GOP senators signal they plan to acquit Trump despite visceral presentation by House Democrats

[spanone]

(CNN)The House impeachment managers presented senators with videos of their colleagues fleeing a pro-Trump mob, which breached the US Capitol shouting "stop the steal." They showed the rioters searching for then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and rummaging through the senators' desks on the chamber floor.

Some of the Trump supporters were dressed in tactical gear, armed with zip-ties. Others held Trump 2020 flags, broke windows with poles and set up a gallows for Pence, who was constitutionally obligated to oversee the certification of the 2020 presidential election, and the peaceful transfer of power to the Democrats.

But even after witnessing the deadly violence firsthand, and being reminded of it again at the scene of the crime, many Republican senators appeared no closer on Wednesday to convicting former President Donald Trump on the charge of "incitement of insurrection."

While they were struck by the impeachment managers' presentation, these Republicans said that the House Democrats did not prove Trump's words led to the violent actions. They compared the January 6 riot to last summer's racial justice protests and criticized how the trial is being handled.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/politics/republican-senators-trump-impeachment/index.html

[hauckeye]

7. Unfortunately one of my senators is Ron Johnson

He is pond scum and I doubt any calls will help

[dalton99a]

2. Traitors and cowards.

[Tom Rinaldo]

3. No value added reporting. Nothing to see here.

While I agree that it's extremely unlikely that 17 Republican Senators will vote to convict, even if that happened there would still be 33 Republican Senators who vote to acquit. It is not news that the likes of Graham and Cruz were not swayed by the House managers. Even if 20 Republican Senators voted to convict Trump they would be in a sizable minority of their caucus. There never was any doubt about where most Republicans will come down. What's the point of interviewing Ted Cruz as if his vote was ever in any doubt?

[North Shore Chicago]

4. A call to big business!

Hit 'em below their money belts! Shrink the monkey.

[Iliyah]

5. Maybe . . .

not

[servermsh]

6. Some of these guys are just trying to control the narrative so people talk about this instead...

...of the evidence.

[SkeezerRedux]

10. How exactly would one go about 'proving WORDS led to the violent actions'?

Take a moment or two and think about that.

Anyone who has been paying attention has heard many of those accused say that the former president's words were what compelled them to act. But is that really proof or merely a convenient excuse...or both?

What then actually constitutes 'proof' in these senator's eyes? If Trump said 'fight' [he did] does he literally have to help wield the flag pole with which someone bashes in a cop's head, too?

Point is, if they set the bar of 'proof' high and absurd enough, anyone gets a pass in their view.

Unless their name is Hillary.

[Solly Mack]

11. An insurrection is not the same as protests against racism and police brutality.

Unless, like Tucker Carlson and republicans, you see those protests as an attempt to overthrow white supremacy. An "insurrection" against how they think the world should be - white first, white always.

And, apparently, they do.

Carlson said during his racist rant that the protests following the death of George Floyd changed America more in 5 months than the country has changed in the previous 50 years.

Changed how?

More Americans became aware of the murder of black people at the hands of the police because they watched, in real time, as the police killed a man. And they became enraged by what they witnessed. So people marched and they protested.

That's what changed - but to Carlson's thinking and the thinking of the republicans comparing the protests with the insurrection - that's a bad thing.

The way Carlson put it was - the protests over the death of George Floyd overturned the "old order" and "up-ended our society".

Got it? The "old order" - would that be white supremacy and white privilege and all things white is right?

I think so. I think that's exactly what Carlson is saying.

"Up-ended our society - Our society? Our? Was that the our that means everyone? Because those protests didn't up-end my society - it elevated it. A gathering of people outraged at the outrageous. Of the continued murder of black people at the hands of the police. People joining in protests against the destructive forces of racism. That's good trouble.

But by "our" society, Carlson didn't mean everyone. He meant white America.

Goes so far as to claim Mr. Floyd didn't die at the hands - knees - of police but because he died of a drug overdose.

This was the message Carlson was delivering - Black man. Drugs. Overdoses. Dies. Blames others. Typical.

He was playing on racist stereotypes and white fear.

So when republican claims the insurrection on January 6, 2021 is the same as the protests over racism and police brutality, they are dog whistling to the same old racist tune as always.