House Majority Whip James Clyburn admitted Sunday that House Democrats may wait until Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office to send articles of impeachment for President Trump to the Senate.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said lawmakers are indeed moving forward with impeachment, referring to the President as an “imminent threat” to “our Democracy.”
The imminent part seems to be in question after Clyburn’s comments.
“We’ll take the vote that we should take in the House, and [Pelosi] will make the determination as to when is the best time to get that vote and get the managers appointed and move that legislation over to the Senate,” Clyburn (D-SC) told his media ally, Jake Tapper.
“It just so happens that if it didn’t go over there for 100 days, it could – let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running, and maybe we’ll send the articles sometime after that,” he added.
Rep. Jim Clyburn: “Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running and maybe we will send the articles [of impeachment against Trump] sometime after that.” https://t.co/8nQEnOyzZs pic.twitter.com/jSt9F74kBO
— The Hill (@thehill) January 11, 2021
RELATED: GOP Sen. Ben Sasse Will Consider Impeachment, Ilhan Omar Predicts President Trump WILL Be Removed
Dems Will Wait to Send Articles of Impeachment to the Senate
What exactly does this mean?
“In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both,” Pelosi said in a letter to her colleagues.
But, despite Pelosi’s assertion that President Trump’s behavior is an “imminent” matter that must be handled with “urgency,” Clyburn suggests they may stall the process of sending articles of impeachment to the Senate. Why?
In our opinion, it isn’t about letting Biden’s agenda get off the ground, as Clyburn asserts. It’s more about assuring Trump doesn’t run again in 2024.
Pelosi all but admits that in a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday night.
When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some made their way to Speaker Pelosi’s office. In a recording from one of Speaker Pelosi’s staffers, the invaders are heard banging on a door her staff had barricaded while they hid under a table. https://t.co/CNmQcAs9av pic.twitter.com/ymt3CI0hHi
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 11, 2021
Correspondent Leslie Stahl, during her interview with the House Speaker, makes note that Trump could leave the office and run again for President.
Pelosi replied that the idea of Trump running for president again is one of the motivations “that people have for advocating for impeachment” and conveyed that she’d prefer using the 25th Amendment “because it gets rid of him.”
“There is strong support in the Congress for impeaching the president a second time,” the California Democrat added. “This president is guilty of inciting insurrection. He has to pay a price for that.”
Speaker Pelosi admitted on 60 Minutes the purpose of removing President Trump is to prevent him from running for reelection in 2024. Democrats are afraid of Trump.
— TheLeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) January 11, 2021
RELATED: Federal Prosecutor Could Bring Criminal Charges Against President Trump For Capitol Violence
It’s About Stopping Trump, Not Biden’s First 100 Days
Articles of impeachment for President Trump won’t simply be about his perceived role in the Capitol riots, of which there is little evidence since he repeatedly urged “peaceful” protests.
It’s about eliminating any chance the President has of ever coming back to the White House.
“Removal is not the only sanction available if Trump is convicted,” Vox reports. “The Constitution also permits the Senate to permanently disqualify Trump from holding ‘any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.'”
‘The Senate rules would not allow the [Impeachment] case to come to trial until 1 p.m. on January 20th, an hour *AFTER* President Trump leaves office.’ — @AlanDersh.
Dems are needlessly tearing America apart just to harm Trump’s election chances ahead of 2024. Truly despicable.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 11, 2021
Worse, Vox alleges that the idea of keeping Trump from running again makes it more likely for Republicans to get on board with impeachment.
“Impeachment is still very likely to hit a wall in the Senate, but there are vague reports that the Senate’s ability to permanently lock Trump out of power may make impeachment more attractive to congressional Republicans,” they write.
From colleague John Roberts: A well-placed source tells me there is talk swirling among Republicans in Congress of a possible 2nd impeachment proceeding – and conviction against Trump – to insure he can’t run for re-election.
— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) January 7, 2021
Last week, Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) indicated he would “definitely consider” a vote to impeach President Trump or support having him removed from office through the 25th Amendment.
“If they come together and have a process, I will definitely consider whatever articles they might move, because … I believe the president has disregarded his oath of office,” said Sasse.
Republican Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska has blamed President Trump for the violent assault on the Capitol, calling it an “inevitable and ugly outcome.”@SenSasse joins us now. pic.twitter.com/bZHDKuXEWx
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) January 8, 2021
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), one of the first Democrats to say she would draft articles of impeachment, indicated last week that she was confident President Trump would be convicted.
“He will be impeached,” she predicted. “Justice will be served.”
It isn’t about justice at all, it’s about making sure an outsider never again sits in the people’s house.