This won’t be like Trump’s last impeachment
Anger over the pro-Trump mob attack on the US Capitol is growing by the minute in Congress — Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia told me it is “white hot” — and it is focused like a laser on President Donald Trump. If his first impeachment was a long, hard-fought effort that left confusion in its wake, this second one will be a lightning strike delivered by officials who have no doubt about the crime they allege.
The five deaths that were the result of the attack and the damage done to the symbolic seat of American democracy all make new outrage over Trump categorically different from the one that brought about his first impeachment in December 2019. That he and several of his allies incited violence with the hope of overturning the election is without doubt. And while the first impeachment depended on testimony from those who witnessed Trump’s effort to force Ukraine to investigate then-political rival Joe Biden in exchange for US military aid (Trump denies any quid pro quo), this coup attempt was broadcast live on television, shocking the world.
It’s difficult to imagine how Trump will not be impeached again, and suffer the unique shame of being the only president ever to endure this disgrace a second time. When this occurs — and if he is found guilty by the Senate — a man whose vast fortune and extreme methods allowed him to escape accountability during a lifetime of offensive behavior will at last be held accountable.
For decades those who have been harmed and insulted by Trump have watched him escape serious accountability and then brag about it. He said that he used bankruptcies for his businesses “brilliantly,” a move that left creditors holding the bag. He was even more brashly unrepentant when he was not convicted by the Senate after his first impeachment. And then he retaliated against those who bore witness against him.
In that first case, Trump was impeached by the House for two alleged crimes: abuse of power and the obstruction of Congress.
This time around Trump will be charged with a single count — “Incitement of insurrection.” Democratic Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island told me that he began drafting the charge with colleagues Rep. Ted Lieu of California and Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland within hours of the attack on the Capitol. When I spoke to him about it, Cicilline said he and the others had no real doubt that a serious crime had been committed and no concern that the American people needed to be persuaded of this fact.
“The country saw this all play out in real time, on their televisions,” explained Cicilline. “They saw an effort by him to incite an insurrection so that the certification of the Electoral College votes by Congress would be interrupted and he could stay in office.”
During Trump’s so-called “Save America Rally,” just before the mob stormed the Capitol, he gave a speech in which he used the word “fight” 20 times and as he inflamed their emotions people in the crowd chanted, “Fight for Trump, fight for Trump.” After repeating the big lie that the election had been stolen from him, Trump declared, “We will never give up. We will never concede.” Trump falsely claimed that Vice President Mike Pence could stop the certification of the election and called on the crowd to march on the Capitol.
The crowd that arrived at the Capitol included some men and women in military-style gear. They stormed the Capitol and overwhelmed police. Once inside they ransacked offices and invaded the Senate chamber. They got within feet of the House chamber when officers shot and killed one of the rioters. Three other members of the Trump mob died that day and a police officer who was hospitalized died of his injuries.
In the days that followed the attack, evidence showed that it was even more gravely dangerous than first thought. One man in the mob had come with zip ties, which are used to restrain captives, and appeared to have been bent on taking hostages. Chants of “Hang Mike Pence,” which were recorded and played on television, suggest that some considered committing murder.
In addition to drafting the impeachment document, members of Congress searched for a way to further punish Trump. Connolly said he believes they have found it in the 14th Amendment which bars insurrectionists from public office. He thinks legislation imposing this penalty could be approved by the House and Senate and become law. Some Republican senators and Vice President Pence, who many suspect is eying a 2024 presidential run, might like this idea because it clears Trump from the field.
As this all unfolds, it’s important to remember that the invasion of the Capitol by a huge mob of American citizens happened not just because of a single deranged and inciting speech but because for years others have failed to stop Trump. Those who gave up on decency and became Trump’s enablers did so in part because they didn’t want to get on the wrong side of his rabid supporters. Well, last week the world saw what those supporters are capable of doing when they are riled up. This week, the world will see how the President will be held accountable through impeachment. In the process of course, Trump’s enablers will be on the wrong side of history which will judge them in the same harsh light that will forever shine on Trump.
