2020 US Presidential Election

[dgl]

I would have though for a lot of Senators no voting is a lot safer for them than voting the way their hearts want to.
With the noose that got erected last week during the "protests" and the calls for pence to be "removed" would scare a lot of them, esp. as people not only know who they are and where to find them but I guess most have families that they don't want to get hurt as a result, and unfortunately for a lot of senators with heavily armed trump supporters around is a real and present theat.

 

[edwin_m]

It won't be an issue for this Senate but for the next, and they're not going to take it up immediately. The priority is going to be Covid relief and stimulus. Nice fat $2,000 cheques provided by Biden where Trump/McConnel struggled to provide $600 may well remove some of the pressure for Republicans to be seen supporting Trump.

From what I've seen they're obliged to take it up immediately. This may delay some of Biden's priority measures and appointments, although there is the suggestion they could devote half of each day to impeachment and the rest to other business.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I would have though for a lot of Senators no voting is a lot safer for them than voting the way their hearts want to.
With the noose that got erected last week during the "protests" and the calls for pence to be "removed" would scare a lot of them, esp. as people not only know who they are and where to find them but I guess most have families that they don't want to get hurt as a result, and unfortunately for a lot of senators with heavily armed trump supporters around is a real and present theat.

I'd hope that such threats are a push FOR senators to vote for impeachment rather than to vote against it / not vote at all.
I appreciate that they are just humans and so will be as affected by such threats as anyone else, but the very existence of such threats by the supporters of Trump, who have been egged on by Trump to believe all of this nonsense, is exactly why he needs to be impeached. Surely one of the most important democracies in the world can't let democracy be beaten by violent thugs?

 

[dgl]

I'd hope that such threats are a push FOR senators to vote for impeachment rather than to vote against it / not vote at all.
I appreciate that they are just humans and so will be as affected by such threats as anyone else, but the very existence of such threats by the supporters of Trump, who have been egged on by Trump to believe all of this nonsense, is exactly why he needs to be impeached.

The idea is that if they simply do not vote and can make up a decent excuse for not being able to do so they are able to get a majority for the impeachment vote without having to put their neck on the line to do so.

Vote against trump? no not me I think he's great, if I had been able to be there I would have certinaly voted against trumps impeachment.

 

[birchesgreen]

Yes i wonder if a few republican senators will have "possible covid symptoms, though it was best to stay home just in case" over the next few weeks.

Trump and Guliani have fallen out, the President won't return Rudy's calls anymore and more importantly (for RG) won't pay him.

 

[najaB]

From what I've seen they're obliged to take it up immediately.

As I understand it the Senate is obliged to consider the articles once they are transmitted from the House, but the House isn't required to send them immediately.

 

[edwin_m]

As I understand it the Senate is obliged to consider the articles once they are transmitted from the House, but the House isn't required to send them immediately.

Indeed, but having considered holding onto them for a while I believe the House (or specifically Pelosi?) has now decided to send them over.

 

[Typhoon]

Trump and Guliani have fallen out, the President won't return Rudy's calls anymore and more importantly (for RG) won't pay him.

That may not be the end of his troubles:-

The rift with the president may sink Guiliani’s lingering hopes of receiving a presidential pardon. Last year, Giuliani held discussions with Trump about receiving an amnesty over his work on the president’s behalf in Ukraine. Criminal charges of illegal campaign donations have been filed against two Giuliani associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. The trio worked to try to dig up dirt on Biden and his son Hunter.

(from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...anis-legal-fees-after-falling-out/ar-BB1cKz0J

According to the same article, Trump has others in the cross-hairs: Mark Meadows, Kayleigh McEnany, and Jared Kushner. If that is true, there is room for an awful lot of blood-letting. Giuliani and these three will know an awful lot, not just about Trump but about other associates, how much they are willing to disclose might be questionable but Giuliani at least is not likely to go down without taking others with him. Trump is playing a dangerous game, once the dominoes start to fall, there will be nothing stopping them.

There are also contradictory signals. A Trump aide said

"Just spoke with President Trump, and he told me that @RudyGiuliani is a great guy and a Patriot who devoted his services to the country! We all love America's Mayor!"

which might mean he is safe (but won't get paid) or that he will be sold down the river when the time comes.

 

[43096]

There are also contradictory signals. A Trump aide said which might mean he is safe (but won't get paid) or that he will be sold down the river when the time comes.

Or that he won't get paid but will get a Presidential pardon. "Cash for pardons"?

 

[Cowley]

He’s going to have to crack on with these pardons soon isn’t he? How does it work?

 

[najaB]

Indeed, but having considered holding onto them for a while I believe the House (or specifically Pelosi?) has now decided to send them over.

Okay. Well, as on senator said today, it will be a very short trial given that the witnesses don't have to travel very far!

 

[swt_passenger]

That may not be the end of his troubles:-

(from https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/poli...anis-legal-fees-after-falling-out/ar-BB1cKz0J

According to the same article, Trump has others in the cross-hairs: Mark Meadows, Kayleigh McEnany, and Jared Kushner. If that is true, there is room for an awful lot of blood-letting. Giuliani and these three will know an awful lot, not just about Trump but about other associates, how much they are willing to disclose might be questionable but Giuliani at least is not likely to go down without taking others with him. Trump is playing a dangerous game, once the dominoes start to fall, there will be nothing stopping them.

What’s Kayleigh McEnany done wrong from Trump’s point of view then? I thought she was just his latter day Press Secretary, and basically read out his Twitter posts from behind a fancy lectern. Or should that be fake news Secretary?

 

[takno]

What’s Kayleigh McEnany done wrong from Trump’s point of view then? I thought she was just his latter day Press Secretary, and basically read out his Twitter posts from behind a fancy lectern. Or should that be fake news Secretary?

She's just redundant. No tweets, no Kayleigh

 

[swt_passenger]

She's just redundant. No tweets, no Kayleigh

I suppose there is that aspect...

 

[Typhoon]

What’s Kayleigh McEnany done wrong from Trump’s point of view then?

The key words are underlined. From your point of view, probably nothing; from Trump's point of view, who knows?

Either Trump really thinks he won the election bigly, or he doesn't. If it is the latter, he will want to attribute blame. and the one person who isn't to blame is DJ Trump. Unfortunately he has either sacked many of his staff/ advisors or they have walked so it is down to those that are left. Maybe he thinks she wasn't convincing enough when replying to press questions, or inventive enough in attributing any 'good news' story to the president, or she didn't do more to keep Fox completely onside, or she couldn't persuade enough people that the stories of ballot fixing were true when there was no evidence, or that her skirts weren't short enough to distract reporters from listening to the drivel she was speaking, or she is the least likely to fight back when the mud starts getting thrown around. Who knows?

She's just redundant.

Unfortunately, so is her husband.

And it gets worse:-

Let it be known to the business world: Hire any of Trump’s fellow fabulists above, and Forbes will assume that everything your company or firm talks about is a lie. We’re going to scrutinize, double-check, investigate with the same skepticism we’d approach a Trump tweet. Want to ensure the world’s biggest business media brand approaches you as a potential funnel of disinformation? Then hire away.

The 'fabulists' are Trump's Press Secretaries,the article was write by Forbes Magazine's Chief Content Officer and Editor. https://www.forbes.com/sites/randal...o-lied-for-trump-accountable/?sh=2e8dc4185710

I suspect she would be described as a 'loser' by someone currently in a position of power, and we know what he thinks of losers. I just hope the Democrats put together a decent benefits package for the unemployed (and unemployable).

Or that he won't get paid but will get a Presidential pardon. "Cash for pardons"?

Possibly, I don't play poker but I suspect Giuliani isn't holding a bad hand. He could always put out feelers to the incoming team, evidence in exchange for a Biden pardon? (Or at least threaten Trump with that.)

 

[najaB]

He could always put out feelers to the incoming team, evidence in exchange for a Biden pardon? (Or at least threaten Trump with that.)

Much more likely that a Biden pardon is a deal with the prosecutors.

 

[Typhoon]

Much more likely that a Biden pardon is a deal with the prosecutors.

True - and probably more reliable!!

 

[takno]

And it gets worse:-
The 'fabulists' are Trump's Press Secretaries,the article was write by Forbes Magazine's Chief Content Officer and Editor. https://www.forbes.com/sites/randal...o-lied-for-trump-accountable/?sh=2e8dc4185710

I suspect she would be described as a 'loser' by someone currently in a position of power, and we know what he thinks of losers.

Is this the same Forbes that used to be a faintly fancy magazine, but seems to have turned into some kind of children's collaborative writing project on the internet about 10 years ago? The fact that they've renamed the editor Chief Content Officer tells you exactly how central the story is to their advertising service nowadays.

I'm sure some of them will struggle to get work, as happens often with political types. Hopefully it will be a private struggle though, about which we will hear nothing.

 

[Typhoon]

He’s going to have to crack on with these pardons soon isn’t he? How does it work?

He has indeed cracked on 70 pardons and 73 commuted sentences (who knew he liked Rap). Just checked, he's been quite abstemious (although he is a one term President). Many are genuinely responsible for real crimes though.

There will now be plenty of room in US jails should there be any high profile court cases.
(Long) article at https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...ump-pardons-bannon-inauguration-b1789812.html
Most interesting:

White House officials had reportedly advised Mr Trump against a pardon for himself or his family because “it might look like they are guilty of crimes,” Reuters quoted a source familiar with the situation as saying.

There is now the chance to find out whether he is. He has never struck me as being a potential martyr but he has clearly never heard of the 'belt and braces' approach.

Or that he won't get paid but will get a Presidential pardon. "Cash for pardons"?

'he' is Giuliani and he hasn't got a pardon. Maybe a mistake - now is the time for the Dems to put the pressure on - ask him what size orange jumpsuit he takes, he looks like the sort of person who, once he starts talking, won't stop.

 

[najaB]

'he' is Giuliani and he hasn't got a pardon.

There's still what, six hours? Chickens, eggs, hatching and all that.

 

[37424]

So Trumps gone, but I frankly wouldn't bet against him running for president again in 2024 and maybe becoming President. As much I am pleased to see Trump gone, Biden will be the oldest President in History to take up office, I thought Reegan was an old president but actually he was slightly younger than Biden when he left office!

If the Republicans ditch him I think he will run his own party, which would be difficult for him to win from that position as it would split the right wing vote but then this is America.

 

[najaB]

So Trumps gone, but I frankly wouldn't bet against him being president again in 2024.

I would. He really burned the bridges with the extent to which he took the voter fraud argument - to the point of sparking seditious rioting. The GOP will move on (after all, he lost them control of the Whitehouse and the Senate) and I can't see him being successful as a third-party candidate.

 

[ainsworth74]

I would. He really burned the bridges with the extent to which he took the voter fraud argument - to the point of sparking seditious rioting. The GOP will move on (after all, he lost them control of the Whitehouse and the Senate) and I can't see him being successful as a third-party candidate.

But he may well split the GOP vote though. He still seems to have a fairly solid lock on a decent chunk of the GOP base and more than enough that it could cause the GOP serious issues in the future if he keeps a decent chunk of that base as a third party candidate. He has also spoken about setting up his own party as well which would make life difficult for the GOP. So him getting to power again in 2024 not very likely (even less so if he is convicted at his Senate trial) but doing some significant damage to the GOPs chances? I think that's got a much higher likelihood.

 

[KashmireHawker]

So Trumps gone, but I frankly wouldn't bet against him running for president again in 2024 and maybe becoming President. As much I am pleased to see Trump gone, Biden will be the oldest President in History to take up office, I thought Reegan was an old president but actually he was slightly younger than Biden when he left office!

If the Republicans ditch him I think he will run his own party, which would be difficult for him to win from that position as it would split the right wing vote but then this is America.

That seems to be the more likely option, with the AP reporting this morning that he will form the “Patriot Party”

 

[najaB]

But he may well split the GOP vote though.

A split GOP vote won't be enough to win - however you split 50% you're going to end up with two portions that are both less than 50%. So he can definitely continue the destruction of the GOP as we know it.

 

[ainsworth74]

A split GOP vote won't be enough to win - however you split 50% you're going to end up with two portions that are both less than 50%. So he can definitely continue the destruction of the GOP as we know it.

Yes that's what I was getting at. Doesn't help him to win at all. Makes it much much harder for the GOP in their current form to win though which is a significant positive.

 

[hst43102]

I can't see him being successful as a third-party candidate.

Perhaps not successful enough to win an election, but it's amazing how he has managed to "brainwash" all kinds of people into playing follow-the-leader. I know some very conservative Christians who were firmly against Trump in the 2016 election as they saw his record with his marriages, sex scandals etc as firmly against their beliefs, but now they are parroting all the "Trump won the election by a landslide" nonsense and even supporting the rioters. I find it very scary and worrying to be honest.

 

[najaB]

I know some very conservative Christians who were firmly against Trump in the 2016 election as they saw his record with his marriages, sex scandals etc as firmly against their beliefs, but now they are parroting all the "Trump won the election by a landslide" nonsense and even supporting the rioters.

Because he's a means to their end. By which I mean the end of the world. Many on the Christian right in the USA are actively welcoming the Rapture. (https://www.raptureready.com/)

 

[Metrolink]

I’m glad to say the reign of trump is over and frankly although little of his decisions affected me, I can’t bear to think what Americans have been dealing with for the past four years.

 

[FrodshamJnct]

I’m glad to say the reign of trump is over and frankly although little of his decisions affected me, I can’t bear to think what Americans have been dealing with for the past four years.

Well said. I shall be celebrating the end of his tenure with a beer or two this evening!