Posted on 02/13/2021 4:08:31 PM PST by RandFan
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Saturday unleashed blistering criticism of former President Trump, blaming him for sparking the attack on the Capitol while also explaining why he didn't vote for a conviction.
McConnell also suggested that Trump could face criminal prosecution for his actions.
"There's no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it. The people that stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president," McConnell said.
"And having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories and reckless hyperbole, which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on the Earth," McConnell added.
McConnell's remarks came after the Senate fell short of the 67 votes needed to convict Trump. Though McConnell voted to acquit him, arguing it fell outside the Senate's jurisdiction, his remarks are a stinging rebuke of Trump's actions and rhetoric.
McConnell said the mob breached the Capitol because it was fed "wild falsehoods" by Trump, who was "angry he had lost an election."
McConnell, like most Senate Republicans, refused to acknowledge for weeks that President Biden had won the election. But he publicly congratulated Biden on the floor in mid-December after the Electoral College certified the victory.
McConnell marked the day as when Trump "opened up a new chapter of wilder and more unfounded claims."
"The leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise," the GOP leader said, adding that Trump "seemed determined to either overturn the voters decision or else torch our institutions on the way out."
Trump's legal team defended his actions on Jan. 6, when he repeated false claims that the election was "stolen" and encouraged his supporters to march on the Capitol just as former Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers were counting the Electoral College votes.
Trump's team also argued that the former president did not realize that Pence was in danger.
McConnell rejected those claims, noting that attack played out on live television.
"We know that he was watching the same live television as the rest of us. A mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. ... The president did not act swiftly. He did not do his job. He didn't take steps so federal law he could be faithfully executed and order restored," McConnell said.
But the GOP leader also said that impeaching Trump falls outside the Senate's jurisdiction because Trump is no longer in office. McConnell voted twice previously to try to declare the trial unconstitutional, an argument that has been rejected by a swath of legal scholars.
Though the House impeached Trump while he was still in office, the Senate trial didn't start until after Biden was sworn in. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) tried to get McConnell to bring the Senate back into session early to start the trial before Trump left office, but the GOP leader shot down the request.
"The question is moot because former President Trump is constitutionally not eligible," McConnell said.
McConnell, however, hinted that Trump could still face legal repercussions.
"President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office, as an ordinary citizen, unless the statute of limitations has run. ... Didn't get away with anything yet," McConnell said.
Trump provoked a mob alright.
All the Dems, and a bunch of the Pubs.
What does Mitch expect to gain in terms of the GOP for his backstabbing of Trump???
The GOP Leadership must have some sort of misguided idea that if they “unfriend” Trump that it will be beneficial to the GOP.
What are your ideas? I have none.
Keep telling a lie long enough you worthless POC.
Angry beyond words...
I really struggle to understand, from his point of view, what the benefit is to doing this.
Trump has really pulled back the curtain and exposed these frauds.
I am a Trump voter only. I will never belong to a party of weak cucks like the Republicans.
I eagerly await the FR GOPE sunshine pumpers to explain this crock of Republican establishment BS away and why we have to have their beloved party of snakes like this.
McConnell is throughly hated in KY by the average Republican voter, only the country clubbed Party worshippers like this prick. The reason he wins re-election is the Democrat keep running Hollywood level leftist against him. After this stunt I think the average Republican in Kentucky is going to say why bother with this snobby backstabbing ahole.
What a loser.
And of course the socialist’s had NOTHING to do with why the massive crowds showed up in Washington.
It sounds like he is calling for Trump to be tried in a civilian court. Sounds like the Chinese are really tugging on his strings.
i just don’t see that, but then i didn’t vote for romney either. i was taught to vote for the clear cut good choice. if there wasn’t one, the system is rigged and you move on.
so, in my view, you always have choice, even if it’s not to vote period. at least right now we have that option. soon they’ll take that one away and force you to vote, when they figure out that many of us boycott rigged voting. anyway that’s what the word “election” means, it’s nothing more than the fancy word for the two bit one: “choice.”
given the immense damage this guy and his gope crime party has done and is doing to America. i got no truck with anyone voting for this guy.
and don’t give me the lesser of evil nonesense. no one but God knows the true lesser evil between the dems and the uniparty for America. the uniparty system is way to complex for any individual to make a lesser of evil judgement on it. it’s all evil is the best i can do. if i see any human being setting himself up as wiser than God. i’m going with God, everytime.
“largest megaphone on the Earth”
It’s not the size of the megaphone, Mr. McConnell.
It’s the size and good sense of those that believe in what he stands for and what he stands against.
What is is immorally irresponsible, Mitch?
Sounds like the UniParty motto.
I believe you are correct, Mitch and the other repubelicans are working overtime to recover the perennial loser badge. We’ve all worked or served under someone like Mitch, remember the dude with his finger in the air. The guy who took a poll of his inner circle and never had an opinion except for the one they gave him. Many wonder how much our President may have accomplished had it not been for the jackass party’s opposition, some of us wonder what he could have accomplished if we could have tamed the enemy within the Repubs party.
Mitch...you are morally, and categorically responsible for certifying, and sanctioning unlimited voter fraud. I will pray every day, that you, and every other Repuke who voted to certify Mr. Potatohead as Pretender-in-Chief, is defeated by the same voter fraud you officially approved.
Headline should read, McConnell Speaks of Morals. They have no self awareness.
I'm done with the GOP. I will never again vote for any member of the party that refuses to respect me, or protect my vote. The GOP is corrupt, and unredeemable. It will never be reformed, because they don't want it reformed. They are satisfied with the status quo. I'm not, and will no longer support it.
What have the people convicted for being in the Capitol said about why they rioted or entered? There’s got to be lots of info about what they said to police.
I couldn’t understand what this Chins bought punk was saying. He should probably remove Schumer’S penis from his mouth before he speaks.
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