On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, the Senate trial of disgraced, twice impeached, former President Donald J. Trump will begin. During that trial, his Republican cronies will try to distract the public by accusing Democrats of wanting petty revenge, a false argument about the unconstitutionality of convicting Trump after his presidency has ended although Republicans refused to begin the trial until after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, and by injecting conspiracy theories into their arguments.
Don’t be distracted. What Trump did, he did intentionally, and it led to a deadly attack on the U.S. government.
It's been one month since the insurrection.
Don't be distracted. Keep your eyes on the truth. pic.twitter.com/GIRBlldEHE
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) February 6, 2021
They will argue that intent is an important part of the decision to charge someone for inciting a riot, and that Trump did not “intend” to cause an insurrection and that no one can prove that he did. That’s false. During the attack, Trump tweeted “these are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long.” Trump knew exactly what would happen if he continued his lies about a stolen election. Also, the rioters weren’t “great patriots.” They’re domestic terrorists.
The GOP will argue that it is unconstitutional to convict a man who is no longer the president. Constitutional scholars largely disagree, saying “if Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of our election by inciting a violent mob to storm Congress and impede it from counting the states’ electoral votes is not an offense impeachable under our Constitution, then nothing is.” They point to the language of the Constitution, which reads “Senate shall have the sole power to try all impeachments,” and the word “all” is key. Trump was impeached while still president. The Senate must try all impeachments.
Don’t get distracted. Trump’s actions were impeachable and his conviction is both necessary and constitutional.
Twitter was in full agreement with The Lincoln Project’s new ad. Read some of their comments below:
Featured image screenshot via video
