Opinion: This won't be like Trump's last impeachment - CNN - 0 views
-
The five deaths that were the result of the attack and the damage done to the symbolic seat of American democracy all make new outrage over Trump categorically different from the one that brought about his first impeachment in December 2019.
-
And while the first impeachment depended on testimony from those who witnessed Trump's effort to force Ukraine to investigate then-political rival Joe Biden in exchange for US military aid (Trump denies any quid pro quo), this coup attempt was broadcast live on television, shocking the world.
-
When this occurs -- and if he is found guilty by the Senate -- a man whose vast fortune and extreme methods allowed him to escape accountability during a lifetime of offensive behavior will at last be held accountable.
- ...6 more annotations...
-
He said that he used bankruptcies for his businesses "brilliantly," a move that left creditors holding the bag. He was even more brashly unrepentant when he was not convicted by the Senate after his first impeachment. And then he retaliated against those who bore witness against him.
-
In addition to drafting the impeachment document, members of Congress searched for a way to further punish Trump. Connolly said he believes they have found it in the 14th Amendment which bars insurrectionists from public office.
-
During Trump's so-called "Save America Rally," just before the mob stormed the Capitol, he gave a speech in which he used the word "fight" 20 times and as he inflamed their emotions people in the crowd chanted, "Fight for Trump, fight for Trump." After repeating the big lie that the election had been stolen from him, Trump declared, "We will never give up. We will never concede."
-
In the days that followed the attack, evidence showed that it was even more gravely dangerous than first thought. One man in the mob had come with zip ties, which are used to restrain captives, and appeared to have been bent on taking hostages. Chants of "Hang Mike Pence," which were recorded and played on television, suggest that some considered committing murder.
-
This time around Trump will be charged with a single count -- "Incitement of insurrection." Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island told me that he began drafting the charge with colleagues Rep. Ted Lieu of California and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland within hours of the attack on the Capitol.
-
As this all unfolds, it's important to remember that the invasion of the Capitol by a huge mob of American citizens happened not just because of a single deranged and inciting speech but because for years others have failed to stop Trump.