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Added on the 13/02/2021 13:22:34 - Copyright : Euronews EN
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday placed the blame for the attack on the Capitol firmly at the feet of President Donald Trump. CNN reports the Kentucky Republican said on the Senate floor that Trump 'provoked' the violent insurrectionists on January 6th. The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other powerful people. US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell McConnell's comments came as the Senate prepares to hold an impeachment trial over the House's charge of 'incitement of insurrection.' He said the despite the violence, Congress did its duty by certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Two members of the US Capitol Police have been suspended after welcoming pro-Trump rioters into the Capitol building on Wednesday. According to Business Insider, Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) said one of the officers took a selfie with a rioter. The other put on a 'Make America Great Again' hat and directed insurrectionists through the building. Ryan is on the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which oversees spending on the Capitol Police force. He said one of the members may have been arrested. The attack Wednesday was the worst assault on the US Capitol since British forces burned it down in 1814. The rioters failed to stop the certification of electoral college votes for President-elect Joe Biden at the urging of President Donald Trump. The violence resulted in five deaths.
President Donald Trump has been asking aides and lawyers about his self-pardon power. This includes White House counsel Pat Cipollone, according to CNN. Some of those conversations have happened in recent weeks, one of the sources says. Trump has asked about the legal and political consequences of a self-pardon. A Justice Department legal memo says the president cannot pardon himself. However, he can step down and ask his vice president to take over and pardon him.
Attorney Lin Wood tweeted on Friday that Vice President Mike Pence should be arrested for treason and executed by firing squad. The staunch supporter of President Donald Trump also blamed Chief Justice John Roberts and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the election results. According to Business Insider, Wood's remarks triggered some Republicans to issue tweets to distance themselves from him. Among them were Trump campaign lawyer Jenna Ellis, and the conservative high school student Nicholas Sandmann. In recent weeks, Wood has filed or joined lawsuits to overturn President-elect Joe Biden's election victory. Wood has also cited conspiracy theories in the past.
Having grudgingly green-lit the peaceful transfer of power, President Donald Trump is now perfectly poised to proceed with a parade of pardons. Trump has already commuted the sentence of his informal adviser Roger Stone. But what about Trump's former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who is still in home confinement serving out his prison sentence? Even more to the point, what about Trump himself? Trump has repeatedly asked aides about pardons for himself and his family members--and whether he could issue them preemptively. CNN reports the question of self-pardoning may be moot. If Trump faces any criminal charges, they'll be at the state level, not federal. US Presidents are not immune from any state charges.
The US Senate acquits President Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress following a historic two-week trial. The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Trump of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress. SOUNDBITE
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