Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA) Monday on MSNBC’s “Live” said that Democrats were impeaching former President Donald Trump, so he is convicted in the Senate, which includes a penalty of disqualification from office.
Jackson asked, “Do you plan to address the constitutional authority as has been raised by some of these Republicans for the House to bring an impeachment against somebody and for the Senate to convict somebody who is no longer serving?”
Swalwell said, “It’s constitutional. The Senate is steeped in tradition and custom, and I think it would be persuasive to them that they have actually done this before. They have held a trial for somebody who was no longer in office.”
Jackson said, “You’re talking about the secretary of war?”
Swalwell said, “That’s right, Secretary of War, Belknap, we will all hear that name more than we probably want, but it’s because the Founders put as one of the penalties disqualification from office and because Donald Trump we know will do this again, has such a disdain for democracy and a disdain for public safety, we can’t afford as a country to give him a chance to come close to doing this again.”
He continued, “Our president invited and assembled this mob, he told this big betrayal of a lie, a betrayal of the Constitution that his supporters could stop a steal, and then he inflamed them and then sent them to the Capitol. I think just as powerful as what he did is what he didn’t do once they arrived, once they beat, spit on, stampeded over police officers, he said nothing for over two hours.”
He added, “We’re confident that we can persuade the jury to convict with whatever amount of time they give us. I will leave it to the senate to set the rules. we’ve got the evidence.”
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