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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 18 Januari 2021

Democrats build impeachment case, alleging 'dangerous crime'

No president has ever been convict-
ed in the Senate, and it would take a
two-thirds vote against Trump, a high
hurdle. But conviction is not out of
the realm of possibility, especially
as corporations and wealthy politi-
cal donors distance themselves from
Trump's brand of politics and the Re-
publicans who stood by his attempts
to overturn the election.

Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal
attorney, was spotted at the White
House Saturday and told ABC he was
likely going to join Trump’s impeach-
ment defense team. He suggested he
would continue to spread baseless
claims of election fraud on the Sen-
ate floor.

Trump campaign spokesman Hogan
Gidley moved to distance Trump
from Giuliani’s comments, tweeting:
“President Trump has not yet made a
determination as to which lawyer or
law firm will represent him for the
disgraceful attack on our Constitu-
tion and democracy, known as the
'impeachment hoax.' We will keep
you informed.”

There was not widespread fraud in
(AP) — The lead prosecutor for reckoning with the Capitol attack at impeachment, but said he is undecid- the election, as has been confirmed
President Donald Trump's his- the same time that Biden takes office ed on how he would vote. He con- by a range of election officials and by
toric second impeachment began and tries to move the country for- tinues to hold great sway in his party, William Barr, who stepped down as
building his case for conviction ward. They say the Congress can do even though convening the trial this attorney general last month. Nearly
at trial, asserting on Sunday that both, balancing a trial with confirma- week could be among his last acts as all of the legal challenges put forth by
Trump's incitement of the mob tions of the new president's Cabinet majority leader as Democrats prepare Trump and his allies have been dis-
that stormed the U.S. Capitol was and consideration of his legislative to take control of the Senate with the missed by judges.
“the most dangerous crime" ever priorities. seating of two new Democratic sena-
committed by a president against tors from Georgia. Trump is the only president to be
the United States. A Senate trial Raskin said Congress cannot estab- twice impeached, and the first to be
could begin as soon as this week, lish a precedent where “we just want For Republican senators, the trial will prosecuted as he leaves the White
just as Democrat Joe Biden is to let bygones be bygones” just be- be perhaps a final test of their loyalty House, an ever-more-extraordinary
sworn in as the 46th president. cause Trump has left office. to the defeated president and his le- end to his tenure. A precedent set by
gions of supporters in their states back the Senate in the 1800s established
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., did not Yet it's clear that Democrats do not home. It will force a further reevalua- that a trial can proceed even after a
say when House Speaker Nancy Pe- want the Senate trial to dominate tion of their relationship with Trump, federal official leaves office. Trump
losi, D-Calif., will send the single ar- Biden's opening days. Pelosi on Fri- who lost not only the White House was first impeached by the House in
ticle of impeachment against Trump day said that Democrats intend to but majority control of the Senate, 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine,
— for “incitement of insurrection” move quickly on Biden’s $1.9 trillion and a broader discussion about the but the Senate voted last year to ac-
— to the Senate, which will trigger COVID aid and economic recovery future of the Republican Party as he quit.
the beginning of the trial. But Raskin package to speed up vaccinations and leaves office.
said “it should be coming up soon” as send Americans relief, calling it “mat- Ten Republicans joined all Democrats
Pelosi organizes the formal transfer. ter of complete urgency.” Some GOP senators are already in the 232-197 impeachment vote on
Ron Klain, Biden's incoming White standing by Trump, despite their crit- Wednesday, the most bipartisan mod-
The House voted to impeach Trump House chief of staff, said he hopes icism of his behavior. South Caroli- ern presidential impeachment.
last Wednesday, one week after the Senate leaders, on a bipartisan basis, na Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of the
violent insurrection that interrupted “find a way to move forward on all of president's most loyal allies, said im- When his second trial does begin,
the official count of electoral votes, their responsibilities. This impeach- peachment was a "bad, rushed, emo- House impeachment managers say
ransacked the Capitol and left Con- ment trial is one of them, but getting tional move” that puts the presidency they will be making the case that
gress deeply shaken. Before the mob people into the government and get- at risk and will cause further division. Trump’s incendiary rhetoric hours
overpowered police and entered the ting action on coronavirus is another before the attack on the Capitol was
building, Trump told them to “fight one of those responsibilities.” He said he hopes every Senate Re- not isolated, but directly intended to
like hell” against the certification of publican rejects impeachment. interrupt the electoral count as part of
Biden's election win. It is unclear how many Senate Repub- “Please do not justify and legitimize his escalating campaign to overturn
licans — if any — would vote to con- what the House did,” Graham said. the November election.
“We're going to be able to tell the vict Trump. Republican leader Mitch
story of this attack on America and McConnell of Kentucky is telling his A handful of Republican senators A Capitol Police officer died from in-
all of the events that led up to it,” caucus that their decision on whether have suggested they will consider juries suffered in the attack, and po-
Raskin said. “This president set out to convict the outgoing president will conviction. Two of them, Alaska Sen. lice shot and killed a woman. Three
to dismantle and overturn the elec- be a “vote of conscience.” His stance, Lisa Murkowski and Pennsylvania other people died in what authorities
tion results from the 2020 presiden- first reported by Business Insider, Sen. Pat Toomey, have said he should said were medical emergencies.
tial election. He was perfectly clear means the GOP leadership team will resign. Murkowski said the House
about that.” not work to hold senators in line one responded “appropriately” with im- Raskin and Klain were on CNN's
way or the other. peachment and she will consider the “State of the Union,” and Graham
Democrats and the incoming admin- trial arguments. appeared on Fox News Channel's
istration are facing the challenge of McConnell is open to considering “Sunday Morning Futures.”