Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is not even pretending that Republicans will take the charges against President Donald Trump seriously in a Senate impeachment trial, telling Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday night that there’s “no chance” he will be removed from office.
The House Judiciary Committee is expected to vote on the two articles of impeachment against Trump on Friday, and then they would be voted on by the full House.
Trump is charged with abuse of power and obstructing Congress stemming from his attempt to bribe Ukraine into starting a sham investigation against his political rival ahead of the 2020 Election.
There is overwhelming evidence for Trump’s crimes along with damning witness testimony, yet Senate Republicans are hell-bent on ignoring all of it to acquit him.
Of course, Trump is demanding a show trial in which Republicans call witnesses he demands, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and former Vice-President Joe Biden. But despite earlier reports indicating that Senate Republicans won’t allow such a circus to take place, McConnell told Hannity that he is coordinating with Trump and has basically handed him control of the proceedings, effectively rejecting the checks and balances and separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
“Everything I do during this, I’m coordinating with White House Counsel,” McConnell said. “There will be no difference between the President’s position and our position as to how to handle this. We’ll be working through this process, hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total coordination with the White House Counsel’s Office and the people representing the President in the well of the Senate.”
“The case is so darn weak coming over from the House,” he continued. “We all know how it’s going to end. There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office.”
Here’s the video via YouTube:
The only reason it would end that way is if Senate Republicans totally ignore the evidence and testimony and make a purely political decision to protect Trump, which is clearly what they intend to do. McConnell’s remarks stunned legal and ethics experts alike.
Is it a “trial” if the defendant runs the proceedings? What about the ancient principle that nobody can be the judge of his own case?
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 13, 2019
Sayeth the supplicant to King Don, “Everything I do, I do it for you.” https://t.co/iVC0YzhAg2
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) December 13, 2019
Mitch McConnell rejects the founding fathers’ creation of a system of checks & balances to keep any one branch of gov’t from becoming too powerful & engaging in corruption/abuse of power. https://t.co/hqOuNznaX0
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) December 13, 2019
Someone should remind McConnell that the Constitution requires that the Senate act as a jury on impeachment. Imagine the foreman of a jury announcing before a trial that there will be no difference between the jury’s position and a defendant’s. https://t.co/IRRPbrjTPY
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) December 13, 2019
How is that not a violation of the basic premise of separation of powers under the Constitution?? Such a stance is tantamount to surrender of authority of the legislative branch, leaving us open to the imposition of tyranny. McConnell & those who vote with him violate their oaths https://t.co/KJlhGIi394
— Melissa Allen Heath (@melisheath) December 13, 2019
It’s very hard to reconcile this statement by McConnell with the special oath senators are required to take in impeachment trials under the rules. https://t.co/3naNGsAovn
— Benjamin Wittes (@benjaminwittes) December 13, 2019
McConnell is such an irresponsible, unpatriotic force in American politics. There’s no excuse for this, only the reality that he continues to be more concerned with partisan and personal gain than serving the national interest, even in this moment of peril for the Republic. https://t.co/5rPuTMRHPG
— Evan McMullin (@EvanMcMullin) December 13, 2019
Clearly, Senate Republicans don’t care about doing their duty to the country and the Constitution. They are owned by Trump, and McConnell is proudly admitting it on national television.
Featured Image: YouTube screenshot
