Senator Rand Paul is standing up for Donald Trump and the U.S. Constitution, which is silent on the matter of whether or not a private citizen can be tried for impeachment.
The Kentucky Senator unleashed on the hot button issue, which has already spoiled the “honeymoon period” of the Biden administration. The senator is deciding to press the matter on the Senate floor.
I object to this unconstitutional sham of an “impeachment” trial and I will force a vote on whether the Senate can hold a trial of a private citizen.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 25, 2021
“I object to this unconstitutional sham of an ‘impeachment’ trial and I will force a vote on whether the Senate can hold a trial of a private citizen,” Senator Paul tweeted.
Republicans should reject any process that involves a partisan Democrat in the chair instead of the Chief Justice.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 25, 2021
Republicans should reject any process that involves a partisan Democrat in the chair instead of the Chief Justice,” Paul continued.
The senator is referring to the recent news that Chief Justice John Roberts is recusing himself from the Trump impeachment trial.
“If Chief Justice Roberts can’t be bothered to come over for the so-called impeachment, makes you wonder if this exercise is constitutional at all,” Senator Rand Paul earlier tweeted.
If Chief Justice Roberts can’t be bothered to come over for the so-called impeachment, makes you wonder if this exercise is constitutional at all.
Leahy, not Roberts, to preside over impeachment trial | TheHill https://t.co/zAJASSKHf9
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 25, 2021
There has been a replacement reportedly selected, and it is not current Vice President and President of the Senate Kamala Harris. It is the highest-ranking and longest-tenured Senator Pat Leahy (D-VT), who is the Senate pro tempore.
“Sen. Leahy is expected to preside at trial,” a Senate source told the Washington Examiner. “Senators preside when the impeached is not the president of the United States.”
Notably, Senator Paul declined to object to the Electoral College results, despite belief that he might do so. He stated in a lengthy thread:
“The vote today is not a protest; the vote today is literally to overturn the election! Voting to overturn state-certified elections would be the opposite of what states’ rights Republicans have always advocated for. This would doom the electoral college forever. It was never intended by our founders that Congress have the power to overturn state-certified elections. My oath to the Constitution doesn’t allow me to disobey the law. I cannot vote to overturn the verdict of the states.”
No former president has ever been put on trial for impeachment. The Democrats submitted and approved a single Article of Impeachment after two hours of debate, “Incitement of Insurrection.” The Senate trial is expected to begin the week of February 8th.
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