Share this page!

Vox Profile picture
Twitter logo
9 Feb, 5 tweets, 2 min read
Is it constitutional to convict Trump now that he's out of office?

That's what the Senate will vote on today, at the start of his impeachment trial.

Legal scholars also have a lot to say on the question: vox.com/22242411/trump…
One argument against convicting Trump:

Once an official no longer occupies their office, the case against them using their position to “further harm the nation” is moot, argues J. Michael Luttig, a conservative former federal judge.
One argument for convicting Trump:

Impeachment can serve another purpose: keeping the former official from regaining power and doing future harm — something Democrats warn could happen if Trump were allowed to run again in 2024.
To be clear, most scholars do believe a former official can be impeached and convicted.

A closely related problem is that if former officials are immune from impeachment, someone might even resign their office moments before the Senate votes to disqualify them.
Ultimately, the Senate can probably do whatever it wants in Trump’s second impeachment trial.

If the Senate chooses to convict Trump and disqualify him from office, the courts should defer to that judgment under Nixon v. United States, argues @imillhiser: vox.com/22242411/trump…

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Vox

Vox Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @voxdotcom

Vox Profile picture
10 Feb
1/ The #coronavirus pandemic hasn’t stopped. Hard conversations with your pod of friends and family shouldn’t, either.

How to communicate effectively with your pod and minimize coronavirus risk, according to public health experts: vox.com/the-goods/2226…
2/ ➡️ Have the hard conversations first.

Do you have high-risk roommates? Are you okay with outdoor dining? How is sex being managed by those who are having sex outside the pod?

Ask direct, specific questions so everyone understands what the pod is comfortable with as a whole.
3/ ➡️ Don’t think about exposure as something someone did wrong.

It’s normal to be upset if you think you’ve been exposed to Covid-19.

But shaming and blaming the person could cause them not to be forthright about their diagnosis, potentially putting more people at risk.
Read 6 tweets
Vox Profile picture
9 Feb
Former President Trump's second #ImpeachmentTrial trial kicks off today, with four hours of debate and then a vote on whether the Senate can even hold an impeachment trial for a former president.

Your biggest questions about the trial, answered: vox.com/2021/2/8/22272…
Since Trump is no longer president, the main question at stake in his trial is whether he should be barred from holding future federal office, which would prevent him from seeking another term in 2024.

vox.com/22220495/impea…
The argument for convicting Trump circles back to the January 6 attack on the Capitol.

“President Trump’s effort to extend his grip on power by fomenting violence against Congress was a profound violation of the oath he swore,” the impeachment managers write.
Read 5 tweets
Vox Profile picture
26 Jan
1/ For Black Americans, middle class stability has always been a lie.

In her latest Vox column, @annehelen explores how centuries of systemic racism have cut short Black people’s opportunities for wealth while keeping white wealth buoyed to the top:
vox.com/the-goods/2224…
2/ "A foundational myth of the American dream is the potential of the individual, wholly unbound by context," @annehelen writes. "The idea is that in America, land of opportunity, you excel on your own merits.

“This is a lie, of course."
3/ Wealth begets wealth, says @annehelen.

And "because of intersecting racist policies and practices ... wealth has been far more difficult for Black Americans to accumulate."
vox.com/the-goods/2224…
Read 7 tweets
Vox Profile picture
18 Jan
States are not required to observe any of the 10 federal holidays, including #MLKDay.

In many cases, they don’t.

Some states even honor Confederate generals — and not the civil rights leader. vox.com/the-highlight/…
Alabama and Mississippi still celebrate a “King-Lee” day that lumps King together with Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, whose birthday is January 19.
Until 2000, Virginia took this idea even further, creating a “Lee-Jackson-King Day” that also honored Confederate leader Stonewall Jackson.
Read 4 tweets
Vox Profile picture
12 Jan
1/ Could Trump be removed from office and permanently banned from running in a future US election?

Yes — if the Senate votes in favor of it. @imillhiser explains: vox.com/22220495/impea…
2/ As we learned the first time Trump was impeached, merely impeaching the president isn’t enough to remove him from office.

The House can charge Trump with a removable offense by a simple majority vote, but he must be convicted by the Senate by a two-thirds vote.
3/ If the impeached official is convicted, the Senate then must decide what sanction to impose on them.

Removal is one option. The Constitution also permits the Senate to permanently disqualify Trump from holding “any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States.”
Read 5 tweets
Vox Profile picture
6 Jan
1/ Congress starts the process of counting Electoral College votes and formally confirming Joe Biden’s win at 1 pm today.

It’s usually a mainly ceremonial task, but this year Trump has hyped up the count as a showdown effort to overturn the election.
vox.com/2021/1/6/22213…
2/ Biden's victory isn't in jeopardy: The Electoral College vote count — 306 votes for Biden, 232 for Trump — was finalized when the electors cast their votes in December.
3/ Some Republicans plan to object to certain swing state results, claiming they can’t be trusted due to allegations of fraud.

But throwing out electoral votes requires approval from both houses of Congress, something that is extremely unlikely to happen. vox.com/2021/1/6/22213…
Read 6 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @voxdotcom has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @voxdotcom!

Read all threads by @voxdotcom