How McConnell derailed Trump’s impeachment trial before it began

Republican leader in the Senate Mitch mcconnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGaetz targets Cheney at rally in his home state Sad Signal from Senate – Trump is one for law books The Hill’s Morning Report – Trial of the Dems; January becomes deadliest pandemic month READ MORE (Ky.) Told his colleagues on January 13 that he was ready to vote to condemn President TrumpDonald Trump ‘QAnon Shaman’ set to testify in impeachment trial, lawyer says Boebert runs into Parkland survivor on Twitter: ‘Give your keyboard a rest, kid’ Night defense: FEMA asks Pentagon to help him get vaccinated | US Says Taliban “Failed to Live Up” | Army investigates Fort Hood Chaplain READ MORE for inciting an insurgency, but since then he has taken steps behind the scenes to strangle the Democratic impeachment effort.

On Tuesday, 45 GOP senators voted in favor of a senator’s motion. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulThe sad signal from the Senate – Trump is one for the law books The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems question trial; January becomes deadliest month of pandemic Trump censorship faces severe challenges in Senate (R-Ky.) Declaring Trump’s second impeachment trial unconstitutional on the grounds that Trump is no longer president.

The vote made it clear that there would be no Senate conviction of Trump, as at least 17 GOP votes would be needed to get the 67 votes needed in a 50-50 Senate.

“Just do the math,” Sen. Susan collinsSusan Margaret Collins Kaine plans next week to file censorship to bar Trump from leaving future office White House aides push back on splitting Byrd Rule relief package, policy threatens hourly minimum wage MORE (Maine), one of five Republicans to oppose Paul’s motion, remarked to reporters after the vote.

McConnell has been described by associates as “furious” at the mob attack on Capitol Hill, and he went on to say he would keep an open mind to the legal arguments presented during the trial.

It seems clear that he is more than open to the party leaving Trump, especially after the former president was widely blamed for the loss of two GOP elections in Georgia that cost him the majority of the Senate.

At the same time, McConnell probably wanted to avoid an intense fight in the caucus over a conviction of Trump. And he had seen the flashback in the House, where Rep. Liz cheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney Gaetz targets Cheney at rally in her home state GOP has growing problem Marjorie Taylor Greene Trump touts ‘cordial’ reunion with McCarthy in Florida MORE (Wy.) And other Republicans who voted to impeach Trump have come under fierce criticism from Trump supporters.

Over the past few weeks, McConnell has made a series of pre-voting demarches on Paul’s motion that GOP senators said made the motion very likely to succeed.

And those moves and Paul’s motion had the effect of overturning the Senate trial before it even began.

“How the pieces fell together, I don’t know, but they fell together and Mitch is quite crafty,” said a GOP senator who spoke to The Hill.

McConnell’s management team informed Senate Republicans on a Jan.21 conference call that Chief Justice John Roberts would not be presiding over the trial.

Roberts presided over Trump’s first trial a year ago. His replacement is Sen. Patrick leahyPatrick Joseph LeahyLeahy set to chair impeachment after health scare The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden seeks vaccine for all by summer; Trump’s censorship? Why John Roberts’ absence from Senate trial is no surprise MORE (D-Vt.), Pro Tempore Senate Speaker and Senior Democratic Senator.

This revelation “crystallized” for Paul the idea of ​​challenging the constitutionality of the whole procedure given that a Democratic senator would preside.

The timing of Paul’s vote was also curious.

The Senate voted on Paul’s motion immediately after GOP senators heard a presentation from George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley openly criticizing the Democratic impeachment effort of a former president.

A second GOP Senator who requested anonymity declared the surprise vote immediately after the lunchbox presentation in many GOP Senators.

“It was sort of putting us in sandbags,” the lawmaker said.

His. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski Kaine plans next week to lay down censorship to exclude Trump from future Tory job, we can’t get back to ‘no’ party under Biden Schumer warns Democrats could go it alone on coronavirus relief from next week PLUS (Alaska), one of five GOP senators who voted against Paul’s motion, said she thought it was unfortunate that the Senate was forced to vote immediately after Turley’s presentation and before they could hear different points of view.

“For an important institutional issue like this, the fact that this is being forced on us has everyone a little puzzled,” she said.

“So we heard a side,” she added. “I think almost everyone was quite surprised to be able to not only take a public position but also a vote on it today.

McConnell has also taken steps to delay the opening of the trial.

He refused the Democratic leader of the Senate Charles SchumerChuck SchumerPsaki Expects DHS Candidate Mayorkas to Lead Task Force to Reunite Biden Separated Families DHS Chooses Senate Breakthroughs, Overcoming Republican Barrier Biden and Congress Can Change Child Poverty in Biden a stroke of the pen PLUSRequests by (DN.Y.) to reconvene the Senate after the January recess in time to start the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office.

At the time, it wasn’t clear what would happen because of the delay, but it seems to have left anger over the Jan.6 attack simmering within the caucus.

“It’s McConnell’s game, he knows the longer something waits, the more it sparkles,” said a Senate GOP aide. “McConnell knows that if you wait for something, the sizzle goes off.”

McConnell saved his colleagues more time by pushing House impeachment officials to wait until January 28 to present their impeachment article to the Senate, which would have given Trump’s defense team until February 11 to submit a pre-trial brief.

He insisted the president, as unpopular as he was immediately after the attack on Capitol Hill, would benefit from due process and a fair trial, even if it prolonged the process longer than Democrats. and even many Republicans did not want it.

McConnell and Schumer eventually agreed that House impeachment officials would present the articles of impeachment on January 25 and that the President’s pre-trial brief would not be due until February 8, setting February 9 as start date of trial.

There were reasons for Schumer to accept a delay.

He had to balance the concerns of Democrats like Sens. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphySchumer promises to move forward with Trump trial despite setback The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Focus on vaccine, virus, travel Tensions run high after gun incident close to the floor of the house PLUS (D-Conn.) And Tim kaineTimothy (Tim) Michael KaineKaine plans next week to file censorship to exclude Trump from future post The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems Matters Trial; January becomes deadliest month in pandemic Biparty group discusses Senate rule change READ MORE (D-Va.), Who did not want an immediate start of the impeachment trial to hamper President Biden’s Cabinet choices and work on a COVID-19 relief bill.

McConnell did not urge his colleagues to vote one way or another on Paul’s motion, and he did not plead for or against a conviction.

But a third Republican Senator, who requested anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes maneuvers, said the way the debate played out at the GOP conference was the result of McConnell’s work.

The senator said he saw McConnell’s statement on Jan. 13 that he hadn’t decided how he would vote on an impeachment article was more of a warning to Trump not to do anything stupid, like forgiving rioters who stormed the Capitol.

“Even going back to the beginning when McConnell was sending the message that he was ready to vote to condemn, I think it may have been designed to help save the country and stop Trump from doing even more damaging things,” he said. said the senator. .

Other GOP senators said they believed McConnell was “holding the door open” to vote for a conviction if additional “damning” information emerged about Trump’s role in the mob turmoil that took over. stormed the Capitol on January 6.

It is unclear to what extent McConnell simply responded to shifting political winds.

But GOP senators say it is rare that the longtime senator’s hand does not play in the leadership of the GOP caucus.

“Not much is happening that surprises Mitch,” the second GOP senator said requesting anonymity.