Impeachment 2.0, which is about to get underway, is extraordinary and unprecedented, as were the acts that brought it about: the effort of a president AND HIS PARTY to overthrow an election, backed by a violent mob. /1
Trump’s lawyers and his supporters have tried to leverage the unprecedented nature of this impeachment as evidence of how determined Democrats are to take down Trump. /2
But it is instead a reflection of just how extraordinary Trump’s violations were: he is facing charges of inciting an insurrection, a second impeachment, and a post-presidency trial precisely because he presents a unique threat to the U.S. /3
Impeachment 1.0 invited comparisons to Nixon’s impeachment: the whistleblower, the transcripts, the similar charges of obstruction & abuse of power. There is no such comparison to make with Impeachment 2.0 because there is no comparison to make with the events that sparked it. /4
At the same time, it’s important to recall that, in important ways, this second impeachment is a continuation of the first. Both were responses to efforts by Donald Trump to leverage conspiracy theories — and the power of the presidency — to manipulate the 2020 election. /5
The insurrection was just another step in a process that had been underway for more than a year — a process continued by the majority of Republicans in the House who, in the hours after the assault on the Capitol, voted to overturn the election. /6
The public supports Trump’s conviction by significant margins. And while his conviction remains pretty unlikely, thanks to Republicans in the Senate, it’s so important that Congress is proceeding with the trial. /7
The trial is necessary to mark the unprecedented nature of his contempt for democracy, to present and preserve evidence of his wrongdoing, and to demonstrate to the American people, now and in the future, that members of Congress reject his attacks on democratic governance. /8
And, for what it’s worth, it’s good to have a record of those who continue to value their loyalty to Trump and his base over their duty to the country and the Constitution. 9/9
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Donald Trump is leaving the White House within the hour. Re-reading his inaugural speech from four years ago, it’s clear the two words he wanted to define his presidency were “America first.” But the two words that ultimately did were “American carnage.” /1
Even the opening lines are a reminder of what his presidency cost us: “Every four years, we gather on these steps to carry out the orderly and peaceful transfer of power.” That tradition ended on Jan. 6. /2
(He also thanks President and First Lady Obama “for their gracious aid throughout this transition,” which suggests he can recognize grace, but not actually offer it.) /3
I’ve been thinking about the 1912 election a lot, as one does.
On Oct. 14, Teddy Roosevelt, running for an unprecedented third term, was shot by a would-be assassin. /1
Roosevelt *did* go on to do a campaign event immediately after being shot, though he did not infect the gathered crowd with gunshot wounds. Nor had he spent the previous six months mocking fears of assassination (having become president when Wm McKinley was assassinated). /2
Woodrow Wilson briefly suspended his campaign out of respect (and also because he needed to rest his voice) but largely had the field to himself for the last few weeks of the campaign. /3
As many (many!) listeners to @thisdaypod noticed, I got a little garbled talking about narwhals in today's episode, calling them "mythic." Just to clarify, I am not a narwhal truther! I just got too excited.
@thisdaypod Narwhals are fascinating (real!) creatures, and I have a tiny obsession with them, and did not think I'd get to indulge in that on a podcast about American political history!
@thisdaypod But they're actually amazing. Did you know that their tusk is not just a long tooth, and probably not a real defensive tool — it has too many sensory nerves. Some biologists think it could be used for echolocation.
@brianstelter This, from a veteran staffer, is particularly interesting: “I feel like Fox is being held hostage by its audience." It's common for people to believe Fox manipulates its audience, but the power balance between the network and the audience doesn't quite work that way.
@brianstelter The audience, and the Republican base more broadly, shapes what Fox News covers and how they cover it. The network is sensitive to unhappiness among its viewers.
Thrilled to share the trailer for WELCOME TO YOUR FANTASY, our new podcast about how Chippendales, a seedy strip club in West LA, became an international phenomenon — and how paranoia and greed turned it into a hotbed of drugs, corruption, and murder.
Of course, it’s not JUST about an international criminal conspiracy. We've also got feminism, culture wars, gay rights, civil rights, ‘80s music, Playboy. Oh, and lots of men taking off their clothes. (On a podcast, so you'll want to follow us on Instagram too!)
Subscribe now, and catch the first episode on August 11, everywhere you find podcasts.