Do these people even Constitution?
As the Senate prepares to conduct an impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump, Republicans are criticizing the procedural development — that Chief Justice John Roberts will not preside over the trial.
Instead, Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) will preside over the trial. Leahy, the most senior Democrat in the chamber, announced Monday he will hold the gavel and pledged to deliver “impartial justice.”
“The president pro tempore has historically presided over Senate impeachment trials of non-presidents. When presiding over an impeachment trial, the president pro tempore takes an additional special oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and its laws. It is an oath that I take extraordinarily seriously,” Leahy said.
“I consider holding the office of the president pro tempore and the responsibilities that come with it to be one of the highest honors and most serious responsibilities of my career. When I preside over the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, I will not waver from my constitutional and sworn obligations to administer the trial with fairness, in accordance with the Constitution and the laws.”
Got that? One of the jurors will also be the judge. One who has previously voted to convict Trump. You ask how this is Constitutional? It cannot be. Article 1 Section 3 paragraph 6
The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.
It specifically says that the Chief Justice must preside. Democrats are attempting to say they can do this because Trump is no longer the sitting president. If that’s the case, then they are not actually impeaching/convicting under the rules of the Constitution, meaning this is an illegal, unconstitutional trial of a private citizen.
However, that does not preclude Republicans from complaining. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told The Hill that having Leahy preside over the trial “really undermines the legitimacy.”
“The Constitution requires that the chief justice preside over the impeachment trial of a president but that’s not what we’re doing. To me that’s indicative of the fact that we’re in uncharted waters,” he said.
“I just think it looks very petty and vindictive and I understand there are a lot of people who are mad but the process itself already looks like a railroad job,” Cornyn added.
“If the chief justice doesn’t preside, I think it’s an illegitimate hearing and really goes to show that it’s not really constitutional to impeach someone who’s not president,” said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).
Republicans should first stand up and object to the entire sham., then boycott. Senator Paul writes this
Well, impeachment is a tool to remove someone from office. That’s it. The Constitution specifically forbids any legal action that targets any one private individual.
There’s lots of information in his piece, such as no Republicans calling to impeach Bernie Sanders when his supporter shot Steve Scalise.
I am more than willing to work with Democrats to find common ground on protecting civil liberties or ending some of our many foreign military interventions, but no unity or common ground will be found while Democrats continue to fight the last election. This so-called impeachment is a farce and should be dismissed before it is even allowed to begin.
Paul says he will call to end it, and then boycott if it continues. All Republicans should simply refuse to participate. Don’t bother showing up. Same with any Trump lawyers. Let Democrats have their little charade, one which will never see 67 Senators vote to convict. So, don’t participate. Let the Dems have their unhinged Sore Winner festival. Don’t be part of it.
