- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
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- Conservative
I could argue, as Trump's defense did, that many Democrats are equally culpable for the damage wrought on various cities in the US over the past summer of 2000. I could argue that politics is passion. You wouldn't have had an American Revolution without the passion incited by various politicians.It helps to be factually correct in an argument intended to persuade another, wouldn’t you agree?
No, this is not “quite rightly” because “impeachment of a former President who’s left office” is factually false. Under the U.S. Constitution the House has the sole power of impeachment. The House impeached Trump while he was President. Under the Constitution, the Senate has the sole power to try all impeachments by the House. Trump was impeached. The Senate then has a trial to decide whether to convict or acquit him of the allegations made in the impeachment.
Is it? Perhaps you are remiss to ignore the possibility the Dems do rationally believe Trump incited the mob he summoned to D.C. Sure, maybe there’s some political motive for impeachment but the notion Trump incited the mob to lawless conduct is rational.
I’m not referring to the incitement test of Brandenburg v Ohio, and amplified by Indiana v Hess, which pertains to criminal incitement. Congress need not adhere to the incitement test by SCOTUS when seeking to impeach Trump and determine guilt. Congress may rely upon a lower threshold for incitement for impeachment and assessing guilt. Perhaps the Oxford meaning of, “to encourage someone to do or feel something unpleasant or violent.”
Incitement need not be explicit. Considering the totality of the facts, the Dems’ argument Trump incited the lawless conduct is reasonable, although not ineluctable. Trump’s many tweets prior to 1/6, persistently alleging massive fraud and a stolen election, and the necessity to preclude the election to be stolen, calling for them to gather on 1/6 (the date he selected is important) and it will be “wild,” his specific comments in Georgia, and then the entirety of his speech, make it reasonable to conclude Trump incited the lawless conduct.
Maybe the Dems genuinely and sincerely believed Trump incited the mob. They wouldn’t be alone in such a belief, considering the polling (assuming the polling was scientific). In addition, some prominent Republicans believed Trump incited the mob, and 17% of registered Republicans believed he should have been impeached and convicted.
The real crime here is that Democrats got a taste of what others in American have endured as a result of Democrat passionate political rhetoric inciting leftist mobs to burn and loot and kill police. It's only impeachable conduct when someone on the right is doing the inciting. When it comes from the left, it's free speech and civic duty.
As for 17% of Republicans believing Trump should be impeached and convicted, I'm not surprised. Richard Nixon would not have been threatened with impeachment and forced to resign but for brave Republican politicians who considered country over party. I can't think of any Democrats who acted similarly during the Clinton impeachment, even though, once Clinton left office, Arkansas found him guilty and suspended his law license for a period of time.
There are always some Republicans of principle who will stand up for what they believe is right even when it is counter to what may be good for their party - you can't say the same for Democrats.