Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellGaetz targets Cheney at a rally in his home state The sad Senate signal – Trump is one of The Hill’s Morning Report law books – Dems question trial; January becomes the deadliest pandemic month MORE (Ky.) On January 13 he announced to colleagues that he was open to voting to condemn President Trump
Donald Trump’QAnon Shaman ‘wants to testify in impeachment trial, lawyer says Boebert clashes with Parkland survivor on Twitter:’ Give your keyboard a rest, kid ‘Night defense: FEMA asks the Pentagon for help with vaccines | US says Taliban ‘failed to keep its commitments’ | Army investigating Fort Hood chaplain MORE for inciting an insurrection, but he has since taken steps behind the scenes to strangle the Democratic impeachment effort.
On Tuesday, 45 Republican senators voted in favor of a motion by the senator. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulThe Senate’s Sad Sign – Trump is one of The Hill’s Morning Report law books – judgment on Dems issues; January becomes the deadliest month of the pandemic Trump’s censorship faces difficulties in the Senate MORE (R-Ky.) Declaring Trump’s second impeachment trial unconstitutional based on the fact that Trump is no longer president.
The vote made it clear that there will be no condemnation of Trump in the Senate, since at least 17 Republican Party votes would be needed to secure the 67 votes needed in a 50-50 Senate.
“Just do the math,” senator. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsKaine thinks next week to file censorship in order to stop Trump from the future office. White House advisers back off on the idea of splitting the Byrd Rule aid package, a political threat per hour of minimum wage (Maine), one of five Republicans who oppose Paul’s motion, commented to reporters after the vote.
McConnell was described by associates as “furious” over the crowd’s attack on Capitol Hill, and he went on to say that he will keep an open mind to the legal arguments presented during the trial.
It seems clear that he is more than open to the party that is leaving Trump, especially after the former president was largely blamed for the Republican Party’s defeat in two run-off elections in Georgia that cost the Senate a majority.
At the same time, McConnell probably wanted to avoid an intense fight within the caucus over Trump’s sentencing. And he saw the blowback at Casa, where Rep. Liz Cheney
Elizabeth (Liz) Lynn CheneyGaetz targets Cheney at a rally in her home state The GOP is escalating Marjorie Taylor Greene’s problem, Trump touts a ‘cordial’ meeting with McCarthy in Florida MORE (Wy.) And other Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment have been furiously criticized by their supporters.
In recent weeks, McConnell made a series of moves before the vote on Paul’s motion that, according to Republican senators, increased the likelihood of the motion’s success.
And the effect of these measures and Paul’s motion was to set aside the Senate trial before it even started.
“How the pieces fit together, I don’t know, but they did and Mitch is very astute,” said a Republican senator who spoke to The Hill.
McConnell’s leadership team informed Senate Republicans in a January 21 conference call that the president of the court, John Roberts, would not preside over the trial.
Roberts presided over Trump’s first trial a year ago. For your place is Sen. Patrick Leahy
Patrick Joseph LeahyLeahy is expected to chair the impeachment after the health scare The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden seeks vaccine for everyone in the summer; Trump’s censorship? Why John Roberts’ absence from the Senate trial is no surprise MORE (D-Vt.), The president of the Senate pro tempore and senior Democratic senator.
This revelation “crystallized” for Paulo the idea of contesting the constitutionality of the entire process, since a Democratic senator would preside.
The timing of Paul’s vote was also curious.
The Senate voted for Paul’s motion immediately after Republican senators heard a presentation by George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, an outspoken critic of a former president’s Democratic impeachment effort.
A second Republican senator who requested anonymity said the surprise vote immediately after the packed lunch was presented to many Republican senators.
“That was a kind of sandbag for us,” said the legislator.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiKaine is eyeing next week to file a censorship aimed at stopping Trump from future conservatives, we can’t go back to the ‘no’ party under Biden Schumer warns that Democrats can go it alone to relieve coronavirus next week (Alaska), one of five Republican senators who voted against Paul’s motion, said he thought it was unfortunate that the Senate was forced to vote immediately after Turley’s presentation and before they could hear different opinions.
“For a significant institutional issue like this, having it fall on us has made everyone a little confused,” she said.
“So, we heard one side,” she added. “I think almost everyone was very surprised to be in a position to really take not only a public position, but also to vote on it today.
McConnell also took steps to delay the opening of the trial.
He refused the Democratic leader in the Senate Charles Schumer
Chuck SchumerPsaki expects DHS-appointed Mayorkas to head the task force to bring separate families together. Biden DHS chooses advances in the Senate, removing the Republican obstacle Biden and Congress can change child poverty with a stroke of a pen MOREDemands (DN.Y.) to summon the Senate again from January’s recess in time to start the impeachment trial while Trump was still in office.
At the time, it was unclear what would happen because of the delay, but it seems to have let the anger over the January 6 attack calm down inside the caucus.
“This is McConnell’s game, he knows that the longer something waits, the more it fails,” said an adviser to the Republican Party in the Senate. “McConnell knows that if you expect anything, the hissing will be over.”
McConnell gained more time for his colleagues by pressing House impeachment managers to wait until January 28 to present their impeachment article to the Senate, which would give Trump’s defense team until February 11 to present a pre-trial document .
He insisted that the president, however unpopular it was immediately after the attack on the Capitol, would have due process and a fair trial, even if it prolonged the process longer than Democrats and even many Republicans wanted.
McConnell and Schumer finally agreed that the House’s impeachment managers would display the impeachment articles on January 25 and that the president’s pre-trial petition would not take place until February 8, setting February 9 as the start date of the trial.
There were reasons for Schumer to agree to the postponement.
He had to balance the concerns of Democrats like Sens. Chris Murphy
Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphySchumer promises to move forward with Trump’s trial despite the setback The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Focus on vaccine, viruses, travel Increased tensions after firearm incident near the floor of the House MORE (D-Conn.) E Tim Kaine
Timothy (Tim) Michael KaineKaine looks ahead next week to file censorship with the aim of stopping Trump from future office The Hill’s Morning Report – Dems issues trial; January becomes the deadliest month of the pandemic Bipartisan group discussing changes to Senate rules MORE (D-Va.), Who did not want an immediate start to the impeachment trial to disrupt President Biden’s cabinet choices and work on a COVID-19 relief bill.
McConnell did not urge his colleagues to vote in one way or another on Paul’s motion, and he has not even defended against a conviction.
But a third Republican senator, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss maneuvers behind the scenes, said the way the debate unfolded at the Republican conference was the result of McConnell’s handiwork.
The senator said he saw McConnell’s statement on January 13 that he had not decided how he would vote for an impeachment article was yet another warning to Trump for doing nothing stupid, like forgiving the rioters who invaded the Capitol.
“Even going back to the beginning, when McConnell was sending the message that he was open to vote to condemn, I think this may have been planned to help save the country and prevent Trump from doing things that are even more damaging,” said the senator. .
Other Republican Party senators said they thought McConnell was “holding the door open” to vote for a conviction if additional “overwhelming” information emerged about Trump’s role in stirring up the crowd that invaded the Capitol on January 6.
It is not clear to what extent McConnell was only responding to the changing political winds.
But Republican senators say it is rare that the hand of a longtime senator is not at stake in the direction of the Republican caucus.
“Not much happens that takes Mitch by surprise,” said the second Republican senator who asked for anonymity.