House Impeaches President Trump on 2 Articles

 

Wednesday evening, the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump for “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress.” Both were related to his dealings with Ukraine. He is the third American president to be impeached.

If and when the House forwards the articles to the GOP-controlled Senate, the president faces a near-certain acquittal. Neither result comes as a surprise since Democrats began promising impeachment before Trump was even inaugurated.

No Republicans voted to impeach. Every Democrat voted for the first article except Reps. Jefferson Van Drew (NJ) and Collin Peterson (MN). For the second article, Rep. Jared Golden (ME) joined Van Drew and Peterson to vote against. Independent Rep. Justin Amash (MI) voted for each article, while presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard (D–HI) voted present on both.

As the House voted, Trump enjoyed a packed Christmas rally at an arena in Battle Creek, MI.

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  1. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Django (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    It will be interesting to see if the House will withhold sending over the Articles of Impeachment until the Senate creates the procedure for the trial.

    Honest question: What happens if the Senate gives the House a one-finger salute and goes on with the business of confirming judges? Given the insanity of the House actions it ought to happen.

    As soon as the Articles are transmitted, the Senate could do a motion to dismiss, and short-circuit Impeachment.  Pelosi is acting not unlike how Cocaine Mitch acted when he refused to schedule any hearings for Merrick Garland.

    In the Impeachments of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, witnesses were interviewed.  Trump prevented witnesses from testifying before the House.  But if Trump prevents to allow witnesses to testify in the Senate, he is proving Article II, Obstruction of Congress.

    • #61
  2. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump prevented witnesses from testifying before the House.

    Why shouldn’t the Democrats allow time for this to be adjudicated? They didn’t even try. 

    • #62
  3. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Weeping (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    71% of Americans and 64% of Republicans want to hear from witnesses in the trial in the Senate.

    I doubt those poll numbers very much. I suspect it is more that 71% of Americans do not care about this impeachment. When the Nixon and Clinton impeachments were going on, everyone was talking about them. No one is talking about this one except a few heads on network TV.

    Most of the people I know want to see Biden and all the UK corruption investigated.

    If Trump’s going to be investigated for his phone call, I think Biden should also be investigated for his statements.

    Impeachment is the vehicle to remove an office holder.  Biden is not an office holder.  The Senate Judiciary Committee could call Biden as a witness in a hearing.  But that would play to Biden’s strengths, as Biden chaired the Judiciary Committee for many years.

    • #63
  4. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    TBA (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Jager (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey (View Comment):

    The Democrats are simply playing to their base of coastal elitist media personalities.

     

    That is thing. Pelosi had to move forward because of her base. McConnell has to acquit because of the Republican base. This was all baked in the second it started.

    If they wanted Republican votes or what ever a fair trial in the Senate means, then they should have been fair to the House Republicans. They limited Republican questions, Republican witness. Nadler adjourned his committee with out discussing it with the ranking member.

    The Dems should expect the Republicans in the senate to be just as “fair” and the Dems were in the house.

    Withholding the Articles to force the Senate to bow to the House is a bad idea. Senators don’t like that type of thing and will be less likely to give House Dems what they want.

    If they hold the Articles Trump will surely hit the campaign trial trolling them as Do Nothing Congress that wastes time on an impeachment they are not willing to send to the Senate, just more Do Nothing

    History has shown that Pelosi runs circles around Trump.

    History has shown that she goes nowhere when he grounds her plane.

    History shows that when she refused to allow Trump to do the State of the Union Address in the House Chambers, Trump had to back down.  

    • #64
  5. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump prevented witnesses from testifying before the House.

    Why shouldn’t the Democrats allow time for this to be adjudicated? They didn’t even try.

    It took eight months for a District Court to order that Don McGann appear before Congress.

    • #65
  6. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Jager (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey (View Comment):

    The Democrats are simply playing to their base of coastal elitist media personalities.

    That is thing. Pelosi had to move forward because of her base. McConnell has to acquit because of the Republican base. This was all baked in the second it started.

    If they wanted Republican votes or what ever a fair trial in the Senate means, then they should have been fair to the House Republicans. They limited Republican questions, Republican witness. Nadler adjourned his committee with out discussing it with the ranking member.

    The Dems should expect the Republicans in the senate to be just as “fair” and the Dems were in the house.

    Withholding the Articles to force the Senate to bow to the House is a bad idea. Senators don’t like that type of thing and will be less likely to give House Dems what they want.

    If they hold the Articles Trump will surely hit the campaign trial trolling them as Do Nothing Congress that wastes time on an impeachment they are not willing to send to the Senate, just more Do Nothing

    History has shown that Pelosi runs circles around Trump.

    You aren’t addressing what I have highlighted because you can’t defend this process. They never should have started if there wasn’t more bipartisan support. That’s the requirement the Founder set up.

    Both parties should have simply just raised all kinds of hell under oversight. That is the way the constitution is supposed to work.

    • #66
  7. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Trump prevented witnesses from testifying before the House.

    Why shouldn’t the Democrats allow time for this to be adjudicated? They didn’t even try.

    It took eight months for a District Court to order that Don McGann appear before Congress.

    So what? Are we on an election calendar?

    • #67
  8. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Jager (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey (View Comment):

    The Democrats are simply playing to their base of coastal elitist media personalities.

    That is thing. Pelosi had to move forward because of her base. McConnell has to acquit because of the Republican base. This was all baked in the second it started.

    If they wanted Republican votes or what ever a fair trial in the Senate means, then they should have been fair to the House Republicans. They limited Republican questions, Republican witness. Nadler adjourned his committee with out discussing it with the ranking member.

    The Dems should expect the Republicans in the senate to be just as “fair” and the Dems were in the house.

    Withholding the Articles to force the Senate to bow to the House is a bad idea. Senators don’t like that type of thing and will be less likely to give House Dems what they want.

    If they hold the Articles Trump will surely hit the campaign trial trolling them as Do Nothing Congress that wastes time on an impeachment they are not willing to send to the Senate, just more Do Nothing

    History has shown that Pelosi runs circles around Trump.

    You aren’t addressing what I have highlighted because you can’t defend this process. They never should have started if there wasn’t more bipartisan support. That’s the requirement the Founder set up.

    I have a copy of the Constitution available.  Please point out to the “requirement” that an impeachment cannot be considered unless there is bipartisan support.

     

    • #68
  9. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    Jager (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Type Monkey (View Comment):

    The Democrats are simply playing to their base of coastal elitist media personalities.

    That is thing. Pelosi had to move forward because of her base. McConnell has to acquit because of the Republican base. This was all baked in the second it started.

    If they wanted Republican votes or what ever a fair trial in the Senate means, then they should have been fair to the House Republicans. They limited Republican questions, Republican witness. Nadler adjourned his committee with out discussing it with the ranking member.

    The Dems should expect the Republicans in the senate to be just as “fair” and the Dems were in the house.

    Withholding the Articles to force the Senate to bow to the House is a bad idea. Senators don’t like that type of thing and will be less likely to give House Dems what they want.

    If they hold the Articles Trump will surely hit the campaign trial trolling them as Do Nothing Congress that wastes time on an impeachment they are not willing to send to the Senate, just more Do Nothing

    History has shown that Pelosi runs circles around Trump.

    You aren’t addressing what I have highlighted because you can’t defend this process. They never should have started if there wasn’t more bipartisan support. That’s the requirement the Founder set up.

    I have a copy of the Constitution available. Please point out to the “requirement” that an impeachment cannot be considered unless there is bipartisan support.

     

    I am referring to the Founder’s discussion about impeachment in the Federalist papers. The Democrats imposed their lousy due process in the House and now the Republicans are going to pay them back in the Senate. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Listen to the VDH interview for the implications. 

    • #69
  10. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    I can almost guarantee you that if the Founders came back they would say all of this should have been done under oversight with censures flying everywhere as everyone saw fit. 

    I suppose arguably it could’ve been seen as pre-impeachment work for after the next election provided the Democrat party could actually find something more clear-cut to get Trump on. Election fodder produced by the more or less disingenuous application of  government force.

    • #70
  11. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Impeachment was not supposed to flow like this. 

    • #71
  12. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    It will be interesting to see if the House will withhold sending over the Articles of Impeachment until the Senate creates the procedure for the trial.

    More Democratic talking points.

    They want a trial as “fair” as the impeachment was.

    But that’s what putting the Insane Clown Party in charge, like some advocated.

    Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind in November.

    • #72
  13. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    I can almost guarantee you that if the Founders came back they would say all of this should have been done under oversight with censures flying everywhere as everyone saw fit.

    I suppose arguably it could’ve been seen as pre-impeachment work for after the next election provided the Democrat party could actually find something more clear-cut to get Trump on. Election fodder produced by the more or less disingenuous application of government force.

    Notwithstanding the merits of the argument, at what point will people stop paying attention, or revolt, even if there is a proverbial ‘wolf’?

    I believe it’s already happening anyway.

    • #73
  14. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    JamesSalerno (View Comment):

    The Democrats have been calling for this since January 2017. The only reason they’ve waited until now is so they can pre-emptively place a cloud over the 2020 election.

    Let’s face it, in 2017 the Democrats thought Quid Pro Quo was an appetizer you ordered at a Japanese restaurant and Ukraine was a miracle drug for ulcers. The actual crime was never important.

    No. Democrats did not have sufficient grounds to successfully impeach Trump, until Trump loaded the gun himself on July 25, 2019 and shot himself in the foot. To quote, I think Peggy Noonan, Trump self-impeached.

    Utter and complete nonsense.

    The Democrats were frantic, for something, anything to impeach Trump over.

    3 years of Mueller fell flat on its  face.  So they jumped on the phone call as an excuse.

    Thats why they rushed it through a Star Chamber and then a sham Judiciary committee in record time.

    There was real corruption involving the 2016 election. And all all of it involved the Democrats.

    And Trump had every right to try and investigate it, and asking for the help of the current Ukrainian government, bound by treaty to cooperate was absolutely correct.

     

    • #74
  15. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Dem’s had a weak Obstruction case after the Mueller Report. Mueller testified in a poor presentation on July 24, 2019. On the next day, perhaps feeling his oats, Trump shot himself in the foot.

    Nonense.

    After Mueller the Dems, who you endorsed, were frantic for something and jumped on nothing, not expecting Trump to promptly release the transcript of the phone conversation.

    • #75
  16. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Strangely, or perhaps the strategy all along, Congress and the President are simultaneously moving forward with a couple more unread books masquerading as legislation. 

    • #76
  17. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio. 

    • #77
  18. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio.

    It is more like a sealed indictment.  The prosecutor can proceed at any time.

    • #78
  19. Larry3435 Inactive
    Larry3435
    @Larry3435

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    I voted for Martha McSally in the last election. But if she refuses to vote for witnesses in the impeachment trial, it would be hard for me to vote for her in 2020.

    71% of Americans and 64% of Republicans want to hear from witnesses in the trial in the Senate.

    Witnesses to what???  There was a phone call.  We have a transcript.  We know what happened.  So witnesses to what?

    Every witness called by the House Committees offered up nothing but hearsay and conclusory opinions.  Not a word of it would ever have been admissible in a court of law.  Only one of the witnesses had actually heard the conversation, and he confirmed that the transcript was accurate.  None of them had talked to Trump about anything pertinent to the inquiry, which did not stop them from opining about what Trump was thinking.  So do we need mind-readers as witnesses?  Here in Las Vegas we have a guy named Frederic Da Silva, who does a mind-reading show at Bally’s Hotel and Casino.  Let’s call him as the witness.  

    • #79
  20. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio.

    It is more like a sealed indictment. The prosecutor can proceed at any time.

    See? We are only in this spot because it isn’t bipartisan. 

    Pelosi says she wants to hold it until she gets to see the Republican due process structure. No I don’t think so. The Republicans in the Senate get to pay back the Democrats in the House. 

    • #80
  21. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Larry3435 (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    I voted for Martha McSally in the last election. But if she refuses to vote for witnesses in the impeachment trial, it would be hard for me to vote for her in 2020.

    71% of Americans and 64% of Republicans want to hear from witnesses in the trial in the Senate.

    Witnesses to what??? There was a phone call. We have a transcript. We know what happened. So witnesses to what?

    It has been argued that there was only one witness who actually spoke to Trump.  Trump blocked the testimony of the witnesses who he had spoken to.

    Every witness called by the House Committees offered up nothing but hearsay and conclusory opinions.

    Because Trump blocked the better witnesses.

    Not a word of it would ever have been admissible in a court of law.

    Not necessarily.  See Rule 2 of the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure.  See the 23 exceptions to the hearsay rule in Section 803 of the Federal Rules of Evidence.

    Only one of the witnesses had actually heard the conversation, and he confirmed that the transcript was accurate.

    Let’s hear from the witnesses that Trump blocked.

    • #81
  22. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio.

    It is more like a sealed indictment. The prosecutor can proceed at any time.

    See? We are only in this spot because it isn’t bipartisan.

    Pelosi says she wants to hold it until she gets to see the Republican due process structure. No I don’t think so. The Republicans in the Senate get to pay back the Democrats in the House.

    This shines the spotlight on how, unlike the impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, McConnell opposes the calling of any witnesses.

    • #82
  23. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Let’s hear from the witnesses that Trump blocked.

    It takes months to adjudicate executive privilege. 

    • #83
  24. Bryan G. Stephens Thatcher
    Bryan G. Stephens
    @BryanGStephens

    Anyone on the right who thinks either charge has any merit should also condemn every single Republican who voted no.

    Then, please, go on to claim you are the heart of the “real” GOP.

     

    • #84
  25. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio.

    It is more like a sealed indictment. The prosecutor can proceed at any time.

    See? We are only in this spot because it isn’t bipartisan.

    Pelosi says she wants to hold it until she gets to see the Republican due process structure. No I don’t think so. The Republicans in the Senate get to pay back the Democrats in the House.

    This shines the spotlight on how, unlike the impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, McConnell opposes the calling of any witnesses.

    Why is this apparently getting out of control?

    • #85
  26. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Weeping (View Comment):

    Fake John/Jane Galt (View Comment):

    Gossamer Cat (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    71% of Americans and 64% of Republicans want to hear from witnesses in the trial in the Senate.

    I doubt those poll numbers very much. I suspect it is more that 71% of Americans do not care about this impeachment. When the Nixon and Clinton impeachments were going on, everyone was talking about them. No one is talking about this one except a few heads on network TV.

    Most of the people I know want to see Biden and all the UK corruption investigated.

    If Trump’s going to be investigated for his phone call, I think Biden should also be investigated for his statements.

    Only problem is who can investigate?  I have no trust in any of the federal government agencies.  They have all proven themselves to be corrupt to some degree.

    • #86
  27. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Let’s hear from the witnesses that Trump blocked.

    It takes months to adjudicate executive privilege.

    Yes and no.  The withholding of witnesses is part of Article II.

    • #87
  28. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    @joelpollak who is a Harvard Law grad just said that Pelosi holding the impeachment is the same thing as a cop not showing up for a disputed traffic ticket. Legally speaking it’s a default and you get to walk. All the Senate has to do is vote for this decision just like what a judge would do in traffic court.

    Breitbart News on SiriusXM is absolutely excellent. All of those guys are really dialed in and very smart. None of the shows are on tight time clocks like terrestrial radio.

    It is more like a sealed indictment. The prosecutor can proceed at any time.

    See? We are only in this spot because it isn’t bipartisan.

    Pelosi says she wants to hold it until she gets to see the Republican due process structure. No I don’t think so. The Republicans in the Senate get to pay back the Democrats in the House.

    This shines the spotlight on how, unlike the impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, McConnell opposes the calling of any witnesses.

    Why is this apparently getting out of control?

    Because McConnell has announced his intention to thwart the Impeachment Trial, by refusing to allow the House Managers to call witnesses.

    • #88
  29. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    thwart

    Rep. Doug Collins made the case that the Democrats thwarted Republican / Trump due process on the floor yesterday and all of Shumer’s whining about what they are going to do doesn’t matter. 

    • #89
  30. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    thwart

    Rep. Doug Collins made the case that the Democrats thwarted Republican / Trump due process on the floor yesterday and all of Shumer’s whining about what they are going to do doesn’t matter.

    The clip of Collins is here. 47 seconds. 

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/12/18/house-pass-partisan-articles-of-impeachment-against-president-trump/ 

    • #90
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