Senate GOP opposes impeachment

The result of the old President TrumpDonald Trump Blinken Holds First Calls As Biden Secretary Of State Senators Discuss Trump Dobbs Censorship Resolution: Republicans Lose In 2020 Because They ‘Forgot Who The Real Leader’ MOREThe second impeachment trial was largely determined after 45 Republican senators voted in favor of a resolution declaring it unconstitutional and the indictment of a private citizen illegal.

The vote forces the overwhelming majority of the Senate Republican Conference to back Trump’s acquittal on a single impeachment article before House directors and Trump lawyers even filed their pre-trial briefs. trial.

His. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiSenate GOP signals second time acquitting Trump Only five GOP senators vote Trump impeachment trial is constitutional Portman’s exit highlights Republican identity crisis MORE (R-Alaska), one of the few GOP senators to actively consider voting to condemn Trump, said on Tuesday it was now difficult to imagine there would be anything close to the 67 votes needed to condemn Trump.

“That we were going to see the members change their minds after voting, I think it’s hard for people to do,” she said.

“Because [people] are like, ‘Wait, wait, wait. You voted to say it was unconstitutional and now you change your mind? We don’t get a lot of credit and we don’t have a lot of allowance to change our mind here, ”she added.

“That’s why I think it was a bit unfortunate that we had this very spontaneous vote on an extremely important issue without debate, brief and thoughtful analysis,” she said. “People had to make very quick decisions.”

Murkowski voted with just four other Republicans, the Sens. Susan collinsSusan Margaret Collins Senators discussing Trump censorship resolution Senate GOP signals likely to acquit Trump for second time Only five GOP senators vote Trump impeachment trial constitutional MORE (Maine), Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt Romney Just five GOP senators vote Trump impeachment trial constitutional Senate committee advances DHS choice of Biden despite Republican crackdown Press: The case against Citizen Trump MORE (Utah), Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government used Patriot Act to collect logs of website visitors in 2019 Appeals court says NSA bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford steps down as committee chair coronavirus surveillance READ MORE (Pa.) And Ben sasseBen Sasse: Only five GOP senators vote Trump’s impeachment trial is constitutional Senate committee pushes Biden’s DHS choice forward despite Republican crackdown Juan Williams: Let America be America MORE (Neb.), To file the motion declaring the lawsuit unconstitutional.

Sixty-seven senators, or two-thirds of the Senate present in the chamber, must vote on the article of impeachment to condemn the former president.

Murkowski said she and her colleagues were surprised by the key procedural vote. She said she didn’t know until Tuesday morning that she would vote on Paul’s motion later today.

“I think almost everyone was quite surprised to be able to not only take a public position but also a vote on it today. And so I think there were a lot of them that maybe weren’t that prepared. I don’t feel as prepared as I wanted to be, ”she said.

She said that “the matter deserves further consideration by the Senate.”

Collins told reporters Tuesday afternoon: “I think it’s pretty obvious from today’s vote that it’s extremely unlikely that the president will be convicted.”

“Do the math,” she said.

His. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard Paul Senators discussing Trump censorship resolution Senate GOP signals likely to acquit Trump for second time, former Trump leader said Senate vote signals that the impeachment effort is ‘dead on arrival’ MORE (R-Ky.), Who moved the motion, declared victory after the vote even though 55 senators, including five Republicans, voted to file his argument that the procedure is unconstitutional.

“It shows that impeachment is dead on arrival. If you had voted it unconstitutional, how on earth would you vote to condemn someone for it? he said.

“Forty-five of us, almost the entire caucus… voted that the whole process was unconstitutional, so this is a great victory for us,” he said. “This vote indicates it’s over.”

Paul added that he last spoke to Trump about a week ago “but not about this”.

His motion stated that “at noon last Wednesday, Donald Trump did not hold any of the positions listed in the Constitution – he is a private citizen” and that the trial therefore “violates the Constitution”.

Paul’s motion also asserted that Chief Justice John Roberts’ absence from the proceedings “demonstrates[s] that it is not a case of a trial of the president, but of an ordinary citizen.

Darrell West, director of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, said Tuesday’s vote largely predetermined the outcome of the trial before it even began.

“It’s a procedural motion, but it’s a proxy for the real thing. This result does not look very promising for Democrats, ”he said. “If so many Republicans believe the lawsuit is unconstitutional, they are unlikely to be convicted on the merits.

West likened the vote to a prosecutor getting an unfavorable summary judgment from nearly half of a jury before he even had a chance to make opening arguments.

“No prosecutor would want to create this kind of opportunity, so Rand Paul was smart enough to be able to exploit it,” he said.

“The battle lines are clearly drawn and it looks like there could be a majority vote to condemn but not two-thirds,” he added.

Other experts have said that Trump’s acquittal by the Senate is now a definite outcome.

“This very decisively indicates an acquittal and I see no further recovery in terms of people willing to find [Trump] guilty, ”said Ross K. Baker, professor of political science at Rutgers University who has served several times as a member of the Senate.

Senate Republicans held a luncheon meeting just before the vote in which they heard a lengthy presentation from George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley on why the impeachment trial is unconstitutional.

Murkowski later said that was the only in-depth presentation she and many of her colleagues had heard on the constitutionality of the trial before voting on the same issue, even though there are conflicting academic views on the matter.

“We knew this issue was going to be raised during the trial,” she said of the issue of the constitutionality of the trial. “There was a desire and an intention to, hey, let’s hear from some of the constitutional scholars.

“And so he was invited, but it wasn’t just [hearing] the point of view of a constitutional scholar is, ‘Hey, we have to vote in less than an hour here.’ “

She lamented that Turley was the only opinion to be heard before the vote.

“So we heard a side,” she says.

Romney was the only Republican at lunch on Tuesday to rise and push back on Turley’s arguments, according to the senator. Kevin cramerKevin John CramerOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Court Upholds Dakota Access Invalidation Decision, But Does Not Close Pipeline | Schumer asks Biden to declare climate emergency | Biden seeks to step up consultation with country’s Indian court upholds Dakota Access invalidation decision, but does not close pipeline GOP senator group seeks to block Biden’s moves to Paris, Keystone MORE (RN.D.), who attended the meeting.

Collins asked for clarification on some of Turley’s arguments, although his comments were not seen by his colleagues as direct pressure on the law professor.

Collins later told reporters that she determined the trial should go ahead after taking “a long time” to consult with constitutional scholars and lawyers.

“I spend a lot of time talking to constitutional scholars and other legal experts and concluded that the text of the Constitution, the purpose of the provisions and the Senate precedent all said the trial should continue, especially more than the House acted while the President was still in office, ”she said.

Other potential Republican alternative votes said they found the lunch presentation “compelling.”

“I think there was a lot of agreement,” the senator said. Joni ErnstJoni Kay ErnstSenate GOP signals second time acquitting Trump Only five GOP senators vote Trump impeachment trial is constitutional Senate committee advances DHS choice of Biden despite Republican crackdown MORE (R-Iowa). “It was a compelling argument and we are suing a private citizen when there might be a criminal indictment rather than Congress.”

His. Jerry MoranGerald (Jerry) MoranModerates Vows To Be ‘A Force’ Under Biden The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden Crisis Program Hits Headwinds OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden Interior Department Temporarily Blocks New Drilling on public lands | Group of GOP Senators Seeks to Block Biden Moves on Paris, Keystone | Judge grants preliminary approval for 0M Flint water crisis resolution READ MORE (R-Kan.) Said he found the presentation “interesting” and “useful”, but added that he had not yet “concluded” on how to vote on the article impeachment him -even.

Chairman of the Senate Republican Political Committee Roy BluntRoy Dean Blunt Only five GOP senators vote Trump’s impeachment trial is constitutional Trump, allies press Senate GOP ahead of impeachment This week: Senate stuck in limbo MORE (R-Mo.) Told reporters on Tuesday that the Senate Minority Leader Mitch mcconnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnell Humanist Report host criticizes ‘conservative Democrats’: ‘They’ wield more power ‘than progressives Dobbs: Republicans lost in 2020 because they’ have forgot who the real boss was ” Biden’s cabinet gradually confirmed by Senate MORE (R-Ky.) Invited Turley to make the presentation to GOP senators immediately before the key vote.