The House is now beginning two hours of debate on the article of impeachment charging President Trump with "incitement of insurrection."

Pelosi is the first speaker.

"He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love," Pelosi says. She says that removing Trump from office is "a constitutional remedy to make sure the republic is safe from this man."
Pelosi says the rioters "were not patriots," they were "domestic terrorists."

She asks House members, looking at the GOP side: "I ask you to search your souls and answer this question: is the president's war on democracy in keeping with the Constitution?"
Jim Jordan now says Democrats want to "cancel the president," one week to the day since insurrectionists attacked the Capitol.

He says Dems are "canceling the president and anyone who disagrees with them" - right after he said Liz Cheney should step down for voting to impeach.
GOP Rep. Tom McClintock is saying that all Trump did is give "a fiery speech to a group of partisans," and that most of the protesters on Wednesday were peaceful. He calls impeachment "petty, vindictive and gratuitous." His speech was met with scattered applause from Republicans.
Democrat Zoe Lofgren: "If we don't impeach, we will fail our own oath to protect and defend the United States against all enemies foreign, and yes, domestic."
Adam Schiff, last year's lead impeachment manager, gives very brief remarks: "Let us say enough. Enough."
GOP Rep. Issa says Trump "isn't a clear and present danger."

"The president has acted essentially the same for four years," he says, perhaps inadvertently echoing people who have criticized Trump since the beginning.
Dem Rep. Cedric Richmond, in his last speech on the House floor before joining the Biden admin, says GOP members may have been "co-conspirators" and asks his Republicans to "stand up, man up, woman up."

"Simply put, we told you so. Richmond out," he concludes.
Dem Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: "Donald Trump is a living, breathing impeachable offense."
Majority Whip Clyburn, third-ranking Dem in House, blames Trump for inciting last week's violence: "If we do not hold him accountable...a future attempt may very well be acceptable."
Rep. Ken Buck said that one Democratic member said Trump supporters should be harassed in public.

"That's what I said," says Rep. Maxine Waters casually, walking past him.
In his speech, Dem Rep. Jamie Raskin angrily notes that rioters wanted to hang Mike Pence and threatened violence against lawmakers.

Raskin: "They could have killed us all."
Democrats have booed Matt Gaetz, who has made reference to the "Biden crime family." The disdain for him on that side of the aisle is palpable.

"This president has faced unprecedented hatred...from big media, big Tech, and big egos."
Calls for order after Gaetz starts yelling about the anti-racism protests over the summer. "The left in America has incited far more political violence in the right!"

Gaetz received applause from Republicans when he concluded.
Dem Rep. Joaquin Castro: "Donald Trump is the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office." He asks Republicans, "What do you think they [rioters] would have done if they had gotten in? And who do you think sent them?"
Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: "Some say the riots were caused by Antifa. There is absolutely no evidence of that. And conservatives should be the first to say so. "
Minority Leader McCarthy: "A vote to impeach would further divide this nation. A vote to impeach would further fan the flames of partisan division." (Reminder that McCarthy voted to object to the Electoral College results last week.)

He says he supports censuring the president.
McCarthy, saying what so many Republicans still won't: "Let’s be clear, Joe Biden will be sworn in as the President of the United States in one week because he won the election."
GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, saying that Democrats haven't been held accountable for anti-racism protests over the summer: "I call bullcrap." (First time I've ever heard "bullcrap" on the House floor.)
GOP Congressman Dan Newhouse said that he would support impeachment after releasing a statement saying he would do so.

"There is no excuse for President Trump's actions," Newhouse said, adding that he would vote for impeachment "with a heavy heart." Democrats applauded after.
GOP Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler on why she will vote to impeach: "I am not choosing a side, I am choosing truth. It is the only way to defeat fear."
Shout out to all the lawmakers who speak so succinctly that I barely have time to take down some of their quotes
Quite a few Republicans claiming they are being silenced while they speak on live TV

More from Trump

Having a Twitter account is not a right.

If you incite violence on Twitter, the company can - and should - stop you. Good call.


Plans for “future armed protests” are spreading on Twitter and elsewhere, the company warned, “including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021”.

Yes, people who boosted their careers off of Trump - his sycophants, his kids & people like Haley, who helped him attack and undermine human rights around the world - are boo-hooing right now.

Always beware of powerful people pretending to be victims.

https://t.co/0A5D5eJFvL


But no one should react with glee. The president of the United States has been inciting violence, and Republican Party leaders, along with a willing, violent mob, have been aiding his attempts to overthrow the democratic process.

That's the real story here.

The dangers are real, and we've all seen them. That Twitter even had to contemplate banning any politician for inciting violence is awful. That they had to ban the sitting president for it is even worse.
OK, #Squidigation fans, I think we need to talk about the new Wisconsin suit Donald Trump filed - personally - in Federal Court last night. The suit is (as usual) meritless. But it's meritless in new and disturbing ways. This thread will be


Not, I hope, Seth Abramson long. But will see.

I apologize in advance to my wife, who would very much prefer I be billing time (today's a light day, though) and to my assistant, to whom I owe some administrative stuff this will likely keep me from 😃

First, some background. Trump's suit essentially tries to Federalize the Wisconsin Supreme Court complaint his campaign filed, which we discussed here.


If you haven't already, go read that thread. I'm not going to be re-doing the same analysis, and I'm not going to be cross-linking to that discussion as we go. (Sorry, I like you guys, and I see this as public service, but there are limits)

Also, @5DollarFeminist has a good stand-alone thread analyzing the new Federal complaint - it's worth reading as well, though some of the analysis will overlap.

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