: 1. US newspapers and media are paper tigers 2 US is not a first world country as it just made it to the Third world without too much of an issue 3 Practice what you preach 4 Democracy has many forms and US has one form of it; other forms of democracy are diversity; same thing goes for things like religious freedom, secularism....5 Last but not least look in the mirror before you try to become guardian, teacher, police, Justice....for rest of the world.
“When you strike at a king,” Emerson famously said, “you must kill him.”
Any strategy that doesn't include several scenarios about "what could be the consequences if we don't succeed" ... and if such eventualities are not taken into serious consideration before acting, the whole process is not a strategy, it is impulsive grandstanding that will very likely backfire.
“That’s an amazing achievement if you think about it. “
Another amazing outcome of what is being enabled to continue in America’s enabled, toxic WE-THEY, historically, law and tradition-rooted,/violating culture, is the choice of all too many to BE:
willfully blind, to what was,and may continue tomorrow, is to remain complacent or complicit!
willfully deaf to the experienced existential pains of “others;” kin, ken and strangers. All around.
willfully indifferent to ummenschlichkeit in its many forms, even as the opportunities to contribute to making a difference that can make a needed sustainable difference exist.
willfully silent, passive, “ paralyzed-like,” when outrage, transmuted into viable, effective actions, by oneself and with others, is an option.
An “amazing achievement” to BE ashamed of.
Where would you expect, in a country set up according to established law and order, to see a top court of review, presided over by a Supreme Court justice, say “we do not want to know if this man is guilty or not, and even if he is guilty we do not care as our fates are tied to him”. Not anywhere we would be proud to call our home.
America, how have you fallen so far. What is happening to you.
The Framers of the Constitution recognized that impeachment is an inherently political process, as Alexander Hamilton recognized in the Federalist Papers.
Donald Trump is undoubtedly well aware of this. And he knows that very few people are likely to have changed their minds about him during the impeachment process. Those who like Trump see his likely acquittal as vindication; those who despise him will see his likely acquittal as tragedy for the country.
Thus, I predict that while Democrats will emphasize impeachment in the upcoming campaign, Trump will ignore it. He'll emphasize the economy and other achievements (from his point of view). Perhaps, like Harry Truman, he will run against the current "do-nothing" Congress. And perhaps he is guessing that many voters, especially those who support him to begin with, will have forgotten impeachment between now and November.
5
@fshelley
Most of what you say is true. But I will disagree with you that Trump will forget about impeachment. He won’t. He will keep hammering away at how he was “exonerated.”
The proof of this is the 2018 midterms. Instead of talking about the economy ( where he was strong) Trump talked about the “invasion of brown people” as though they were killer bees. The Democrats talked about health care and importance of sending a message to Trump and they took the House.
The same thing will happen in 2020. The undisciplined Trump will talk about everything but his strong points and the Democrats will keep their focus and take the Senate and maybe the White House.
Since the House can't and the Senate won't restrain Trump, the people are on their own here. If US citizens want their country back and moving toward the future once again they will reject Trump's reelection. If the vote him back into office democracy as we have known it will be over in this country.
It really is pretty simple and we will find out the answer in November, although millions of us might not like it.
5
Democrats are handling the coming elections differently. An unprecedented number of Americans are actively supporting candidates in other states, crossing state lines to assist campaigns on the ground, and raising candidates competing with Republicans for the Senate and Congress. Many are also donating and assisting groups to get out the vote and mitigate voter suppression. The Rubicon has been crossed and we are in new territory. Trump’s Republican party will not easily overcome the blue tsunami that is coming their way.
15
I have slowly lost the faith in our political and judicial systems. It may take a very long time to restore it, if it happens at all in my lifetime. It is sad; but we really need new systems. These systems never have and never can fairly deliver what a simple honest human-being wants in this global multi-cultural open environment.
37
To be quite honest the system is not at fault. It’s the people. Our society has no education and worships money, guns and death. No political system will change that. Fortunately it doesn’t really matter because this “President-for-life” will kill us all. I’m just glad I don’t have children.
When Octavian invented imperial Rome he did two expeditious things that would ultimately destroy the Roman Empire.
First, he turned the Senate into a cheering section for the Emperor while assuring that the Senate was in charge, once again.
Second, he based his authority upon the loyal support of the Roman Legions.
These flaws would not fracture the empire until after the death of Marcus Aurelius but they did. After that struggles to be emperor resulted in conflicts between Rome legions on behalf of many contenders. Sometimes there were two or more self proclaimed emperors.
But the relevance here is about the basis of official authority. The Roman Empire had no legal order for the transfer of power so power based upon the legions determined who had authority to lead the Roman state. By sweeping away the legal limits upon Presidential conduct by substituting partisan power, the Senate is doing to us what Octavian did to Rome, placing the authority of government squarely under the control of who has the power to have their way, without any legal limits to that power.
64
But it all began with Caesar crossing the Rubicon, claiming he represented the people against the elite.
And, it might not be too soon to find out where are generals stand...
Excellent comment.
Parallel obvious.
Thanks
Kindly allow me to present a somewhat different view.
The U.S. has so many strengths at the base of our economic foundation, the coutry will survive with flying colors.
If something is wrong or doesn't work, it doesn't last very long.
Keep the faith. Most of the youth in the world want a Green Card, want to expüerience Freedom, opportunity and the possibility of lifting themselves upwards.
25
Of all developed countries, the US provides the least chance of moving upwards in income.
In my country, you know, Denmark, with democratic socialism, free health care, free education aso, chances are much, much higher.
The american dream has been dead for a long time.
1
@Jens Gammelgaard
The United States is not a small country, we have 60 times your population and the comparison is hardly valid.
Small countires do very well - congratulations
The writer says trump to the second power is exponential
but he implies that trump to the third power is not exponential.
This is wrong anything to any power from 2 to infinity is exponential.
20
@Charles Beck
Thank you. I was going “Say what?”when I read that.
@ Charles
Math. Gotta love it.
Of course. But the author is quoting Scaramucci there, and clearly decided to leave the nonsensical babble as is for the reader’s pleasure.
It may seem like the end of an empire, but I believe this will pass. America has seen periods of moral bankruptcy before and has emerged. The GOP will either die off and be replaced or reform. It’s just a shame that so many people will suffer because of their dereliction of duty during the time it will take to clean up the mess they’ve made of our political system, educational system, environment and the health of its citizens.
26
We can only hope you are right but so many Americans and elected officials seem to have tragically lost their way. How so many people can be OK with this kind of behavior is hard to comprehend.
1
I appreciate your optimism but this is likely the worst we will ever see - and the last because the current power mongers are destroying the world.
Maybe. But maybe not.
To the Republican Senators who denied us witnesses in order to avoid "pouring gasoline" on the fires of partisanship: I get it. But you're not done. Since you know Trump is guilty, you owe it to us to at least censure him and pass measures to protect our next election.
54
I am surprised by the comments on this thread. The Senate acted wisely. He is a duly elected president and three years of constant investigations from the Democrats tainted the impeachment process. The country is almost evenly divided. This brought closure and a Solomonic solution to allow the country to move on. Impeachment was a bad idea from the beginning.
30
@ASB
It was no where near a wise solution. Not buying the gaslighting.
5
Seventy-five percent of Americans wanted witnesses to be heard. The country is not evenly split. We are currently enduring the tyranny of the minority.
5
@ASB: The Mueller investigation was commissioned and led by Republicans. The House only started impeachment investigations after the whistle blower came forward and they lasted less than a year. Pelosi was very reluctant to start impeachment investigations but had no choice after Trump’ illegally pressured a foreign head of state to throw shade on a political opponent to benefit his own election by secretly withholding congressionally appropriated military aid to fight a common adversary of Ukraine and the USA. That endangered national security and the integrity of the 2020 elections. On top of that, Trump obstructed Congress by ordering critical witnesses not to testify. Behavior that warranted the strongest rebuke the House has at its disposal: Impeachment. Remember that the House is duly elected too, and truly represents the people, not the Senate and not Trump.
4
Don't forget what Trump did the day after Mueller testified. Who knows what he'll do the day after he is acquitted.
52
@BlueBird
No documents + no witnesses = no genuine acquittal and everybody knows it.
While not a supporter of President Trump I hope that he will be acquitted. Doing otherwise would encroach on presidential powers to conduct foreign relations. And, given the relentless hounding of this president by Democrats and the media for the past three years, it will be satisfying to see them hoisted on their own petard.
32
Foreign relations? That’s certainly not what he was doing when asking a foreign ally to investigate a potential rival in an upcoming election and holding funds voted on by Congress for that ally.
1
@nikolai burlakoff You say you aren't a Trump supporter. This a flat out contradicted by the next sentences you wrote. Which is it?
God bless you and your naïveté if you think he was conducting foreign policy. But I presume you’re making money off of this graft machine in some fashion. I hope you continue to feel happy when your family members get cancer from the unshackled pollution, or are killed by the atomic bombs or lose their home from rising oceans. At least you can say it’s what youve always wanted.
I really don't understand how the greatest democracy ever in the history of the whole world....
Has come to this.
An international laughing stock
When Iceland's Prime Minister's name came up in the Panama Papers Icelanders grabbed their pots and pans and went to their Legislature and made an unholy racket for two weeks until he resigned.
I don't see Americans in the streets and I honestly don't know why
70
@Old man Dan I've asked myself this very question. Where are the demonstrations? Where the indignation? We have become this complacent?
1
@Old man Dan
There are more Americans in the street than corporate media let's on.
When a billionaire burps, it's front page news.
When thousands of people take to the streets, the media studiously ignores it, unless they are financed by the Kochs
@ Trent
The indignation and demonstrations are on social media.
Fighting fire with fire.
1
The American presidency has been unshackled for a long time. But few of the occupants of the White House have been so unhinged, so unmoored, and so untrustworthy. And the Senate has hit a new low, with McConnell at the helm and the lemmings who follow him. So too, SCOTUS
Still, the problem is less one of structure than of substance. If Americans defeat the impeached incumbent and elect a good man or woman instead, and if they vote out the Senators who care more about their self perpetuation than their country, then the ship of state may right itself anew. And the Court may be recreated, in time, with justices picked for their wisdom rather than their alignment with ideologues’ and Leo’s litmus tests
The American presidency was designed for George Washington. The Senate, for deliberative citizens who would serve the public good. The Court for the likes of John Marshall, John Jay and Joseph Story
Not for a Trump, McConnell and Roberts (or Gorsuch and Kavanaugh)
Wrong hands do hold the reins. But only if the voters continue to mount them on their high and mighty horses
29
I am less concerned about the nauseating nonstop bragging about vindication that trump will unleash than I am with how he will react to the newfound revelation, thank you very much Alan Dershowitz, that he can do ANYTHING to get himself re-elected and there will be no consequences.
So I won't be surprised to see all Dem politicians -- presidential candidates, Senate candidates, House candidates and on and on -- under investigation by trump's lackey Attorney General.
Or perhaps he will simply cancel the election and declare himself president until further notice. He no longer need concern himself with pesky impediments like the Constitution, right, Alan? And the Senate is ulikely to get in his way no matter how he tramples on American democracy.
Dark times indeed.
62
You hit the nail on the head: this is the very last “elected” president the United States will ever see. He will not leave office. And his daughter fully expects to take his place. My only hope that my state - one of the largest economies in the world - secedes from this un-democratic autocracy.
He'll feel unshackled? You mean he's felt some impulse of self-restraint up till now? I doubt his behavior will change, it's been excessive already and we don't actually know the extent of what he's been up to in the shadowy chambers of sleaze he inhabits. But he will certainly make more self-promotional noise about his "complete vindication".
31
@alloleo In my view, all you say is correct, but none of it is a recent revelation. The same facts were known before the election of 2016.
The problem is Democrats consistently nominate people whom voters reasonably believe are worse than Trump. And now they have a whole field of candidates, each one of whom is, in one way or another, worse than Trump -- strong on slashing defense, strong on welfare increases, strong on support for "undocumented" immigrants, etc.
I would surmise that every world leader and members of the House and Senate have interns that evaluate the comments of the venerable New York Times daily. I would add non-state actors as well to this list. I think we should bear this in mind when posting as it indicates to the globe which way the wind is blowing so to speak. Let's use the mighty power of our pen to show the planet we will not let our democracy die in the darkness of showing defeat despite what we may perceive as the indicators. None of us knows the future. Our commentary can show the world we are still in this good fight collectively and will not be easily daunted.
17
@Lola
"I think we should bear this in mind when posting as it indicates to the globe which way the wind is blowing so to speak."
I assure you that the comments on this board do NOT tell the world which way the political wind is blowing in the United States.
It tells the world how left-leaning Democrats that read one of the most liberal newspapers in the country are feeling.
@Lola
Sadly I think what we write here is pretty impotent. While we may feel better, nobody is paying us much mind but us.
At least we know we aren’t alone.
In some ways I hope he does win the next election. I think it's time the magical world you call the US of A actually faced up to those horrible realities of American society that you sweep so readily under the carpet as you pretend you are the 'best country in the world'. Give him another five years and watch your failed experiment with democracy disintegrate, and then see the new and exciting realities that can be built from those ashes. It may actually be the best thing that ever happened to you - stranger things have happened.
10
Don’t worry my Australian friend, America is already a hellhole. Toddler children slaughtered in their classrooms (pretty much without any repercussions), no public space safe, rivers lakes and streams cesspools, no healthcare to treat the cancers that the rich cause the poor. Yep. America is exceptional. The most disgusting country in the world.
1
We are the best country in the world.
@Flossy: Burn the village in order to save it leads to ashes, not renewal.
"Mr. Trump is the only president in the history of Gallup polling who has never had the support of a majority of Americans for even a single day, a troubling indicator for re-election."
Tragically, lack of majority support is not at all a troubling indicator for re-election" in the sense that the author intends. But yes, it's profoundly troubling in a deeper sense!
It's been over 30 years now since a Republican president received the majority of Americans' votes. They've gotten to be president, like Trump did and will again if he manages to "win," even though the majority of Americans voted against him.
The Republican senators' cries to "let the people decide" is therefore utter hypocrisy. Everyone knows full well that it's a minority of those who vote who have the rest of us in their thrall.
It's not that we don't vote: we do vote, and we voted against Trump and will vote against him again if he gets to run. Still, he's now our president, and he may very well be our president again.
Our only chance, since Republican money has gamed our system so thoroughly, is to turn out en masse and stop this radical minority takeover while we still can.
39
@sing75
Democrats will continue to lose elections as long as they suffer from "clumping." They are clumped together in geographic echo chambers.
In a presidential election, it doesn't matter if the Democratic candidate wins New York State by one million votes or 10 million votes.
Democrats win blue states by huge margins... it doesn't do them any good.
And don't start with, "My vote doesn't count because I live in New York or California."
It does count -- in YOUR state. Maybe Democrats should encourage more political diversity in blue states so that they feel their vote -- in their state -- is more important.
1
@sing75 It's entirely possible Trump could win in the electoral college while having 10-15 million fewer votes than his opponent. Easily possible. The imbalance in both the Senate and the House enables this.
2
They haven't taken the final vote yet. If the Republicans had principles, they would admit that Trump did the deed and that it was wrong, but that it did not meet the level for removal from office. This is what happened to Clinton after all.
At this point, when more than one Republican has openly admitted Trump's guilt, trying to acquit him by saying he did not do it is going to make them look ridiculous.
17
If Trump is even thisclose to losing in the fall, he will suspend the elections, impound the voting machines (ballots) and declare his opponent in the election was cheating.....who is going to stop him?
20
Exactly. Even worse, if, if he loses, tho I highly doubt that’s possible with Republican State gerrymandering, voter suppression, the electoral college and Russia’s help; he’ll claim it was rigged an attempted coup, send it the conservative SCOTUS which will vote 5-4 in Trump’s favor.
Can the Senate actually acquit him without a true trial, without witness testimony and documentation?
We’re in very dark times and ahead.
It’s interesting how arrogant a president can be after a so-called win on just one of the many things that should drive Trump straight out of office. One can only hope that once he is gone - now by vote - that all of the harassment suits come back, and the magically disappearing embezzlement, the continued business ownership through office and most importantly the women who he abused can get justice (I mentioned that twice on purpose). I hope our country understands the importance of putting better people in office after this display.
17
The Republicans are right in one regard. Ultimately this is all up to the American voters on November 3.
Not only we we vote Mr. Trump out of office. But we will also remove the Republican majority in the Senate.
The most vulnerable Republican Senators are:
- Gardner (R-CO)
- McSally (R-AZ)
- Tillis (R-NC)
- Collins (R-ME)
- Ernst (R-IA)
- open seat (R-KS)
Vote every Republican out of office, from president to senator to dog catcher. Every last one of them.
61
I don’t think Trump will be defeated for various reasons, Russia, the electoral college, voter suppression and gerrymandering. What we need to focus on is gaining more seats in the House and winning back the Senate. Trump can be impeached again under other articles, and then really be removed from office from a true impeachment trial.
One piece of good news: this president will never again browbeat the Justice Department to investigate his political foes. He won't have to.
3
After President Clinton was impeached, but not removed, Republicans pursued his license to practice law, and succeeded in having him disbarred.
As an attorney who spent his career abiding by the legal code of ethics in California, where I was admitted, I watched the appalling legal defense of President Trump, where his attorneys argued for results in court which were precisely opposite the arguments they presented in the impeachment trial. Tell me these attorneys never coordinated these arguments. Tell me they fulfilled their ethical obligation not to present fraudulent arguments.
I realize lawyers have never had the sterling reputation among non-lawyers that some should have. But for those of us who endeavored to behave ethically as lawyers, we are forever undone by the mendacious and evil works of the President’s lawyers.
What do the Bar Associations of the various states where they were admitted say about their conduct?
Under the Dershowitz theory of Constitutional power, Trump could shoot someone on 5th Avenue (presumably black, because he shouldn't BE on 5th Ave.). And, as long as he believes it improves his standing with his constituents, he is un-impeachable -- his act is permitted if not, in fact, authorized.
18
@DAS Permitted if not authorized-for the benefit of the country.
Third world countries rely on the good, or benefit, for the people and country.
Sad that we are degenerating to the status of say, Venezuela, in which a segment of the population is handsomely rewarded for their loyalty-and obedience-to the ruling leader.
I wouldn't trust the world's greatest deliberative body to tell me if it was safe to cross the street.
24
Great. 100% behind all the Repubs are doing. Pour it on! More! Uglier the better! Sitting here in my tiny adopted country, with perhaps the most intelligent, compassionate, truly human head of state in the world, i may well be a one person cheering section for my birth country to throw off the tattered mantle of complacency. And if the Dems are incapable of waking up sleepy America to your imminent loss of democracy and civility, then it's up to the Repubs in all their arrogance to hold the alarm clock next to your ear.
7
A terrible person can be elected president just as a purse can be made from a sow’s ear but it won’t be something you will want to carry to the prom.
10
All hail King Donald The First.
Where will resentment and fear take us next?
13
Nobody can be seriously shocked that the Senate would acquit Trump! When the Democrats decided to impeach him, they knew full well this would be the outcome.
18
Better to pretend we are a country with laws and decency rather than be collaborators in a government coverup.
1
Newt Gingrich’s words will no doubt be echoed by other gloating, vindictive Trump acolytes, but truly apply to the GOP, ...”a group of people who were amazingly, openly dishonest and I think it’s going to be repudiated”.
9
"Analysis: Trump Will Emerge From Impeachment Trial Unshackled."
A president who cannot be impeached is no longer a president according to our system of democracy. A senate that does none of its Constitutionally required oversight is no longer a senate according to our democratic system. When the legal system can be gamed so that House subpoenas connected to ongoing illegal or unconstitutional Executive Branch actions take years, the courts are failing to do what they are supposed to do in our system of democratic government. The writing was on the wall of course. It comes as a great shock all the same. We've been through worse however. And the bully in chief is a great coward. McConnell and his ilk are driven by fear--by the fear that they will lose their unearned and unmerited power and entitlements. I will not let myself second guess the decision to take this to the Senate. Perhaps Trump was already an Emersonian king but literally none of us could not make ourselves believe it? The list of his wrongdoings is already very long. But now nothing will constrain him. He can do practically whatever he likes. For instance, he will try cheat in the 2020 election. His Ukraine scheme will stand. He will do the same to other countries. He will find other ways to cheat. Hope is the thing with feathers. Wouldn't it be something if the Senate Republicans themselves, one by one, rediscovered the better angels of their souls, between now and Wednesday?
12
Wishful thinking about the Senate Republicans.
1
The Republican senate will take us to our mass grave. They have lost their minds. And their souls. Which I don’t believe they ever had. So what will happen now? Absence of law means chaos. We have established that we are not a country of laws, so why should anyone adhere to them? If an illegitimate president can break any law no one else should obey any either
1
@Suryasmiles
"Wishful thinking about the Senate Republicans."
Yes.
1
I feel sorry for my Senators: Lamar Alexander, who squandered his legacy in failing to standing up for truth, and Marsha Blackburn who, as a woman, will be judged extra harshly.
Eventually, it will be clear that we elected an unqualified President who threatened to take away financial support (extortion) and offered a meeting in the Oval Office (bribery) to the Ukranian leader on the condition he would give the President an unfair edge in the next election (cheating.)
The House impeached Trump. The Senate falsely swore to do their jobs but did not: no witnesses, no review of evidence, no actual trial. Some of them said he is not guilty of impeachment, others said he is guilty as charged but we don't care: he can stay in office because we have sold our souls, don't care about law or truth or the American way at this time, and have decided to hang on by our bitter little claws until the voters throw us out. Two excepted. In theory, Senators with consciences and integrity could still vote to remove Trump, appropriately.
Nobody likes cheating. Eventually these substandard Senators and blatantly unqualified President will be voted out. Because we are a democracy, and that is how we do things in a democracy, and because democratic principles are stronger than a few greedy politicians.
Someday, these Senators' great-grandchildren will grasp the folly of this tragic misuse of power, and there won't be enough money in the world to keep them from hanging their heads in shame.
16
@LisaBolton
Beautifully stated.
Thank you.
Dogma cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be persuaded and it's incapable of compromise. It must be beaten.
Vote!
11
It appears Democrats in the House and Senate are the only ones doing their jobs of keeping a check on an out-of-control executive branch. Democrats are the only ones fighting to minimize and limit Trump's damage to our Constitution and the rule of law.
Republicans have officially become Trump's lackeys -- they exist only to protect and enable a corrupt president ... at all costs to the country and our national security.
We can't afford to risk another 4 years of an unchecked and even more emboldened trump, or his Republican lackeys in the House and Senate. It won't be safe for any of us.
Vote them all out.
18
Nothing's changed, Trump has been "unshackled" his entire term in office. Truthfully, he has been unshackled his entire little rich boy life. Take the time and read "A Very Stable Genius" and you how his own (Republican) cabinet members and staff reflect on his infantile temper tantrums.
Democrats never envisioned they could remove him from office. Rather, they wanted to lay out his crimes for all America to see. They realized in the end, however, the Senate Republicans would cover for him.
18
Although the Democrats were right to try, the impeachment and conviction were doomed from the start (a zero chance of two-thirds of the Senate voting for conviction).
Moreover, I doubt anyone's view of Trump changed as a result of the impeachment revelations and process. His base (and careerist D.C. Republicans) are still for him. And those who have known him for decades as an amoral, narcissistic, vulgarian con-man were not exactly waiting on this process to form an opinion of the man.
8
Not only unshackled but even more impulsive, vindictive and out of control.
8
I’ve never in my life been so proud to be a deplorable then now. This President ROCKs.
18
He does love the poorly educated!
1
Hope you still like him when he cuts Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and you can’t afford nursing home care for yourself or your family. And he pledged last week to do just that to fix the trillion dollar deficits he caused. Maybe them you won’t think he rocks.
1
@ RS
Trillion dollar deficit.
Bribe money.
This is an absolute catastrophe. It is a worst possible case scenario.
The Senate has probably doomed our country, and the West, and liberal democracies around the world not to mention the environment.
This is a replay of the 1930's. We know how that turned out.
Why have they done this?
8
The work of the devil always finds its way into power to cause chaos and strife. Death and misery are the stock in trade. Make no mistake - these actions are the devil at work and we have not seen the worst. Unfortunately it may be the last war humanity will ever see. Right before humankind is completely destroyed.
Unshackled yes, unscathed no. Trump and his Republican nannies won the battle and lost the war.
8
Foes or adversaries, as you describe them, refer to the Constitution and the rule of law, NOT the Democrats.
We do not have a representative government. We have senators from homogeneously or sparsely populated states with as much or more power as senators from diversely and highly populated states.
These senators have hobbled entire branches of government. They blocked a hearing for Merrick Garland. Here, they have made the Senate the right hand of the president.
If there are any foes here, it's this Senate and this President. These are our foes. If he is emboldened and further destroys our republic, may the House continue to hold him accountable until November. May the voters strike the fatal blow.
10
Enraged Trump is going to be normal state of mind and both the WH administration and congressional republicans will have only one job to do, to clean up after Trump’s 7/24.
4
Trump’s action from now forward will define his legacy...
.., it will not be good.
5
This was the day our Republic died, historians will note. Trump, unhinged on his best day, will become completely unrestrained. The GOP thinks they will control him, but history is littered with political corpses of the collaborators of tyrants, and the millions of their victims. Whether you like it or not, our future depends on the Democrats remaining undaunted in their effort to hold Trump to account for his assaults on our Constitution, our Republic, and the most vulnerable.
10
I have been impeached by the United States Congress -
I therefore desperately need and deserve your vote.
2
Is it impossible to impeach him again?
Who knows what he might do next if he feels that he's invincible?
4
@sing75 Yes it's possible, but if they do it next month, he'll have EXACTLY the same group that made this a sham trial and a whitewash. The senate needs purging.
1
Of course not!
Who is Trump fooling? Everyone knows it was rigged. Trump knows it and he likes it when he's doing it in-your-face. Chief Justice Roberts might not think it was done to him. Take a look again, sir.
I don't think Trump will emerge unscathed. On the other hand, it's the beginning of his downfall. Trump just literally brushed aside the US Constitution. And the Republicans allowed him to do that. They've got to feel ashamed doing that. How can they look people in the eye? Is that how far they've sunk? Beneath the beneath. Low lifes.
8
Please stop quoting Newt Gingrich. I try to skim over what he says, but the mere thought of him opening his mouth, attempting to remain relevant, is nauseating. I have an absolutely visceral reaction to even seeing his name in an article. It is to Newt that we can look if we really want to trace the origins of the absolute nastiness and take-no-prisoners approach of our politics.
15
Just because Trump is an unrepentant rascal, well known cheater (for ever), and a cruel destroyer of the essential trust in our democratic institutions, permanently unable or unwilling to apologize for the chaos he created, and the harm inflicted, does not mean he can be exonerated from his criminality, just because we have republican cowards conflicted to accept the truth and the evidence...by supporting his malfeasance. Given Trump's superb arrogance in the matter, and complete self-serving narcissism, he does not deserve to wield the huge power that the presidency does confer to him. But then again, no one wanted to take the full measure of his irresponsible behavior, destructive to the rule of law and to all decency. But, if in spite of all his corrupted ways, if he is re-elected, we, poor souls, would fully deserve him (Ugh!).
4
Curious why people are surprised. Trump being acquitted was a virtual guarantee.
He will now boast the Democrats can’t touch him and will get another 4 years
Book it
11
No one is surprised. They are angry.
“Book it”. Does that refer to booking a ticket to migrate to another country as a refugee? Sadly no where in the world is safe any more.
POTUS will be shackled and will never recover.
Leading up to next Wednesday's vote and beyond, additional evidence, i.e. witnesses never heard and documents never provided as requested by the House, will come forth and made available to the public from various channels. The only difference in the evidence coming forward is it is firsthand info.
I sense more firings (of public offers) by the president b/c of the dump of sensitive info coming; being made public.
Twitter must suspend DJT's and GOPs' work accounts; and consider their personal ones too. A better place will be the entire social world.
6
On the day he is no longer our president, will he remain unshackled then?
Right now there's Rudy: another fine candidate for an orange jumpsuit.
The Russian-born Lev Parnas implicates Nunes, Pence, and The Attorney General in the same scheme.
The whole cast of characters needs to come out of the shadows, these collaborators in the quest to hold a foreign leader hostage—for Putin's benefit—as well as his own—That's not impeachable?
Does Truth matter? I know the Kremlin does not believe in democracy. And Donald does his bidding, promises to do it again - this coming election. We are not lost.
Sham trial. Means a lot.
We need to punish them all in the public view, all those that allowed this...perfidy...to happen.
Before November would be nice. But, eventually, all of them. Because we must.
Because accountability matters. And, transparency: it is what makes a democracy work.
The court of public opinion is our last hope.
Justice for all. And for every culpable man in Trump's orbit: May the price they each and every one pay be the fair price of proper retribution, and so may our great nation be healed, strong and healthy yet again. Trustworthy again.
The court of public opinion is our last defense now. We have November's election. And that is all.
We have come to our last chance and, yes, you can blame it all on the sham trial. I plan on doing so...loudly.
7
It makes no difference, Trump is never shackled by truth, justice or rationality
3
Trump can be summed-up in one word: instinct. It’s what defines him, and it works very well for him. He beat Clinton because voters are tired of the phony, focus-grouped and HR-constrained doublespeak of the establishment candidates. Trump successfully ran against the GOP establishment and shredded them before turning to the Dems.
The Dems need a candidate that can do the same thing - a hostile takeover of the party. Sander-Gabbard is their only chance. Until they run against their own establishment, they’re dead in the water.
4
The right wing media in Australia are Trump fans big fans they spend so much time to the point of almost hysteria going on about the Democrats and how bad they are and how they have basically made fools of themselves but hardly every talking about the actual details. Seems it is great victory for Trump that no witnesses are allowed surely if he had nothing to hide a greater victory would have been to let the American people see that. Perhaps I am just seeing it in a to simple way.
7
@Bev
I think you have described it perfectly Bev.
There was no fair trial. We deserved to hear witnesses and see facts and documents.
Crooks don’t want witnesses. Jurors who cover for crooks don’t want to hear witnesses or see evidence.
It kind of scares me how our democracy can be ruined by half the population that becomes totally unhinged at the thought of Trump getting reelected in 2020 to the extent that they have to basically force the house into impeaching him...I have never seen anything this bad happen in the last 60 years...if the democrats continue to pursue impeachment and removal of Trump this year or after he is reelected it might just bring an end to our constitution and republic...
7
The Date the Senate GOP rules on Trump's fitness for office as the President of the United States of America and the Leader of the Free World,, is another Date in American history "that will live in infamy."
4