Impeachment, Take Two (and Other Trump News)

[Haibane]

Difficult to become president in 2024 if he's in jail.

[stormwyrm]

If it's good enough for Al Capone, it's good enough for Donald Trump.

[Aiden]

Please don't compare the orange turd to Al Capone.

[TheVillain]

To be it's not a bad comparison if you specify late-syphilis-eaten-brain Al Capone.

I have a pet theory that a lot of Trump's behavior can be explained by untreated Syphilis.

[gaggedLouise]

Please don't compare the orange turd to Al Capone.

"At least Capone had style and real flair", you mean? :)

I would agree that Trump's crimes and misdemeanours are more serious and in a way more far-reaching than Capone's (at least if we remove the killings of outsiders and law-abiding people engineered by Capone).

[gaggedLouise]

I bet Trump was swearing under his breath as he watched Castor's long-winded, rambling and non-crowdpleasing monologue as his lawyer. This looked like the very opposite of what Trump had wanted his lawyers to do: to be brash and angry, go on the offensive, paint in purple patches language and speak with the tv audiences as their real target. And of course: to sell the idea that the election was super rigged and therefore Donnie did the right thing, instead of getting bogged down in arcane legal and constitutional matter... ;)

[Oniya]

Actual lawyers on Twitter are positively roasting Castor and Schoen. 

The GOP isn't very impressed either:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-impeachment-trial-legal-team-republican-senators/

[Haibane]

I bet Trump was swearing under his breath as he watched Castor's long-winded, rambling and non-crowdpleasing monologue as his lawyer. This looked like the very opposite of what Trump had wanted his lawyers to do: to be brash and angry, go on the offensive, paint in purple patches language and speak with the tv audiences as their real target. And of course: to sell the idea that the election was super rigged and therefore Donnie did the right thing, instead of getting bogged down in arcane legal and constitutional matter... ;)

Is there a video of this on YT or elsewhere? I really wanted to watch this but have been stupidly busy the last week or more.

[Oniya]

Is there a video of this on YT or elsewhere? I really wanted to watch this but have been stupidly busy the last week or more.

This one was uploaded by PBS.
And this one from CNBC.

[stormwyrm]

Remember, be wary, the sixth of January
The Capitol treason and plot
I see no reason why the Capitol treason
Should ever be forgot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/as-trump-trial-opens-evidence-mounts-capitol-attack-was-planned/ar-BB1dxDPg

At the very least the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers should be hunted down at least as fervently as Osama bin Laden had been.

[Haibane]

Trump lawyers defence that impeaching a President who is no longer in office is unconstitutional is rejected at 56-44 votes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56005458

[TheVillain]

Remember, be wary, the sixth of January
The Capitol treason and plot
I see no reason why the Capitol treason
Should ever be forgot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/as-trump-trial-opens-evidence-mounts-capitol-attack-was-planned/ar-BB1dxDPg

At the very least the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers should be hunted down at least as fervently as Osama bin Laden had been.

He said, shocking absolutely nobody.

[gaggedLouise]

Trump lawyers defence that impeaching a President who is no longer in office is unconstitutional is rejected at 56-44 votes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-56005458

The crime and the incitement were committed by Trump (and some of his associates) while he was still in office, and the very purpose was to override the results of a free and fair election, force Congress to its knees and entrench Trump as an autocrat.

In a democracy, trying to make yourself or a friend into a dictator of the state (indefinitely) and placing yourself above the law as Leader are some of the worst offences a person on government level can engage in. If someone tries and fails, they will be severely punished and never get to hold office again.

[gaggedLouise]

Remember, be wary, the sixth of January
The Capitol treason and plot
I see no reason why the Capitol treason
Should ever be forgot.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/as-trump-trial-opens-evidence-mounts-capitol-attack-was-planned/ar-BB1dxDPg

At the very least the Proud Boys and the Oathkeepers should be hunted down at least as fervently as Osama bin Laden had been.

Sure it was planned in advance (it was even discussed online around the world for weeks around the world how Trump and the ;AGA mob would turn the tables on January 6), but it was planned in conspiracy with (and inspired by) Trump and his henchmen. Amy Kremer, who was one of the key organizers of the Trump rally and its permit holder, should be arrested and interrogated by the FBI; she must have known what the game plan was. She's steadily defending Trump and describing the storming as fake news (or a staged event run by Antifa moles) and the senate trial as a joke, on twitter on a daily basis.  >:(

[gaggedLouise]

Sorry about doubling "around the world" there (and slipping on the "M" key), but no edits here. :)

[Haibane]

Actual lawyers on Twitter are positively roasting Castor and Schoen.

A link to some of those discussions would be great. I don't use Twitter so am reliant on people putting up links. Thank you, it would be much appreciated.

[The Lovely Tsaritsa]

Actual lawyers on Twitter are positively roasting Castor and Schoen. 

The GOP isn't very impressed either:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-impeachment-trial-legal-team-republican-senators/

Russian news anchors laugh, at Mr Trump’s lawyers. They ask, if this isn’t joke.

[Haibane]

In some ways it is. There is almost no chance that 17 Republicans will vote to impeach, so Trump's lawyers could stand there and recite episodes of Cheers and probably still win.

[Oniya]

A link to some of those discussions would be great. I don't use Twitter so am reliant on people putting up links. Thank you, it would be much appreciated.

I'll remember in the future.  I find it almost impossible to find old conversations.   :-[

[TheVillain]

In some ways it is. There is almost no chance that 17 Republicans will vote to impeach, so Trump's lawyers could stand there and recite episodes of Cheers and probably still win.

Unfortunately, this is true. His lawyers could probably stand there and just say “he’s guilty as hell, but we know you don’t care” over and over again and they wouldn’t convict.

[Haibane]

Isn't it crazy when a political party in the most powerful country in the world needs a figurehead so much they don't give a single fuck about what he did no matter how wicked and corrupt. Not even that directly because of his lies at least 6 people died. And they know tens of millions of Americans will vote for him again in 4 years. It makes my blood boil.

[gaggedLouise]

Isn't it crazy when a political party in the most powerful country in the world needs a figurehead so much they don't give a single fuck about what he did no matter how wicked and corrupt. Not even that directly because of his lies at least 6 people died. And they know tens of millions of Americans will vote for him again in 4 years. It makes my blood boil.

Yes, I agree, and it's not as if he's the party leader or something - he doesn't even have a long history with the GOP before 2015. He's essentially an outsider. But I figure it's harder to really, formally split a major party in the US than in many other countries. Even if the GOP leadership made a break with Trumpism and forced people who still defend Trump to set up their own Trump Party, most of those who voted for Trump could still swamp the republican primaries for decades to come. They used to be republicans and no one can stop them from registering as "republican sympathizers" and then punishing most of those who took a stand against Trump after he left office - and vote in their own tea party or Trumpist candidates to run for the GOP. The US parties really are mostly machines for winning elections, so the power of Trump's voters to drive anti-Trump candidates into the ground even after a party split is a very vulnerable spot...

[Beorning]

Guys, question:

I watched the proceedings in the Senate yesterday (a little). What was up with that argument when one guy demanded to have some comments attributed to him removed from the record - and the elderly man in charge of the proceedings (whom everybody called "Mr. President") didn't seem to understand him?

[Oniya]

The person in charge of the hearings is the President pro tem of the Senate, Sen. Patrick Leahy.  He's the third in line for succession (after the Vice President and the Speaker of the House).  If Trump had been impeached while in office, Chief Justice Roberts would have presided, so as not to have someone in charge who could put themself closer to becoming President.

As for the argument, I finally tracked down which 'guy' asked to have statements removed.  Link.

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) asked for comments regarding a phone call between him and Trump stricken from the record, because he denies the call ever took place, and is the only witness to the call.

[Beorning]

Ah, I see. Thanks! I was wondering about that.

Anyway, from what I've seen, the impeachment managers' case seems really well prepared. Based on what was shown, it's pretty clear (IMHO) that Trump was guilty as heck.