Her. Tom Cotton
Tom Bryant Cotton We’ve seen this movie before – Rumors of Trump’s political demise are greatly exaggerated Third Senate Democrat calls on Hawley and Cruz to resign after Capitol attack Hawley calls Capitol cop’s death ‘a heartbreaking tragedy’ MORE (R-Ark.), An influential conservative and possible candidate for the White House in 2024, says the Senate has no constitutional authority to hold an impeachment lawsuit for President Trump
Donald Trump More GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment YouTube temporarily blocks uploading of new content to Trump House channel passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump MORE as soon as he leaves the office.
“The Senate has no constitutional authority to institute impeachment proceedings against a former president. The founders designed the impeachment process as a way to remove office holders from public office – not as an inquest against individuals, ”Cotton said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Cotton’s rationale of not voting to condemn Trump once he leaves office is likely to become a political cover for other GOP senators to vote against a house-passed article of impeachment, even if they think Trump may be unacceptable. committed violations.
Leader of the majority of the Senate Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellHouse passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump Trump, House GOP relationship suddenly deteriorates Kinzinger says he will vote to impeach Trump MORE (R-Ky.) Announced earlier Wednesday that Trump’s second impeachment trial will only begin after the Senate returns from a recess scheduled to end on Jan. 19. That means the trial could start at 1:00 p.m. on January 20. President elected the same day Joe Biden
Joe Biden A growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment House passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump Disney, Walmart says they will block donations to lawmakers who objected to Electoral College results MORE is sworn in.
“Given the rules, procedures and precedents in the Senate that govern presidential impeachment trials, there is simply no chance that a fair or serious trial can be concluded before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week. The Senate has held three presidential impeachment trials. They lasted 83 days, 37 days and 21 days respectively, ”said McConnell.
Cotton also stated in his statement Wednesday evening that the Senate would not be able to complete a trial against Trump for the next six days.
“The House has passed an impeachment article against the president, but according to its rules and precedents, the Senate cannot initiate and complete a fair trial before the president leaves office next week,” he said.
The House voted 232 to 197 on Wednesday to impeach Trump a second time, with 10 Republican lawmakers voting in favor of the article, which accused Trump of inciting uprising after a pro-Trump mob overtook the Capitol Building last week.
The article accuses Trump of having “repeatedly made false statements claiming that the results of the presidential election were the product of widespread fraud” and called upon a mob that “unlawfully violated and destroyed the Capitol, wounded and killed law enforcement officials” and “endangered members of Congress.”
Cotton condemned the violence and said rioters should be fully prosecuted.
“‘There is no complaint that is an appropriate remedy under Mafia law.” Those words are as true today as they were when Abraham Lincoln spoke them. As I said last summer when crowd violence swept our streets, I say again about the mob violence in our nation’s Capitol last week: those responsible should be held accountable to the courts for the full extent of the law, ”he said.
But the Arkansas legislature said, “Constitutional loyalty must always be the most important thing in our nation.”
“Last week, I opposed the attempt to reject certified electoral votes for the same reason – true to the constitution – I am now against impeachment proceedings against a former president,” Cotton said.