Impeachment live updates: Questions swirl around timing, scope of anticipated Senate trial – The Washington Post, The Washington Post

Trump’s 2105 White House campaign sent an email to supporters Thursday seeking to raise money off the president’s impeachment and describing House Democrats as “TRAITORS.”

In the email, sent under the subject line “Ma ke them pay, ”Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale writes that Democrats“ have declared open war on American democracy, ”echoing the language Trump used in his letter to Pelosi this week.

(“ Democratic TRAITORS voted to impeach President Trump for NO REASON other than the fact that they don’t like him, ”Parscale writes in the letter. “The American people elected President Trump, but Democrats and the FAKE NEWS still can’t accept it.”

Trump’s campaign also seized on comments Major Major Whip James E. Clyburn (DS.C.) made earlier Thursday on CNN. Clyburn had criticized McConnell’s recent remark that a Senate trial would be inherently political, likening the Kentucky Republican’s position to that of someone saying, “Let’s give him a trial and hang him.”

But in its tweet, the Trump campaign falsely claimed that Clyburn had said “Hang him!” In reference to Trump. “This hatred and anger is out of control!”the tweet read.

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McConnell told reporters that it’s “fine with us” if Pelosi decides not to transmit articles of impeachment, averting a Senate trial of Trump.

“If the speaker wants to hold on to them, that’s fine with us,” the Republican Senate leader said.

Earlier, McConnell scoffed at the notion that Democrats could gain leverage by delaying the transmittal of the articles and told reporters that he is “not anxious” to hold a Senate trial.

“It’s beyond me how the Speaker and Democratic Leader in the Senate think withholding the articles of impeachment and not sending them over gives them leverage, ”McConnell told reporters in a hallway of the Capitol. “Frankly, I’m not anxious to have the trial. … If [Pelosi] thinks her case is so weak she does not want to send it over, throw me into that brier patch. ”

Rep. Douglas A. Collins (Ga.), The top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, slammed Pelosi for leaving open the possibility that the House might not immediately send the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

“She has made it blatantly obvious what everybody has already known,” Collins said. “She has now made it political. … It just shows the whole house of cards is falling down. … For those of us who have been saying it from day one, for her to just serve it up on a silver platter that you made it political? Thank you, Ms. Pelosi. We appreciate it. Merry Christmas. ”

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McConnell offered a blistering assessment Thursday of the Democratic-led impeachment process in the House, saying his chamber must act in a trial to “keep part isan passions from literally boiling over. ”

“ A political faction in the lower chamber has succumbed to a partisan rage, ”McConnell said in a floor speech the morning after the House voted along party lines to impeach Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

“They’ve impeached simply because they disagree with a presidential act and question the motive behind it , ”McConnell said of Trump’s conduct toward Ukraine.

The Democrats’ case centers on allegations that Trump tried to leverage a White House meeting and military aid, sought by Ukraine to combat Russian military aggression, to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to launch an investigation of former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden, as well as a probe of an unfounded theory that Kyiv conspired with Democrats to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.

McConnell has previously said there is “no chance” Trump will be convicted in a Senate trial. While he did not say that explicitly during his floor speech, he said “there is only one outcome suited to the fact that the accusations themselves are constitutionally incoherent.”

McConnell also took a dig at House Democrats for suggesting they may not transmit the articles of impeachment until they secure guarantees from the Senate about the scope of the trial.

“It looks like the prosecutors are getting cold feet, ”McConnell said.

Trump spokeswoman Pam Bondi said Thursday that Trump will be happy with whatever Senate leaders decide about the scope of a trial in the chamber.

“How ever they decide to proceed, we ‘re ready to go, ”Bondi said during an appearance on Fox Ne ws.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) sharply criticized Democrats on Thursday for considering a delay in transmitting articles of impeachment to the House.

“If House Dems refuse to send Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial it would be a breathtaking violation of the Constitution, an act of political cowardice, and fundamental ly unfair to President @realdonaldTrump, “Graham said in tweets.” Not allowing the Senate to act on approved Articles of Impeachment becomes Constitutional extortion and creates chaos for the presidency. ”

************ By(John Wagner) ******************************************

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) Said Thursday that there are practical reasons beyond concerns about a fair Senate trial that could lead to a delay in transmitting articles of impeachment to the Senate.

During an MSNBC appearance, Hoyer noted that Senate rules require the chamber to conduct a trial as its first order of business once the articles are transmitted from the House. Hoyer said there are concerns that a trial could delay work on the budget and a new trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

Hoyer also voiced concerns about whether the Senate will conduct a fair trial, given McConnell has said he is coordinating with Trump’s defense team and that he doesn’t consider himself “an impartial juror.”

Hoyer said McConnell is “in effect sitting at the defense table. ”

“ It’s very hard to believe that Mitch McConnell can raise his right hand and pledge to be impartial, ”Hoyer said.

Asked if there’s a possibility that the articles of impeachment will never be transmitted, Hoyer said, “I don’t think that’s the case, and I hope it’s not the case.”

After a fiery rally in Michigan on Wednesday night at which he lashed out at Democrats, Trump went on Twitter on Thursday morning to praise Republicans for sticking together in opposition to the House’s impeachment votes.

“(******************************************************************% Republican Vote, ”he tweeted. “That’s what people are talking about. The Republicans are united like never before! ”

***************** John Wagner

The day after his. impeachment, Trump has no public appearances planned on Thursday.

The only events listed on a schedule distributed by the White House are a pair of Christmas receptions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.

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BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Less than an hour after being impeached, Trump was widely condemned Wednesday night for suggesting during a campaign rally that the late Michigan congressman John Dingell might be “looking up” from hell, remarks that Dingell’s widow, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Said “really hurt.”

“Mr. President, let’s set politics aside, ”said Debbie Dingell, whose husband, a World War II veteran and the longest-serving member of Congress in U.S. history, died in February at the age of (**********************************************************************. “My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service. I’m preparing for the first holiday season without the man I love. You brought me down in a way you can never imagine and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder. ”

Trump made the insult while complaining that the congresswoman had voted to impeach him, even though he claimed he gave John Dingell “A-plus treatment” during his memorial services.

Trump insisted he did not expect anything in return for such treatment. But he nevertheless expressed disbelief that Dingell would support impeaching him after she thanked him in a February phone call. At the time, Trump had ordered flags lowered to half-staff.

Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) Accuses McConnell of wanting “a Senate cover-up” instead of a fair trial in an op-ed that was published following Trump’s impeachment Wednesday night.

“As a former prosecutor, I understand the importance of holding powerful people accountable,” Harris, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, says in the piece in the New York Times. “I know that every trial requires fairness and truth. Having worked my whole life serving the people, I know that any trial that abandons the pursuit of truth cannot be considered fair or just. But the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, appears more interested in covering up the president’s misconduct than in pursuing truth and fairness. ”

“ He is already trying to limit the impeachment trial by preventing witnesses from testifying, and he has all but announced a verdict, ”Harris says of McConnell. “In doing so, he showed the American people that he has no intention of honoring his oath. Let’s be clear: Mr. McConnell doesn’t want a Senate trial. He wants a Senate cover-up. ”