Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:36 AM

Report: Schumer Privately Arguing Against Having Witnesses At Impeachment Trial

https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/report-schumer-privately-arguing-against-having-witnesses-at-impeachment-trial

Report: Schumer Privately Arguing Against Having Witnesses At Impeachment Trial
By Cristina Cabrera
February 8, 2021 8:35 a.m.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has reportedly been pushing back against Democratic House impeachment managers’ call to have witnesses testify at ex-President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial, which is set to begin on Tuesday.

Politico reports that Schumer and his fellow Democrats in the Senate believe that videos and Trump’s actions in front of the public are sufficient evidence for convicting the former president on the impeachment charge of “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly storming of the Capitol that Trump egged on last month.

Additionally, Senate Democrats reportedly argue that calling on witnesses would needlessly drag out a trial that is all but guaranteed to end in Trump’s acquittal anyway given that most GOP senators have voted that impeachment would be unconstitutional (an argument that constitutional experts across the political spectrum have rejected).

TPM has reached out to Schumer’s office.

Impeachment managers have invited Trump to testify at the trial, a request the former president flatly rejected as a “public relations stunt” last week.

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14 replies	Author	Time	Post
Report: Schumer Privately Arguing Against Having Witnesses At Impeachment Trial (Original post)	babylonsister	Feb 8	OP
"Sufficient evidence" doesn't sound like "an abundance of evidence."	Eyeball_Kid	Feb 8	#1
I'm more for overwhelming and highly emotional evidence. Politics is mostly emotional to voters.	TheBlackAdder	Feb 8	#4
Sadly, voting to acquit will help most of their careers, not hurt them.	NYC Liberal	Feb 8	#6
Agreed. Look at Liz Cheney.	TwilightZone	Feb 8	#9
Ugh	BeyondGeography	Feb 8	#2
I guess it depends on what witnesses are called.	Nevilledog	Feb 8	#3
I disagree. Shumer CANNOT take his usual "gentleman legislator" stance on this one.	Squinch	Feb 8	#5
This isn't a "gentleman legislator" thing. It's a strategy.	NYC Liberal	Feb 8	#8
We'll need to agree to disagree. I will always vote for Shumer, but he does always favor	Squinch	Feb 8	#13
Wasn't that the problem last time?	Bobstandard	Feb 8	#7
Going along to get along is partly why we're where we're at today.	CrispyQ	Feb 8	#10
To the degree that chuck tries to "stay above it all"...	CincyDem	Feb 8	#11
They should at least call Trump Jr, Guiliani, Hawley, Boebert to find out what they knew.	cbdo2007	Feb 8	#12
:) I'd like to think Spielberg and/or Scorsese were consulting.	Hortensis	Feb 8	#14

Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:43 AM

Eyeball_Kid (5,869 posts)

1. "Sufficient evidence" doesn't sound like "an abundance of evidence."

THIS IS A ONE-TIME SHOT!

I think Schumer is wrong. Pile it on! Embarrass the bejesus out of traitor GOPers. Make them choose to either dump Trump or lose their careers. Finish them off. All of them.

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Response to Eyeball_Kid (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:46 AM

TheBlackAdder (20,286 posts)

4. I'm more for overwhelming and highly emotional evidence. Politics is mostly emotional to voters.

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Response to Eyeball_Kid (Reply #1)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:47 AM

NYC Liberal (19,256 posts)

6. Sadly, voting to acquit will help most of their careers, not hurt them.

Those from solidly red states will not be punished.

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Response to NYC Liberal (Reply #6)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:55 AM

TwilightZone (20,715 posts)

9. Agreed. Look at Liz Cheney.

How quickly we forget. Red states *want* their Senators to acquit him. The alternative is the Liz Cheney treatment.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:44 AM

BeyondGeography (36,762 posts)

2. Ugh

Shut up, Chuck.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:45 AM

Nevilledog (23,279 posts)

3. I guess it depends on what witnesses are called.

Goodman and other cops, staffers & employees would be powerful witnesses

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:46 AM

Squinch (35,919 posts)

5. I disagree. Shumer CANNOT take his usual "gentleman legislator" stance on this one.

We need people who heard Donny Bodybags speaking off camera and off the record. We need people other than legislators who can tell what the treasonous insurrection did to them.

This is the DU member formerly known as Squinch.

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Response to Squinch (Reply #5)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:50 AM

NYC Liberal (19,256 posts)

8. This isn't a "gentleman legislator" thing. It's a strategy.

I personally am in favor of witnesses. But if this is true, it’s because they think witnesses won’t help sell the case and that videos will be more impactful, not because Schumer is trying to be nice.

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Response to NYC Liberal (Reply #8)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 11:22 AM

Squinch (35,919 posts)

13. We'll need to agree to disagree. I will always vote for Shumer, but he does always favor

the less "tawdry" course of action. In this case that is not what we need. In this case we need to hang all the filthy laundry out in full view of everyone.

This is the DU member formerly known as Squinch.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 10:48 AM

Bobstandard (354 posts)

7. Wasn't that the problem last time?

Trump’s last impeachment trial is dismissed on the right as trivial because there were no witnesses called. That time the lack of witnesses was imposed on us. This time it will be an unforced error.

I ll be especially pissed if the excuse is hurrying to make it easier for Joe to implement his agenda if that includes means-testing eligibility of COVID relief checks.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 11:01 AM

CrispyQ (29,528 posts)

10. Going along to get along is partly why we're where we're at today.

Some things are worth fighting for, even if they take valuable time. The American people need to see that there was a contingent within the bigger group who had a well-thought out plan with inside help.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 11:10 AM

CincyDem (4,945 posts)

11. To the degree that chuck tries to "stay above it all"...

Republicans will continue chewing away at our democratic (small d) foundation. This is no time to bring a knife to a gunfight.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 11:22 AM

cbdo2007 (9,169 posts)

12. They should at least call Trump Jr, Guiliani, Hawley, Boebert to find out what they knew.

They public already thinks it is just partisan BS. We need the witnesses to show the conspiracy was far reaching, coordinated, and planned.

Then even if Trump is acquitted, we can go after the others separately for their roles.

If we don't call witnesses and Trump is acquitted, they will use that as their defense and won't be on the record in front of the Senate lying.

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Response to babylonsister (Original post)

Mon Feb 8, 2021, 11:26 AM

Hortensis (44,979 posts)

14. :) I'd like to think Spielberg and/or Scorsese were consulting.

Some people, hired/assigned by those in charge, are working on putting together a compelling show for the public.

Witnesses are needed to establish guilt or innocence for a good-faith jury. Trump will be acquitted by corrupt Republican senators. The witness who'd do us real good ("Pleease, Mr. Trump?" ) won't be available.

Witnesses have to be argued over, sworn in, etc, etc. Hurry up and wait, again and again. Slow down, lose momentum, drag out what will take days anyway. More isn't always more. Too much salt ruins the stew. Etc.

Otoh, a long video stream of deluded patriot after murderous patriot proudly declaiming from the scene that they'd answered Trump's call to insurrection...

I just hope talented people are putting it together.

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