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Consider This from NPR

What Donald Trump's Impeachment Means The 2nd Time Around

Consider This from NPR

NPR

Daily News, Society & Culture, News Commentary, News

4.26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 9 February 2021

⏱️ 13 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In the weeks after Jan. 6. insurrection, even top Republicans like Mitch McConnell said Donald Trump provoked the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol, leaving five people dead.

But it appears unlikely enough Republican Senators will find that he bears enough responsibility to warrant conviction in his second impeachment trial — which could prevent him from ever holding office again.

Charlie Sykes, founder and editor at large of the conservative site The Bulwark, argues that Republicans are failing to hold themselves accountable.

NPR's Melissa Block reports on the future of Trump's "big lie" about the results of the 2020 election.

For more impeachment coverage, listen to the NPR Politics Podcast via Apple or Spotify.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

On the floor of the U.S. Senate Tuesday, we witnessed two things that have never happened

0:11.5

before.

0:12.5

No president has ever been impeached twice, and no president has ever been tried by the

0:17.4

Senate after leaving office.

0:19.9

We will stop the steal.

0:24.7

House Democrats serving as the impeachment managers, essentially the prosecution, began

0:29.4

their case with this highly-produced 13-minute-long video.

0:33.4

It featured clips of the president's January 6th rally, along with news and amateur footage

0:38.4

of the riot that followed.

0:42.1

You ask what a high crime and misdemeanor is under our Constitution?

0:49.4

That's a high crime and misdemeanor.

0:51.4

In his opening remarks, Congressman Jamie Raskin, the lead impeachment manager, weighed in

0:56.4

on the first legal question of the trial.

0:59.2

President Trump and President Trump are no longer in office, still be tried for high crimes

1:03.0

and misdemeanors.

1:04.5

The president's attorneys have argued, no.

1:07.3

In other words, conduct that would be a high crime and misdemeanor.

1:12.6

In your first year as president, and your second year as president, and your third year as

1:19.0

president, and for the vast majority of your fourth year as president, you can suddenly

1:24.0

do in your last few weeks in office without facing any constitutional accountability at all.

1:30.8

This would create a brand-new January exception to the Constitution of the United States

1:39.3

of America.

...

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