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For weeks, Republicans have asserted that the second impeachment of Donald Trump was designed to serve the Democrats’ political interest rather than holding Trump accountable. On Feb. 13, the Democrats practically admitted this point to be true when they denied allowing witnesses for the Senate impeachment trial. Despite Democrats consistently advocating the need for witness testimony in a trial for both Trump’s first and second impeachments, they ceded responsibility and dropped that narrative upon the realization that the impeachment process had ceased to be a useful political tool for their interests.
The House impeachment managers communicated to Senate Democrats early that day that they would request witnesses to testify. Senate Democrats initially supported this movement, with Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) affirming “If the managers believe it would help their presentation, we should let them have witnesses.” After a 55-45 vote in the Senate in favor of allowing witnesses, the House managers shockingly announced that they would close their case “without the need for subpoena, deposition and other testimony.” It was later reported that this sudden turnaround was a result of significant pressure from Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), along with other Senate Democrats. These Senate Democrats advocated to the House managers that a prolonged trial from a result of witness testimony would likely cost Republican conviction votes, and delay the policy agenda of President Biden. As Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) so eloquently put it: “people want to get home for Valentine’s Day.”
The day prior, Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-CA), one of the ten Republicans to vote in favor of impeachment, publicly offered to testify as a witness to provide details of a phone call conversation between House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and President Trump during the storming of the Capitol (relayed to Herrera Beutler by McCarthy). According to CNN sources, as McCarthy pleaded with Trump to tell his MAGA supporters to stop the siege on the capitol, he responded, “Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” to which McCarthy reportedly retorted: “Who the f*ck do you think you’re talking to.” Despite Herrera Beutler’s brave public offer to testify, all potential witnesses were swiftly quelled by Sen. Coons Valentine’s Day plans.
Sen. Coons’s argument, masked by a concern for the interruption of his Valentine’s Day plans, was that a prolonged Senate trial caused by witnesses would have been pointless as there were no more Republican minds to be changed. However, Coon’s claim proved to be false that same day, when Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) unexpectedly and shockingly voted in favor of conviction. Earlier that week, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) also changed his mind on the constitutionality of a Senate impeachment trial post-presidency, stating: “The House managers had much stronger constitutional arguments. The president’s team did not.” If two Republican senators changed their minds based on the case brought by the Democratic House managers, it must be likely that non-partisan witness testimony could have persuaded other Republican senators to follow suit.
It is no secret that Republican leadership—at this point practically controlled by MAGA-mob-rule—weren’t taking the impeachment process seriously. That makes it all the more disappointing that the Democrats decided to not take it seriously either. From the beginning of the process, Democrats seemed more intent on scoring political points by ostracizing Republicans outside the Overton window (range of tolerable political ideas) that would benefit their hopeful progressive agenda than actually holding Trump accountable to his actions. In the House, the Democrats led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stalled the impeachment process, provided an overcharge in the articles of impeachment, and appointed a completely partisan team of managers. Prior to the impeachment vote, Herrera Beutler had asked Pelosi for seven minutes of speaking time on the floor—she was granted a minute.
Despite the dire importance of holding Trump responsible for his reckless actions, the Democratic leadership denied the opportunity to show the world an inside account of Trump’s actions (and intentions). On Jan. 6. Jaime Herrera Beutler put her career on the line and offered to speak up against Trump in both the House and the Senate. Democrats said no. The Senate could have brought in witness testimony from those with Trump on Jan 6. Democrats said no. The Senate could have brought in Jake Angeli, the infamous horned barbarian who shortly presided over the Senate Chamber during the siege and offered to provide testimony. Democrats said no. The Senate could have requested the witness testimony of Georgia’s Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, whom Trump told “I just want to find 11,780 votes,” or from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), whom Trump called on the phone during the Capitol siege, or even Vice President Mike Pence. Democrats said no. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress have ceded their constitutional duties in favor of scoring political points, whether that be appeasing the MAGA-mob or gaining an extra two weeks to push a progressive policy agenda. As Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) postulated on the inefficiency of modern Congress, “the important thing is that when the Congress neuters itself and gives power to an unaccountable fourth branch of government, it means that people are cut out of the process.”
