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Darren Samuelsohn

14 Jan, 9 tweets, 3 min read

@Politicsinsider

NEW: Mitch McConnell is weighing whether to convict President Donald Trump for his role in inciting last week's violent riot at the Capitol, Republicans familiar with the GOP leader's deliberations told @Politicsinsider by me & @tomlobianco ($) businessinsider.com/trump-senate-i…

It'd be an explosive move for the Kentucky Republican that could ultimately lead to Trump becoming the first former president banned from ever again holding federally elected office.

McConnell is said to be enraged at Trump for directing the heavily-armed mob that swarmed the Capitol and now sees the House effort that culminated with a bipartisan 232-197 impeachment vote as a potential avenue to rid his party and American politics once and for all of Trump.

"He's seriously entertaining it," said one GOP source familiar with the Kentucky Republican's thinking. "He wants to hear it out."

McConnell is trying to drum up the necessary 17 Republican votes needed to help convict the president at a Senate trial, according to a source close to the Trump White House. It will be an uphill climb given the outsized role Trump currently has in GOP politics.

But McConnell also recognizes that Trump is as vulnerable as he's ever been. For one, POTUS is about to be exiled from the White House after falling short against Biden last November. He's about to lose the immunity from prosecution that comes with being president.

And the president has already been banned from the potent social media networks that helped fuel his political rise, undercutting his ability to speak directly to his supporters and influence some of the fence-sitting GOP senators who have the power to end Trump's career.

"Now is the time," a source close to the White House said of McConnell's potential move. "If you're going to do it, do it now. He can't talk to his people. He literally can't communicate. It's the time to shiv him and then brace for the fallout."

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More from @dsamuelsohn

Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

15 Jan

@tomlobianco

Mitch McConnell is telling GOP senators their decision on a Trump impeachment trial conviction is a 'vote of conscience' businessinsider.com/mcconnell-repu… by @tomlobianco ($) in @Politicsinsider

@Politicsinsider

"His message to me was this would clearly be a vote of conscience," Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, told @Politicsinsider "He's always been respectful of members that way."

Cramer, a former House Republican & early supporter of Trump who stuck w/ him through his 1 term in office, said that he doesn't want to vote to convict Trump. But he said he might be open to voting in favor of barring Trump from serving in office again after last week's attack.

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Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

15 Jan

@rbravender

NEW: Historians worry a Trump library will be an airbrushed 'MAGA' tribute to a twice-impeached president businessinsider.com/trump-presiden… by @rbravender & @davelevinthal ($) @Politicsinsider

Historians and presidential-library buffs say they're worried that any sort of Donald Trump presidential library or museum will be used entirely to glorify the ex-commander in chief while promoting lies about his administration and attacking his critics.

Construction could wind up being a major battleground over the legacy of the 2x-impeached president. Historians & DC insiders are speculating about whether Trump's kids might lead the effort, where it would be located, & whether the federal government might withhold its support.

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Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

14 Jan

@Politicsinsider

SCOOP: Government emails & docs exclusively obtained by @Politicsinsider reveal an internal fight in the Trump administration during a critical stage of the 2020 campaign over whether to create a poll worker recruitment website. by @davelevinthal ($) ow.ly/tdbN50D8ZHe

The White House's Office of Management and Budget initially rejected the Election Assistance Commission's request to create the website.

The clash took place during July and August when election administration officials were sounding alarms that the nation — because of the COVID-19 pandemic — wouldn't have enough poll workers to staff in-person voting sites.

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Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

13 Jan

@Politicsinsider

NEW: After the violent and mostly White pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol last week, Black & brown people had to clean up the mess. Several told @Politicsinsider they were well aware of the racial dynamics. By @elvina_nawaguna & @KaylaEpstein ($) ow.ly/UAxo50D7rjC

The Trump supporters who broke into the Capitol left behind shards of broken glass and ripped-apart furniture, blood, empty bottles, and even feces smeared on the walls.

The custodial staff cleaned up in places where people were bludgeoned & in one instance fatally shot, & where dozens of Capitol Police officers were wounded. "It felt bad. It's degrading," said a custodial employee in his 30s, who works for the Architect of the Capitol.

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Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

13 Jan

@tomlobianco

NEW: With just 8 days left in office, the "adults in the room" who had been keeping Trump from flying off the rails are leaving him to fend for himself after he spurred his supporters to attack the Capitol. by @tomlobianco & me @Politicsinsider ($) ow.ly/UEuf50D6YAH

Sure, most Rs aren't joining the charge to oust Trump. But they're not standing in the way either. And they're not rushing to his defense as they've done for the last 4 years, even in the face of a House plan to impeach him again, this time for inciting an insurrection."

There's no serious effort either involving vice president and other Republicans to send the president out the door via the 25th Amendment. Pence and his team are instead counting the hours until Trump leaves office.

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Darren Samuelsohn

@dsamuelsohn

13 Jan

@TinaSfon

NEW: Democrats are conflicted about Joe Biden's inauguration. They want to showcase the peaceful transfer of power but are terrified for their own safety and for the incoming new leaders of the administration. by @TinaSfon ($) in @Politicsinsider businessinsider.com/biden-inaugura…

Dems also have no other choice than to put their faith in Trump's administration for the holding of a secure event. After all, his federal agencies are overseeing inauguration security and being looked to to come through in their final days to protect Biden and Congress.

Making matters even more complicated is the fact Trump has also said he will not attend Biden's inauguration. Twitter last week warned that the lame duck's absence could be interpreted by some supporters of the president as a sign it's "safe" to cause more trouble on Jan. 20.

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