The country deserves healing and unity following the Trump presidency, but that won’t come from ignoring the destruction of norms and laws. Accountability — a public reckoning for Trump and for those who enabled his abuses — is the way forward.
A failed coup attempt without consequences becomes just a practice run.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”A failed coup attempt without consequences becomes just a practice run.” quote=”A failed coup attempt without consequences becomes just a practice run.”]
Last week the House voted to impeach Donald J. Trump for “inciting an insurrection,” and “aiding enemies of the Constitution.” This was his second impeachment. He’s the only president who lost the popular vote twice and was impeached twice.
Ten Republicans joined with House Democrats to impeach Trump, making it the most bipartisan impeachment vote in history.
On January 25, the House Managers delivered the Article of impeachment to the Senate for “incitement of insurrection.”
Why do this now?
Even though Trump is now out of office, the focus should be to disqualify him from holding office again. The Constitution is clear:
“No Person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State,
who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States,
shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” (Section 3 of the 14th Amendment)
(Note that conviction of impeachment requires a 2/3 vote of all members present – but invoking the 14th amendment only requires a simple majority.)
Some may ask, Why do this now? Because, this is about the future of our republic. This is about protecting our republic from this monstrous “incitement to insurrection.”
Republicans choosing party over country
Let’s be clear: a vote to acquit Trump is a vote to accept the murder a Capitol policeman, accept feces on national treasures, accept hanging the Vice-President, and accept threats to put bullets into your fellow Americans.
But unfortunately, many Republican senators are choosing party over our country. Most Republicans have made it official – theirs is no longer the party of “law and order” but the party of “men (or one man) and not laws.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has spent months spreading lies about voter fraud, questioning the legitimacy of Biden’s win, and standing silent as Trump provoked the “stop the steal” movement.
(Note that Senate leader McConnell (R-KY) said the insurrectionists were “provoked by the President and other powerful people, they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like.” He said the mob that stormed the Capitol was “fed lies.” Rand, did Mitch just call you a liar?)
We now know that this insurrection was well planned. By whom? Perhaps some of Trump’s family members, Proud Boys, 3%ers, Boogaloo Bois, and even possibly supported by Republican members of the House and Senate.
Lawless Republicans suddenly have thoughts on how to heal these self-inflicted wounds that were exacerbated by Republican lies ― but none of those thoughts has to do with addressing the “incitement of insurrection” that Donald Trump’s seditious supporters mounted at the U.S. Capitol to overturn election results.
It is an obvious ploy that Republican Senators focus on debating the constitutionality of the impeachment process for Trump. They can’t argue the facts captured on film, so they must move to procedural “shiny objects.”
To keep us divided, Republicans continue to stoke divisions based on race, gender, sexual preference, religion, and national origin. Some new Republican members are even touting their record of hate speech and past threats of violence on social media.
But wait, there’s more!
While we are concerned about a lawless ex-president, we also have an obligation to investigate the Trump Administration’s disastrous record on the coronavirus, including:
- individuals and businesses who received assistance dollars fraudulently,
- the sketchy vaccine delivery system to states,
- the dangerous mis-accounting of exactly how much vaccine was in the pipeline,
- and local people going to the head of the vaccine line through the help of friends or relatives in high places.
Unity, but with accountability
In his inaugural address, President Biden called on Americans to come together to confront the “rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism,” in order to “restore the soul and to secure the future of America.”
“We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces [unify], stop the shouting, and lower the temperature. For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,” President Biden added.
So as Democrats take charge in both chambers of Congress and the White House, Republicans are making clear that the only unity they’re interested in is unity on their terms.
President Biden and the Democratic leadership are ready to use whatever tools necessary to move forward the “Build Back Better” agenda. They are ready to work with whomever will help them do that.
But they — and we — are not ready to have unity without accountability. And any Republicans who still believe in the rule of law should stand for the same.
You want unity? Push for accountability first.
–30–