;)
The Commentariat -- January 13, 2021
Impeachment 2.0 Afternoon Update:
Alan Fram & Andrew Taylor of the AP: "Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Wednesday blocked a quick Senate impeachment trial for ... Donald Trump but did not rule out that he might eventually vote to convict the now twice-impeached president. Minutes after the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump, McConnell suggested in a statement that Trump's Senate trial will not start before Jan. 19, the chamber's next scheduled business day.... 'I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate,' McConnell wrote [in a letter to GOP senators]."
The Washington Post online has a two-line banner headline: "TRUMP IMPEACHED AGAIN": From the Post's live updates (also lined below): "The House on Wednesday voted to impeach Trump on a charge of 'inciting violence' against the U.S. government, making him the first president in U.S. history to have been impeached twice. The final vote count was 232 in favor and 197 opposed. Ten Republicans joined all Democrats present in voting to impeach Trump.... The 10 Republicans who voted to impeach Trump are Reps. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), John Katko (N.Y.), Adam Kinzinge (Ill.), Peter Meijer (Mich.), Dan Newhouse (Wash.), Tom Rice (S.C.), Fred Upton (Mich.) and David Valadao (Calif.).... Trump now faces a Senate trial after his term ends, when the chamber could vote on barring him from future elective office if he is convicted." The AP's story is here.
Oh, BTW, at 5:00 pm ET, no reaction from the Giant Orange Double-Impeached Latte.
From the New York Times live updates (also linked below): "The House had enough votes on Wednesday to impeach President Trump for inciting a violent insurrection against the United States government, as more than a half-dozen members of the president's party joined Democrats to charge him with high crimes and misdemeanors for an unprecedented second time."
The Washington Post's impeachment updates are here: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) opened a two-hour debate Tuesday on Trump's impeachment by calling him 'a clear and present danger' and saying 'he must go.' The House is poised to impeach Trump on a single article charging him with 'incitement of insurrection' for his role in last week's takeover of the Capitol by a violent pro-Trump mob. ~~~
~~~ "As Wednesday's floor debate was underway, Trump issued a statement calling for there to be no violence at any of the protests that are expected to take place during the week of Biden's inauguration. 'In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind,' Trump said in the statement, which was first reported by Fox News. 'That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You.' According to Fox News, the White House will 'attempt to post the statement to all of Trump's official social media accounts.'"
The New York Times' impeachment updates are here.
Emma Fitzsimmons of the New York Times: "... on Wednesday, [New York City] announced it would terminate its contracts with the Trump Organization after the riot at the U.S. Capitol. The decision by Mayor Bill de Blasio was another blow to Mr. Trump's prestige in New York, and hammered home the depths to which the president -- once viewed as a mischievous real estate celebrity -- has become a political and social pariah in his hometown.... The city is moving to cancel contracts at two ice-skating rinks at Central Park, the Central Park Carousel and the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, a city-owned golf course in the Bronx. The Trump Organization has had profits of about $17 million a year from the contracts, Mr. de Blasio said." A CNN story is here.
Kaitlan Collins & Kevin Liptak of CNN: "On the day he will be impeached for a history-making second time..., Donald Trump lacks a comprehensive legal strategy, has nothing on his public schedule and is without his preferred social media methods of responding -- in part because his son-in-law put a stop to efforts establishing his presence on fringe platforms after he was banned from Twitter. It amounts to near-invisibility for the President at the most perilous moment of his presidency, which is ending in tumult and dramatic rebuke from members of his own party.... Jared Kushner intervened when other officials tried restoring the President's social media presence on sites that are often havens for extremists, such as Gab, following an unprecedented ban from several major platforms. According to an outside adviser and an administration official, Kushner and deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino blocked efforts by other aides, including personnel chief Johnny McEntee, to get the President on fringe social media platforms after he was suspended in some fashion from almost every major one, including Twitter, Facebook and, now, YouTube." ~~~
~~~ Marie: In theory -- though not in fact -- Trump's impeachment trial could start this week -- and he doesn't seem to have a legal team to defend him. What? Is he going to send Rudy up to the Hill to spit & fart his way through a "defense" as hair dye drips down his face?
Sarah Mimms of BuzzFeed News: "Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in an Instagram Live on Tuesday night that she had a 'very close encounter' on Jan. 6, the day of the violent insurrection at the US Capitol, and that she thought she 'was going to die.' Ocasio-Cortez did not provide many details about what happened to her on Jan. 6, saying she was not certain if she could 'disclose the full details' given security issues. But she called the encounter 'traumatizing,' saying, 'I did not know if I was going to make it to the end of that day alive.'" Update: the Washington Post report is here.
Rebecca Tan of the Washington Post: Capitol police officer Eugene Goodman single-handedly held off -- and well, conned -- a mob of insurrectionists, leading them to a place where several armed officers stood in wait. Includes video.
Meet the Trumpist. Evan Perez of CNN: "A rioter who stormed the US Capitol last week wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase 'Camp Auschwitz' was arrested Wednesday morning in Virginia, according to a law enforcement official.... The man in the sweatshirt was identified as Robert Keith Packer of Virginia. A law enforcement official told CNN that Packer was picked up in Newport News, Virginia.... Packer has a criminal history including three convictions for driving under the influence and a felony conviction for forging public records, according to Virginia court records."
Paul Newberry of the AP: "Five-time Olympic swimming medalist Klete Keller was charged Wednesday with participating in a deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol after video emerged that appeared to show him among those storming the building last week. An FBI complaint, citing screenshots from the video, asked that a warrant be issued charging Keller with knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority and attempting to impede an official government function." MB: Sorry, but in the the accompanying photo, Keller looks like a member of the Nazi youth.
Kaitlan Collins & Kevin Liptak of CNN: "On the day he will be impeached for a history-making second time..., Donald Trump lacks a comprehensive legal strategy, has nothing on his public schedule and is without his preferred social media methods of responding -- in part because his son-in-law put a stop to efforts establishing his presence on fringe platforms after he was banned from Twitter. It amounts to near-invisibility for the President at the most perilous moment of his presidency, which is ending in tumult and dramatic rebuke from members of his own party.... Jared Kushner intervened when other officials tried restoring the President's social media presence on sites that are often havens for extremists, such as Gab, following an unprecedented ban from several major platforms. According to an outside adviser and an administration official, Kushner and deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino blocked efforts by other aides, including personnel chief Johnny McEntee, to get the President on fringe social media platforms after he was suspended in some fashion from almost every major one, including Twitter, Facebook and, now, YouTube." ~~~
~~~ Marie: In theory -- though not in fact -- Trump's impeachment trial could start this week -- and he doesn't seem to have a legal team to defend him. What? Is he going to send Rudy up to the Hill to spit & fart his way through a "defense" as hair dye drips down his face?
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Carol Leonnig, et al., of the Washington Post: "The Secret Service and federal law enforcement agencies are spending the final days of the Trump administration bracing for a possible violent assault against the Jan. 20 inauguration, launching a security mobilization that will be unlike any in modern U.S. history. On Wednesday, the Secret Service will take command of security preparations at the U.S. Capitol and other federal buildings, backed by as many as 15,000 National Guard troops, thousands of police and tactical officers, and layers of eight-foot steel fencing. The high-alert security posture is starting six days earlier than planned to coordinate roles for the FBI, National Guard, U.S. Marshals Service and a host of other federal agencies that will fall under Secret Service command.... The accelerated timetable has also allowed authorities to fortify the city and deploy officers in anticipation of potential violence on Sunday, when pro-Trump groups are calling for armed marches in Washington and the 50 state capitals.... House Democrats were briefed by the new Capitol Police leadership Monday night about threats to the inauguration from groups supporting President Trump, and the new security measures they are putting in place to avoid a repeat of last Wednesday's riot. According to members who were on the briefing call, the threats included promises to execute members of Congress, with the most dangerous coming from a handful of extremist groups."
Anna Schecter of NBC News: "Right-wing extremists are using channels on the encrypted communication app Telegram to call for violence against government officials on Jan. 20, the day President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated, with some extremists sharing knowledge of how to make, conceal and use homemade guns and bombs. The messages are being posted in Telegram chatrooms where white supremacist content has been freely shared for months, but chatter on the channels has increased since extremists have been forced off other platforms in the wake of the siege of the U.S. Capitol last week by pro-Trump rioters. Telegram is a Dubai-based messaging service that does little moderation of its content and has a sizable international user base, particularly in eastern Europe and the Middle East."
Andrea Mitchell of NBC News: "Signaling a dramatic new direction for U.S. foreign assistance, President-elect Joe Biden is expected to announce Wednesday that he will nominate former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power to head the U.S. Agency for International Development.... Biden is also expected to enhance Power's role by elevating the position to membership on the National Security Council. In a prepared statement..., Biden called Power 'a world-renowned voice of conscience and moral clarity.'... If she is confirmed by the Senate, Power will have a great deal of rebuilding to do. Under ... Donald Trump, the agency's budget has been slashed and career development experts have been replaced by political appointees with little experience in the field."
"McConnell Is Already Sabotaging Biden's Presidency." Ian Millhiser of Vox: "... so far, no hearings have been held on President-elect Joe Biden's nominees -- meaning Biden could face a serious delay in getting his administration ready to begin governing.... As CNN's Kylie Atwood notes, this is the first time in at least 10 presidential transitions where the incoming president's nominee to be secretary of state won't even have a confirmation hearing before that president's Inauguration Day. And it's unclear whether any hearings will be held before the Senate is scheduled to reconvene on January 19."
Impeachment Day 2.0
Mary Jalonick of the AP explains how the impeachment process is likely to play out. Chris Hayes of Politico's Playbook, has a more precise tick-tock of what should happen today.
Jacob Knutson of Axios: "House Speaker Nancy [Pelosi] on Tuesday named Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and eight other representatives as managers of the impeachment trial of President Trump.... They will present the House's case for impeachment ... during his Senate trial if the House votes to impeach him on Wednesday." ~~~
~~~ ** Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times: "Representative Jamie Raskin, Democrat of Maryland, lost his 25-year-old son to suicide on New Year's Eve. Then he survived the mob attack on the Capitol. Now, he leads the impeachment effort."
Marianne Levine of Politico: "Soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed Tuesday to move forward on coronavirus relief and confirming President-elect Joe Biden's Cabinet nominees, even as the chamber is expected to soon face an impeachment trial.... Schumer is calling on the Senate to return immediately after the House sends over the article of impeachment, citing the use of emergency authorities granted to Senate leaders in 2004. But that would require buy-in from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who has told his caucus the trial wouldn't begin until Jan. 19 at the earliest absent a unanimous consent agreement." MB: I watched the part of Schumer's press conference that was televised. He said McConnell's assertion that convening the Senate this week required unanimous consent was not true. Schumer also said he wanted everyone who breached the Capitol building to be placed on the no-fly list. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
(~~~ AND now for some important news from TMZ on Schumer's press briefing: "Senator Chuck Schumer just said Donald Trump sounds exactly like a dictator, but his words were drowned out by a crazy protester who threatened that Trumpers are going to his home and [Nancy] Pelosi's to take care of business. The woman was off the rails, screaming she and her flock would descend on Pelosi's home to destroy her vineyards. She compared Schumer to Hitler, ranting as she said she fully supports the insurrectionists. She says she was 'sexually excited' to see Schumer and other Democrats flee from the riot." MB: I should just get all my news from TMZ & quit messing with these other media outfits like the NYT & WashPo. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~)
~~~ ** So Then There's This. Jonathan Martin & Maggie Haberman of the New York Times: “Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, has told associates that he believes President Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is pleased that Democrats are moving to impeach him, believing that it will make it easier to purge him from the party.... At the same time, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader and one of Mr. Trump's most steadfast allies in Congress, has asked other Republicans whether he should call on Mr. Trump to resign.... While Mr. McCarthy has said he is personally opposed to impeachment, he and other party leaders have decided not to formally lobby Republicans to vote 'no.' [on the article of impeachment]... On Monday, [President-elect] Biden telephoned Mr. McConnell to ask whether it was possible to set up a dual track that would allow the Senate to confirm Mr. Biden's cabinet nominees and hold a Senate trial at the same time.... Far from avoiding the topic of impeaching Mr. Trump, Mr. McConnell said it was a question for the Senate parliamentarian, and promised Mr. Biden a quick answer." (Also linked yesterday.) Update: A CNN report is here. ~~~
~~~ Mike Allen of Axios: "There's a better than 50-50 chance that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would vote to convict President Trump in an impeachment trial, sources tell Axios.... 'The Senate institutional loyalists are fomenting a counterrevolution' to Trump, said a top Republican close to McConnell."
The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. -- Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wy.), in a statement ~~~
~~~ Mike DeBonis, et al., of the Washington Post: "The push for an unprecedented second impeachment of President Trump took a dramatic bipartisan turn Tuesday, as several senior House Republicans joined the Democratic effort to remove Trump for his role in inciting an angry mob to storm the Capitol last week and the White House braced for more defections. Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), the third-ranking House Republican, and Rep. John Katko (N.Y.), the top Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, both publicly held Trump responsible for last Wednesday's violence. They were joined by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a frequent Trump critic.... A senior administration official said the White House expects at least a dozen Republicans to support impeachment in the likely House vote Wednesday. The White House is rudderless, unwilling or unable to mount any defense other than saying that Trump will already be leaving next week, two administration officials said.... Trump, banned from Twitter, for the first time lacks the ability to aim angry tweets at those who oppose him.... The Republican statements supporting impeachment -- which came after Trump delivered remarks earlier Tuesday expressing no regret for his actions -- represented a watershed moment." Politico's story is here. ~~~
~~~ Update. Aris Folley of the Hill: "Longtime Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) has joined a growing number of House Republicans in saying he plans to vote to impeach President Trump on Wednesday...."
Anita Kumar & Daniel Lippman of Politico: "... Donald Trump is not expected to mount a forceful White House defense against charges he incited last week's deadly riots inside the U.S. Capitol, according to a White House official. Trump knows he's unlikely to be removed from office with Republicans controlling the Senate until next week and only a few days left of his term. The president has also grown increasingly isolated, distrusting the same aides and advisers he had relied on during prior crises in his presidency, including White House Counsel Pat Cipollone.... Since Dec. 23, the schedule has included 15 variations of the language: 'President Trump will work from early in the morning until late in the evening. He will make many calls and have many meetings.' A former White House official said the language was inserted at Trump's directive in order to give off the appearance of him being busy." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. -- Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, Section 3 ~~~
~~~ If the Senate Fails to Convict. John Nichols of the Nation outlines how Congressional Democrats can apply the 14th Amendment to keep Trump from ever holding elected office again. Firewalled. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Deepak Gupta and Brian Beutler, in a New York Times op-ed, agree: "The 14th Amendment gives Congress the power to enforce Section 3 through legislation. So Congress can immediately pass a law declaring that any person who has ever sworn to defend the Constitution -- from Mr. Trump to others -- and who incited, directed, or participated in the Jan. 6 assault 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion' and is therefore constitutionally disqualified from holding office in the future.... And Congress can do this by a simple majority -- far less of a hurdle than the two-thirds majority in the Senate that removing the president requires.... This option also has power that the impeachment process lacks. As we learn more in the coming months about who is culpable for the siege, the ranks of those disqualified from office will likely swell.... Make no mistake: This was an insurrection. The 14th Amendment disqualifies its instigators from public office, whether the president is convicted in a Senate trial or not." (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ That Could Include These Guys. Ryan Grim & Aída Chávez of the Intercept: "The head of the House Freedom Caucus, Republican Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, helped plan the January 6 event that culminated in a storming of the Capitol, according to Ali Alexander, a lead organizer of the gathering. Alexander, a pro-Trump personality, was an early founder of the 'Stop the Steal' movement, and helped bring together various right-wing factions around a mass event on January 6, aimed to coincide with objections to the counting of Electoral College votes. Alexander made his claim in three separate livestreams in late December, adding that Reps. Paul Gosar of Arizona and Mo Brooks of Alabama were also involved. 'We're the four guys who came up with a January 6 event,' Alexander said." MB: Of course, planning a protest march & planning an insurrection are two different things; the question is, did the Congressmen & Alexander cross the coup line? (Also linked yesterday.)
Juliegrace Brufke & Mike Lillis of the Hill: "The House on Tuesday passed legislation calling on Vice President Pence to tap his constitutional authority to remove President Trump from office in response to the president's role in the deadly mob attack on the Capitol last week. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) led the resolution, which calls on Pence, joined by other members of the Cabinet, to oust Trump by activating the 25th Amendment, which allows for the president's removal if he's deemed 'unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.'... The bill passed 223-205. One GOP lawmaker, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), joined with every voting Democrat in approving the measure." ~~~
~~~ Brett Samuels of the Hill: "Vice President Pence on Tuesday rebuffed calls from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democrats to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Trump from office. 'I do not believe such a course of action is in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with the Constitution,' Pence wrote in a letter to Pelosi released Tuesday night." Pence's letter is here, via the Hill. MB: Pence released the letter prior to the House's voting on a resolution asking him to invoke the 15th Amendment.
Colby Itkowitz of the Washington Post: "As the pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol last week, House members and some staff sheltered in a cramped, windowless room with no more than an arm's length of distance between them.... Several Republican members hunkered down, maskless, refusing to use the face coverings that their Democratic colleagues and staffers were begging them to wear ... in such low-ventilation indoor environments. One Democrat, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), grew so angry that she left the secure room, concluding, according to an aide, that 'we're not going to survive a terrorist attack to be exposed to a deadly virus.'... Nearly a week after the riot, three Democratic lawmakers who had sheltered in that room ... have tested positive for the coronavirus.... The outbreak -- dubbed a 'superspreader event on top of a domestic terrorist attack' by Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington, one of the Democratic lawmakers who tested positive -- led House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to impose stiff fines on members who don't wear masks.... Anyone not wearing a mask on the House floor will be fined $500 for their offense and $2,500 for their second.... [Rep.] Bradley Schneider (D-Ill.) ... on Tuesday..., announced he had tested positive."
Tal Axelrod of the Hill: "Tensions flared Tuesday evening between a handful of House Republicans and the Capitol Police over new metal detectors that were placed outside the House chamber in the wake of the attack on the Capitol. The lawmakers were heard by reporters complaining about the detectors and railing against Democrats as they tried to enter the House chamber to vote.... Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) yelled at the police ... to 'get back' and 'don't touch me.' Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), who has touted her desire to carry her Glock pistol in the Capitol, was also seen by a reporter setting off a detector and refusing to turn her bag over to the police for inspection.... Boebert later tweeted ... that the detectors are 'just another political stunt by Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi' that wouldn't have prevented last week's riots. A Democratic lawmaker ... [told] The Hill the detectors were not intended to stop a riot and are instead meant to block lawmakers from bringing firearms into the House chamber - something Boebert has said she could do. The detectors are 'to keep the jackasses from carrying guns into the chamber,' said the Democratic lawmaker."
Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that she witnessed colleagues escorting people through the Capitol on Jan. 5 for what she described as 'reconnaissance' ahead of the next day's violent insurrection that left five dead. In a 13-minute Facebook video billed as an address to her constituents about the House's efforts to hold ... Donald Trump accountable for inciting the riot, Sherrill included the allegation as part of a call to hold Trump's allies in Congress accountable as well. 'I also intend to see that those members of Congress who abetted him -- those members of Congress who had groups coming through the capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the next day -- those members of Congress who incited the violent crowd, those members of Congress that attempted to help our president undermine our democracy, I'm going see that they're held accountable,' Sherrill said. Sherrill did not identify the lawmakers she was referring to, how she was able to describe their activities as 'reconnaissance' and how she knew they were connected to the riots that consumed the Capitol the following day." MB: Those are pretty startling allegations. The FBI should pay Rep. Sherrill a call.
David Siders of Politico: "As the Republican Party begins to reckon with the fallout from the deadly insurrection, it's being forced to confront a disquieting truth: the lie that ultimately led to the violence -- that the election was stolen from ... Donald Trump -- drew far-reaching support from the partys governing class at every level, extending far beyond Congress and reaching deep into America's statehouses.... And in the days since the insurrection, these Republicans continued to question the election while giving air to debunked claims that antifa or other leftist agitators -- not pro-Trump rioters -- were primarily responsible for the destruction that followed."
Dana Milbank of the Washington Post: "Even if Trump were removed in his final week..., the punishment would be inadequate, because it lets his co-conspirators off the hook. The attack on the Capitol was not a protest but a crime. The many people complicit in encouraging, planning, financing or condoning it need to be held to account: Members of Congress, state legislators and attorneys general, and the Internet platforms, businesses, advertisers and political action committees that aid them, must be prosecuted, hit with civil litigation or defunded." Milbank recounts Rep. Jim McGovern's (D-Mass.) extended effort to get Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) to admit that "this election was not stolen." Jordan repeatedly refused.
Andrew Desiderio of Politico: "A top Republican congressional aide is resigning over his party's support for ... Donald Trump's bid to overturn the 2020 election after it fueled deadly riots at the Capitol. In a scathing resignation letter..., Jason Schmid, a longtime senior House Armed Services Committee staffer, slammed the GOP members of the panel who objected to ... Joe Biden's Electoral College win, particularly after a mob incited by Trump stormed the Capitol last Wednesday and left five people dead. 'Anyone who watched those horrible hours unfold should have been galvanized to rebuke these insurrectionists in the strongest terms,' Schmid wrote in a letter addressed to the committee's top Republican. 'Instead, some members whom I believed to be leaders in the defense of the nation chose to put political theater ahead of the defense of the Constitution and the republic.'"
"Totally Appropriate." Quint Forgey of Politico: "... Donald Trump on Tuesday defended as 'totally appropriate' the speech he made at a rally last week that was followed by his supporters launching a deadly siege of the Capitol. In his first live remarks since the violence last Wednesday, Trump deflected blame and sought to highlight other politicians' comments last summer about protests against racial injustice and police brutality. 'If you read my speech..., it's been analyzed, and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,' Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews, en route to Alamo, Texas. 'And if you look at what other people have said -- politicians at a high level -- about the riots during the summer, the horrible riots in Portland and Seattle and various other places, that was a real problem, what they said,' Trump continued. 'But they've analyzed my speech and my words and my final paragraph, my final sentence, and everybody -- to the tee -- thought it was totally appropriate.'... Speaking outside the White House earlier Tuesday, Trump condemned House Democrats' efforts to impeach him a second time, saying it was a 'continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics.... I think it's causing tremendous anger.'..." MB: Wherein "totally appropriate" is analagous to "a perfect call." (Also linked yesterday.) The Washington Post's story is here. ~~~
~~~ The New York Times posts a banner headline over live updates of impeachment developments on the main page of its online edition that reads, "Trump Shows No Contrition for Inciting Mob, Calling Remarks 'Appropriate'." From the current top story in the updates (12 noon ET), "Mr. Trump's defiance came despite near universal condemnation of his role in stoking the assault on the Capitol, including from within his own administration and some of his closest allies on Capitol Hill. Earlier, he asserted that it was the impeachment charge, not the violence and ransacking of the Capitol, that was 'causing tremendous anger.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ MSNBC is refusing to play video Trump's remarks so as not to inspire more violence. ~~~
~~~ Tony Romm of the Washington Post: "President Trump lashed out at Silicon Valley on Tuesday in his first public comments since Twitter banned him from the site, stressing the industry had done a 'horrible thing for our country and to our country.' The president told reporters that the social-media sites had made a 'catastrophic mistake' and acted in a politically 'divisive' manner after punishing the president for comments last week the companies said threatened to incite violence.... Trump renewed attacks come as House Democrats plan to ramp up their scrutiny of Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Party lawmakers in recent days have faulted tech giants for acting too slowly to stop Trump&'s online rhetoric from precipitating real-world chaos." (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~ Nicole Gaouette, et al., of CNN: "America's most senior military leaders condemned the violent invasion of the US Capitol last week and reminded service members of their obligation to support and defend the Constitution and reject extremism in a statement that underscored the unprecedented challenges facing the country in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection attempt by ... Donald Trump's supporters."
Devlin Barrett & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "A day before rioters stormed Congress, an FBI office in Virginia issued an explicit internal warning that extremists were preparing to travel to Washington to commit violence and 'war,' according to an internal document reviewed by The Washington Post that contradicts a senior official's declaration the bureau had no intelligence indicating anyone at last week's pro-Trump protest planned to do harm. A situational information report approved for release the day before the U.S. Capitol riot painted a dire portrait of dangerous plans, including individuals sharing a map of the complex's tunnels, and possible rally points for would-be conspirators to meet up in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina and head in groups to Washington.... It was not immediately clear how many law enforcement agencies outside the FBI were told, but the information was briefed to FBI officials at the bureau's Washington field office the day before the attack, this official said.... On Friday, the head of the FBI's Washington Field Office, Steven D'Antuono, told reporters 'there was no indication' of anything planned for the day of Trump's rally 'other than First Amendment-protected activity.'" (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Marie: Biden has indicated he intends to keep Chris Wray -- a Trump appointee -- on as FBI director. Wray has some explaining to do as to why D'Antuono lied to the public and what actions he took or will take regarding the FBI's failures surrounding the attack on the Capitol. (Also linked yesterday.) ~~~
~~~ Update: Harper Neidig of the Hill: "The Department of Justice is working to build sedition and conspiracy charges against some of the rioters who stormed the Capitol last week, the top federal prosecutor for Washington, D.C., said Tuesday. Michael Sherwin, the acting U.S. attorney for D.C., said in a press conference that he has assembled a team of national security attorneys to explore some of the harshest charges his office could pursue in the wake of the riot that overran the Capitol.... 'Their only marching orders from me are to build seditious and conspiracy charges related to the most heinous acts that occurred in the Capitol.' Sedition charges can carry prison sentences of up to 20 years. Sherwin said Tuesday that prosecutors have now charged more than 70 cases following the riot and the FBI has opened investigations into more than 170 people.... At the press conference, Steven D'Antuono, the head of the FBI's Washington field office, defended the bureau's actions during the lead-up to the riot.... '... the FBI cannot open an investigation without a threat of violence or alleged criminal activity,' D'Antuono said. '... And in this case, we had no indication, information was linked to any specific person, but that this is a matter of an online discussion.... This information was immediately disseminated through a written product, and briefed to our command post operations to all levels of law enforcement.'..." MB: D'Antuono's attempt to excuse his previous remarks was a complete flop, IMO. When a reporter directly asked him why he had said earlier that there was no indication before Jan. 6 of any planned violence, he just reiterated the crux of the intelligence from the Norfolk FBI office & said the info was shared with appropriate officials. So a non-answer. (Also linked yesterday.)
Donald Trump Did This. Peter Hermann & Julie Zauzmer of the Washington Post: "More than 58 D.C. police officers and an unknown number of U.S. Capitol Police officers were injured in the hours-long riot and assault on Wednesday as lawmakers were formalizing the election victory for Joe Biden as president.... The number of injuries suffered by police as they attempted to fend off supporters of President Trump who seized the U.S. Capitol last week runs long. They include swollen ankles and wrists, bruised arms and legs, concussions and irritated lungs.... An officer was hit with a bat. Another was struck with a flagpole. A third was pinned against a statue. A fourth was clobbered with a wrench. One became stuck between two doors amid a frenzied mob. Many were hit with bear spray.... One Capitol Police officer died in circumstances that remain unclear.... D.C. police said Monday that one District officer remained hospitalized. They described many of the injuries as sprains and bruised arms and legs, but many others appear far more serious and caused by repeated blows from sticks, poles and clubs and laser pointers shined into officers' eyes. The Capitol Police, which had 1,400 officers at the building, also have members who suffered injuries.... Eva M. Malecki, a spokeswoman for the agency, said injuries ranged from concussions to scrapes and bruises. She said no Capitol Police officers remain hospitalized."
Yes, That Was an Attempted Coup. Fiona Hill in Politico Magazine: "Trump disguised what he was doing by operating in plain sight, talking openly about his intent. He normalized his actions so people would accept them. I've been studying authoritarian regimes for three decades, and I know the signs of a coup when I see them. Technically, what Trump attempted is what's known as a 'self-coup' and Trump isn't the first leader to try it.... The storming of the Capitol building on January 6 was the culmination of a series of actions and events taken or instigated by Trump so he could retain the presidency that together amount to an attempt at a self-coup. This was not a one-off or brief episode. Trump declared 'election fraud' immediately on November 4 even while the votes were still being counted. He sought to recount and rerun the election so that he, not Joe Biden, was the winner." Hill runs through "a standard coup 'checklist' analysts use to evaluate coups." MB: I hope impeachment managers run through Hill's explanation & the facts she includes to back up her assertion. They form a convincing argument of Trump's malevolent intent & actions. Thanks to unwashed for the link; I did intend to get to linking this earlier yesterday. (Also linked yesterday.)
** Josh Marshall of TPM: "There is a simple chain of events that even news outlets doing the best work are still tiptoeing around.... As members of Congress were besieged [inside the Capitol building] and then retreated to a secure undisclosed location, Trump received numerous pleas from members of Congress to send reinforcements or call on his supporters to disperse. He refused because he liked what he was seeing.... The point is ... that ... the President willfully refused to provide the relief only he could provide. This would have been a clear order for his insurrectionist supporters to stand down and clear the building, which only he could give, and military and law enforcement assistance that only he as Command-in-Chief could authorize. In many ways this is the more grievous and impeachable act -- much more clear cut and culpable than the initial speech. But it has remained muddled and occluded in so much reporting."
Yeganeh Torbati of the Washington Post: "A departing Trump administration political appointee at the nation's leading foreign aid agency told staff on Tuesday that the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol was the work of 'a few violent people,' and added 'several million' others there were protesting peacefully for electoral reform, according to audio recordings of a staff meeting obtained by The Washington Post. Tim Meisburger is a Trump appointee and a departing deputy assistant administrator at the U.S. Agency for International Development.... Meisburger made the comments on a video call with about 70 to 80 USAID workers.... When The Post reached Meisburger by phone for comment, Meisburger declined to comment, then hung up, and did not respond to subsequent text messages. There were not several million people protesting at the Capitol last Wednesday.... Organizers had expected up to 30,000 people to attend the rally.... Multiple videos of the incident contradict the description Meisburger gave of the riots...." MB: I wonder if Meisburger is stupid or a pathological liar or a stupid, pathological liar.
Daisuke Wakabayashi of the New York Times: "YouTube said on Tuesday that it had suspended President Trump's channel over concern about 'ongoing potential for violence,' the latest move by one of the large technology companies to limit the president online. In a post on YouTube's official Twitter account, the Google-owned video site said it had suspended Mr. Trump's account after one of his recent videos violated its policy for inciting violence.... YouTube also said it was disabling all comments on his channel indefinitely." A CNN story is here.
Donald Trump, Failed Businessmen, Is Failing Faster. Josh Dawsey, et al., of the Washington Post: "By refusing to acknowledge that he would be returning to private life, Trump appears to have sabotaged what could have been his best chance at success in that realm -- a rebound of the battered Trump brand. Now, through his encouragement of rioters who ransacked the U.S. Capitol, Trump has made his company a pariah and driven away allies who could have brought it revenue and post-politics credibility.... The first backlash fell upon, of all things, the Trump website that sells candles and T-shirts. TrumpStore.com had been hosted by the e-commerce website Shopify -- until last week. 'Shopify does not tolerate actions that incite violence,' the company said. As of Tuesday evening, the site was still down. Then Trump lost the real estate broker working to sell his D.C. hotel. He lost the PGA Championship.... In Britain, Trump's hopes of landing another major golf tournament -- the British Open -- were dashed, as the organizers said they would not use Trump's Turnberry club in Scotland.... This week, Trump lost his accounts at New York's Signature Bank, which gave back the money and put out a statement telling him to resign. New York City said it was 'reviewing whether legal grounds exist' to terminate Trump's contracts for ice rinks, the [Central Park] carousel and the city-owned golf course. Also Tuesday, Professional Bank -- a Florida entity ... -- said it would no longer do business with Trump.... Some experts think the Biden administration may have grounds simply to revoke the lease [on Trump's troubled Washington, D.C., hotel]...."
Alex Gangitano of the Hill: "A growing list of companies are cutting off donations to politicians who opposed the Electoral College results, targeting the 147 Republican members of the House and the Senate who voted against affirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory. Republican lawmakers attempted to challenge the results of Arizona and Pennsylvania, two swing states Biden won, during and after a violent and deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.... Here are the companies that have temporarily stopped giving to members who opposed the election results[.]" (Also linked yesterday.)
Nihal Krishan of the Washington Examiner: "A handful of Big Tech companies moved to take down social media platform Parler over the weekend, but it appears to have found a new company to help try to keep its website running. On Monday, Parler registered its domain and server to be hosted by Epik, an internet webhosting company known for working with right-leaning websites. Gab, another social media platform popular with conservatives, also uses Epik. A web domain search shows that Parler is now registered with Epik. Epik put out a statement on Monday claiming it had no discussion of providing future services to Parler. Epik did acknowledge, however, that Parler was 'working on satisfying the requested terms placed upon them.' Epik also defended Parler and said that it was being unfairly treated in comparison to its larger competitors Twitter and Facebook, which create an 'undeniable double standard' when it comes to their policing and enforcement of content." (Also linked yesterday.)
Amy Gardner & Matt Zapotosky of the Washington Post: "The acting U.S. attorney [Bobby Christine] for the Northern District of Georgia, whose predecessor abruptly resigned one week ago after President Trump complained officials were not doing enough to find election fraud in the state, declared on a call with his staff Monday that 'there's just nothing to' the few claims of fraud the office was examining, according to an audio recording obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution." Christine brought in three federal prosecutors specializing in election fraud & corruption, and was surprised to find there was nothing to investigate.
Some in Trump Base Disapprove of Violent Overthrow of the Government. Steven Shepard of Politico: "Tarnished by last week's riot at the Capitol, Donald Trump is ending his presidency with his lowest-ever poll numbers. A new Politico/Morning Consult poll pegs Trump's approval at just 34 percent, the lowest in four years of tracking opinions of the president's job performance. More than six in 10 voters -- 63 percent -- disapprove."
Mike Who? Robin Emmott & Humeyra Pamuk of Reuters: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cancelled his Europe trip at the last minute on Tuesday after Luxembourg's foreign minister and top European Union officials declined to meet with him, European and U.S. diplomats familiar with the matter said. [It was] The extraordinary snub of the top U.S. diplomat....
Hailey Fuchs of the New York Times: "The Trump administration early Wednesday morning executed Lisa M. Montgomery, the only woman on federal death row, whose death marked the first federal execution of a woman in nearly 70 years. Ms. Montgomery, 52, was sentenced to death for murdering a pregnant woman in 2004 and abducting the unborn child, whom she claimed as her own.... The last women to be executed by the federal government were Bonnie Brown Heady for kidnapping and murder and Ethel Rosenberg for espionage, both in 1953." An AP story is here.
Adam Liptak of the New York Times: "In the Supreme Court's first ruling on abortion since the arrival of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the court on Tuesday reinstated a federal requirement that women seeking to end their pregnancies using medications pick up a pill in person from a hospital or medical office. The court's brief order was unsigned, and the three more liberal justices dissented. The only member of the majority to offer an explanation was Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who said the ruling was a limited one that deferred to the views of experts. The question, he wrote, was not whether the requirement imposed 'an undue burden on a woman's right to an abortion as a general matter.... My view is that courts owe significant deference to the politically accountable entities with the "background, competence and expertise to assess public health."'" An AP story is here.
The Trumpidemic, Ctd.
** The New York Times' live updates of Covid-19 developments Wednesday are here: "As America slogs through this grimmest of winters, there is no relief in the daily tabulations of Covid-19 deaths: More than 4,400 were reported across the United States on Tuesday, according to a New York Times database, a number once unimaginable. Yet even as the disease touches thousands of families, the nation is distracted by the political crisis gripping Washington in the last days of the Trump administration. Tuesday's death count, which set another daily record, represented at least 1,597 more people than those killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The U.S. death toll, already the world's highest by a wide margin, is now about 20,000 shy of 400,000 -- only a month after the country crossed the 300,000 threshold, a figure greater than the number of Americans who died fighting in World War II."
Lori Aratani of the Washington Post: "Federal officials will require all international travelers flying to the United States to show proof they have tested negative for the coronavirus, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials announced Tuesday. The order, set to go into effect Jan. 26, would greatly expand a requirement put into place last month that mandated testing for American citizens and others flying to the U.S. from the United Kingdom."
Beyond the Beltway
Florida. CBS-4 Miami: "Federal wildlife authorities in Florida are looking for the person or persons who mutilated a manatee by carving the word 'Trump' onto its back. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the manatee was discovere Sunday in the headwaters of the Homosassa River in Citrus County, about 75 miles north of the Tampa Bay area.... Manatees are protected by the Endangered Species Act and it is a federal criminal offense to harass the gentle sea cows punishable by a $50,000 fine and up to one year in prison." (Also linked yesterday.)
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