His. Tom Cotton
Tom Bryant Cotton: We’ve already seen this film: rumors about Trump’s political demise are greatly exaggerated. The third-rate Senate Democrat is asking Hawley and Cruz to resign after the Capitol attack. Hawley describes the death of the Capitol police officer as “a heartbreaking tragedy” MORE (R-Ark.), An influential conservative and possible candidate for the White House in 2024, says the Senate has no constitutional authority to hold an impeachment trial for President Trump
Donald Trump: A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support the removal of YouTube, which temporarily bans the upload of new content to the Trump House channel adopts a measure asking Pence to remove Trump MORE once he leaves office.
“The Senate does not have the constitutional authority to carry out dismissal proceedings against a former president. The founders designed the impeachment process as a way to remove public office holders, not an investigation against private citizens, “Cotton said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Cotton’s justification for not voting to convict Trump once he leaves office will likely become political cover for other Republican Party senators to vote against a House-approved indictment, even if they believe Trump he could have committed impugnable crimes.
Leader of the Senate majority Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse approves a measure asking Pence to remove Trump Trump, the house’s GOP relationship deteriorates suddenly Kinzinger says he will vote to accuse Trump MORE (R-Ky.) He announced Wednesday before that Trump’s second impeachment trial will not begin until after the Senate returns from a recess scheduled to end Jan. 19. This means that as soon as the trial could begin it would be 1pm on January 20th. the same day president-elect Joe Biden
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“Given the rules, procedures and precedents of the Senate governing presidential removal processes, there is simply no possibility that a fair or serious trial can be concluded before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week. has held three presidential impeachment proceedings. They have lasted 83 days, 37 days and 21 days respectively, “McConnell said.
Cotton, in his statement Wednesday evening, also argued that the Senate could not conclude a trial against Trump in the next six days.
“The House has passed an article of dismissal against the president, but the Senate according to its rules and precedents cannot initiate and conclude a trial just before the president leaves office next week,” he said.
The House voted 232 to 197 Wednesday to accuse Trump for a second time, with ten Republican lawmakers voting in favor of the article, which accused Trump of inciting insurgency after a pro-Trump crowd overtook the U.S. Capitol. last week.
The article accuses Trump of “repeatedly making false statements claiming that the results of the presidential election were the product of widespread fraud” and inciting a mob that “illegally infringed and vandalized the Capitol, wounded and wounded.” killing law enforcement personnel “and” threatened members of Congress. “
Cotton condemned the violence and said riot police needed to be fully prosecuted.
“‘There is no grievance that is a proper object of reparation by the law of the crowd.’ These words are as true today as they were when Abraham Lincoln uttered them.As I said last summer, when the violence of the crowd took over our streets, so I say again about the violence of the crowd in the Capitol of our nation last week: those responsible should be held accountable to the courts to the extent of the law, ”he said.
But the Arkansas lawmaker said that “fidelity to the Constitution must always be the shelter of our nation.”
“Last week I opposed the effort to reject certified electoral votes for the same reason – fidelity to the Constitution – now I am opposed to dismissal proceedings against a former president,” Cotton said.