Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gave an exclusive interview to 60 Minutes, which aired last night. It was a sit-down interview, but Pelosi also showed 60 Minutes some of the damage to the Congressional offices. She described some of what happened to her staff, who were hiding in one locked office, under a table, trying not to make a sound. Considering so many of the terrorists were targeting Speaker Pelosi for kidnapping and murder, what do you think they would have done to those young staffers?
This is the angriest and most upset I’ve ever seen Speaker Pelosi. She’s an old hand in Congress, she’s seen it all and this was such a deep, profound violation for her. They were coming to kill her. Her staff could have been murdered. Her colleagues could have been murdered. All on the orders of Donald Trump.
It’s also believed that the terrorists had inside help from Congressmen and congressional staffers – from what everyone who works on the Hill says, the offices Pelosi uses are not that easy to find. The congressional office layout is a maze within a labyrinth, and those terrorists found her offices pretty quickly. Speaking of, Rep. Lauren Boebert, a QAnon Republican from Colorado, was live-tweeting Speaker Pelosi’s location throughout the Capitol siege. Arrest her.
As for the impeachment issue, Pelosi issued an ultimatum to Mike Pence last night: invoke the 25th Amendment or the House will proceed with impeachment. Articles of impeachment will be introduced today and voted on Wednesday, in the House. There’s a lot of confusion about when the Senate will do anything about the House’s articles of impeachment – the Senate is in recess until the 19th, and there’s some conversation about doing a very real Senate impeachment trial (with a narrow Dem majority) after President Biden’s inauguration. You might ask “what’s the point of that?” The point would be to deny Trump a lifetime pension, a lifetime of Secret Service protection, and to hold him accountable for inciting terrorism. Speaker Pelosi will likely pass a House measure today “imploring Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment.” She has the votes for both the 25th Amendment plea and the articles of impeachment. She barely has to whip votes.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
I *believe* impeachment (unlike invoking the 25th amendment) would also mean that he can’t hold any office in the future.
Correct. The 25th was meant, in some ways to be temporary. Impeachment is the long goodbye.
He would loose his lifetime ex-president pension and the secrecy service detail. As a New Yorker that’s had to crawl around barricades sometimes taking up the whole city block around his monstrosities just to go to a store or get a sandwich, I thank Nancy in advance.
Impeachment needs to go forward for just these reasons even if Pence uses the 25th. Get him out now and make sure he can never come back. Removing lifetime secret service will help mitigate the millions and millions that trump collected by making them stay at his overpriced golf courses.
Not automatically, though. After conviction in the senate, they would have to hold a second vote to bar him from running for future office.
They beat a police officer to death, and assembled a full noose and plank to hang Pence from. I don’t want to think about what they would have done to Pelosi, but I believe they would have executed her on camera. I don’t know what they would have done to AOC. They have a lot of targets of intense hate, so I just really truly shudder inside to think about how close this was. And now Republicans whining about unity! My god!
My favorite line from the past few days – I’ve seen it in a bunch of different places, so not sure who to attribute it to – is that “you cant call for unity as a way to avoid accountability.” And that just nails it for me. Kevin McCarthy, demanding Biden “lower the temperature.” Rubio, just being his normal whiney self. etc. No. You (Republicans) fueled this fire, YOU are the ones responsible for putting it out – and if you dont, you wont like how the Dems do it.
My favorite line from the past few days – I’ve seen it in a bunch of different places, so not sure who to attribute it to – is that “you cant call for unity as a way to avoid accountability.” And that just nails it for me. Kevin McCarthy, demanding Biden “lower the temperature.” Rubio, just being his normal whiney self. etc. No. You (Republicans) fueled this fire, YOU are the ones responsible for putting it out – and if you dont, you wont like how the Dems do it.
What is going on with my comments today?? They are all duplicating in the comment. This is my first day using Edge, so its probably user error on my part, so bear with me fellow Celebitchies and only read the first half of my comments for today, lol.
The video of the thugs beating that police officer was so shocking, scary and hideous. Impeach, charge w/ a violent crime incitement and send Trump to JAIL. And what is the deal about Justice Thomas/his wife paying for buses to bring people into the Capital? Is that a real story or Tw*tter rumor?
I heard that rumor about Thomas’ wife a few days ago and haven’t heard anything more about it since.
The police officer killed was a Trump supporter and it is so ironic that Trump supporters killed him. Of course it is horrible no matter whom he supported.
Yeah, Trump getting his own supporters killed is something, isn’t it.
On a separate but related note, I read more about Trump and the GA runoffs and what a mess he made of those. Which is great, of course, for our country, but at the same time I actually sort of felt for Kelly Loeffler. He threatened to “do a number” on her on stage at his rally right before the election if she didn’t publicly declare that she would object to the votes in GA.
This whole period since the Nov election has been a next level insanity and evil from Trump.
I read thAt the Capitol police officer that killed himself was at the attempted coup but was off duty. So he was there as an insurrectionist. I am really curious to know why he offed himself? Guilt over a fellow cop and Trumper being beaten to death ? Fear of being prosecuted for domestic terrorism? Was it even suicide or did he know too much and was “taken care of”? Ugh, it’s all so dark and ugly.
I watched this interview last night. I understand her when she got choked up when thinking what they did to our capitol. Let’s not mince words, this could have been much worse and by the grace of God it did not. Her staff hid under a table in the dark for two hours. She should have given Pence the ultimatum late last week. And impeaching him, for me, has three important reasons: he is shamed and will not carry the dignity of being a former POTUS, sets a precedence for the future and more importantly – he can not run for office in this country again – even as mayor of Mar a lago. Hitler was given a second chance and we all know how that ended up. History repeats itself – I hope they are not blind to the signs.
I don’t know what I think about this. I want Trump OUT-FINITO-GONE but I don’t want Pence to be able to pardon him. Pence is clearly not going to invoke the 25th, so I wonder does he have any idea exactly how close he was to being executed? At his master’s behest? At this point I would be fine with an anonymous vote if that’s what it would take to get him impeached and removed and banned for life. I think I would actually prefer for McConnell to drag it out beyond the inauguration because then we will have Majority Leader Schumer and VP Harris, but… wait no I don’t because that’s nine more days of terrorism! AAAAAAAH there’s no way out!!!
I think we are going to see more violence before this is “over (to the extent that it may ever be over in the near future) – so if we at least impeach him, or if Pence invokes the 25th – then there is a chance that while there is still violence, Trump is NOT the one responding to it. Even the 25th isnt automatic, but I’m thinking if Pance/the cabinet invokes it, it will send a message to congressional Republicans.
I am convinced the 25th is 100% being discussed right now among Pence and the cabinet and thatst why Elaine Chao and Betsy DeVos jumped ship.
@becks1, in order for the invoking 25th to be successful, Pence needs a certain number of cabinet secretaries (I think it’s 2/3), which he likely doesn’t have (hence not attempting). My understanding is that he can invoke it, Trump says “nah”, and if Pence doesn’t have 2/3 of the cabinet secretaries behind him, it doesn’t work and Trump isn’t removed. That’s why the secretaries resigned – to avoid the decision. Also, there are several cabinet secretaries who are in the position as “interim” and I don’t think they get a vote as such.
@Noodle – you are almost right (which is why I said the 25th is not automatic) except that when Trump says “nah,” it goes to Congress to rule on it. And that’s if he gets the 2/3 cabinet approval, which is why I said that’s why Chao and DeVos jumped ship. They dont want to have to make the choice, especially Chao, because it would put McConnell in a really tough spot. (I mean it shouldnt be a tough spot, but knowing Turtle, it would be.) But I think even getting the process started on the 25th would send a message to the congressional republicans. They might not “hear” the message, but it would be out there.
Thank you for clarifying the congressional element; I believed it was a cabinet issue, not congressional. I totally agree that it should be started. It’s infuriating that we are playing the “It WAS bad, but we’ll wait to see what he does next” rather than taking steps to prevent the “next”.
@Becks1 “I think we are going to see more violence before this is “over …”
I’m afraid you are right. I am disabled and one of the people who helps me is a trump cult member. We avoid political talk, but they posted as their fb status to make sure people have everything they need for the next 2-4 weeks. That is very troubling.
Also, I agree that the resignations had nothing to do with being disgusted by trump and his followers. They don’t want to vote on the 25th A and become targets.
There was chatter, before Parler was taken down, that there was going to be another attack in DC on the 17th (as “Q” (Qanon) is the 17th letter of the alphabet) as well as on the 19th AND 20th (to disrupt the Inauguration and/or attempt to “get” Biden & Harris). This scares me beyond words.
While I know Joe and Kamala DESERVE a public swearing-in, I am MUCH more concerned with their safety, and it’s looking more and more that the #SeditiousOrangeTraitor has his rats all over, waiting to join in the mayhem (even if just to point out where targets are). I kind of wish they could be sworn in on AF-1, in the air, and just let everyone view it on TV, while keeping them safe.
He’s been awfully quiet and I am afraid it’s the quiet before the storm.
Would prefer to have one sworn in on AF-1 and the other sworn in on AF-2.
Pence is a pathetic wuss with his nose way up Trump’s backside. Pence won’t initiate any action against Trump because he wants to be the “successor” candidate for the maga-maniacs to support in 2024, which he can’t do if he pursues charges against the dumpster.
I saw on Twitter that Clyburn has two offices – one marked with his name, which I gathered is sort of a “dummy” office, and another “real” office, that is much harder to find and is NOT marked with his name. And the terrorists apparently knew exactly where to find that second office. They clearly had insider information and that needs to be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Steph Ruhle had a whole twitter thread this morning about businesses that are pausing their political contributions (some are pausing for both sides, which is BS) but some are pausing for only Republicans, or arent going to donate anymore to people who protested the certification of the votes. Forbes put out an article saying that if you (any business) hire people from the Trump administration, forbes will assume that your company is full of lies and cant be trusted.
Becks, I too heard Clyburn speak and he said that exactly. They knew where his undisclosed office was. Investigations need to be held on many levels.
And YES to Forbes, hold those politicians accountable for their lies and enabling Trump for their own ambition. When they put party before country, they need to go.
Technically, unless there was a second article, the Forbes article specifically talked about Trump’s press secretaries – though I imagine they will side eye companies with other former Trump administration personnel.
The article also contains a great quote by Daniel Moynihan which deserves more play – “Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.”
Lastly, I did see somewhere on the NYT or WaPo website an article about the Capitol breach that quoted one of the rioters, saying one of the police gave them directions to Schumer’s office, but they couldn’t find it. So, yeah…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/randalllane/2021/01/07/a-truth-reckoning-why-were-holding-those-who-lied-for-trump-accountable/?sh=340927d25710
The press secretaries makes sense, since they were the ones putting their face on the lies. and you know Kayleigh is preparing for some nice cushy gigs post-administration, so anything that prevents those from happening is a good thing IMO.
We can’t underestimate how important the businesses cutting off the spigot to Republicans is. The only thing those seditious cretins understand is money.
Prevent them from getting large donations from businesses is how we will get them out of office.
I think citizens should continue to put pressure on businesses to stop donating to the seditious Republicans AND THEIR PACs.
Nancy Pelosi is seriously coming for Don and I am here for it!
Me too!!!! I have my popcorn ready!
It also needs to be done to show to others that it’s not acceptable and won’t be tolerated in future. Not just his disciples, but the entire GOP and any other candidate for office who may get ideas. Accountability and consequences for actions have been so lax these past four years that, if the Democrats don’t draw the line now, I don’t even want to know what the future looks like. If not now, after an attempted coup by a sitting president resulting in a home grown terrorist operation against public servants, then when?
This EXACTLY!
Every available punishment should be enacted for ALL of them. The supporters in congress need to be removed. No one should be allowed to remain in the government they have attempted to destroy from within. I know the complications involved in legally “proving” what is before our very eyes but without a strong, unwavering stance there is little hope for any significant change.
They BEAT a police officer to death. This must be the goddamn headline until these monsters and their supporters get it through their thick heads.
Also, look up Eugene Goodman if you need a good news palette cleanser. A REAL American hero.
My Twitter post on Officer Goodman (if ever a name was apt!):
A man of courage…a man of color, facing the mobs when the other white cops just opened the barricades and motioned the mob IN.
HE is one who deserves a Medal of Honor…or at least one up till 2016, when it stood for TRUE HONOR and service to country.
Agreed. He needs to be honored and also he and his family protected.
So uh.. what’s the incentive for Pence to actually do it? I feel like I’m missing a key aspect of this ultimatum.
Chance to go down as President (even if only for a week), possibly being remembered as the man who stood up to Trump therefore a “hero” who did the “right” thing and lifetime secret service.
I think the incentive is to avoid an impeachment trial.
IMMUNITY.
A way to distance himself from Trump when all the shyt starts hitting the fan.
I think Pence will do a deal with the Dem’s to take down Trump.
It also stops Trump pardoning any more people including the rioters.
Are we sure that he loses his secret service detail? Because from what I’ve googled (which may be wrong), he only loses his post presidency perks if he’s convicted by the Senate by a 2/3rds majority vote. I don’t think the democrats are going to get 17 republicans to vote against Trump.
I believe him being impeached again means he can’t hold federal office again if it passes by a simple majority vote (which is will from Jan 20th onwards) but I’m not so sure about those post presidency perks
Pence is probably too terrified to call for the 25th. Those idiots like Lady G, who are still supporting him, even though his followers are harassing them, are probably also scared. Things got very real, very fast. Those complicit now realize they created a monster, and are doing what they can to keep it at bay. None of that excuses the cowardice, but it explains it.
Is it possible Pence is in on everything? He seems remarkably unbothered by what could have been his own execution. Maybe the calls for his execution were a smokescreen for something else.
i don”t know since he had his wife and daughter with I’m at the Capitol to watch the proceedings. Not only did The Orange Traitor put all the lawmakers etc in jeopardy, he knowingly put Pence and family in harms way too. Pence should be livid after over four years of boot-licking and kneeling sycophancy.
I have read that this is the most upset anyone has ever seen Pence after this event. Now these are twitter reports so enjoy the salt, but so far, twitter has been decently reliable for real-time updates on this current situation
The Dems are being very fair in giving Pence and the Republicans a last chance to make an actual stand against Trump – they could have proceeded with impeachment, without bothering to offer 24/48 hours.
I have been only focused on this event for days so the names runs together. Someone said they need to move quickly – they need to act like the Republicans would if Trump were a Democrat.
He must be impeached by Wednesday. He will not resigned and Pence will not ask him to resign. He sent his goons to capital hill to kill Pence and Nancy Pelosi. He must not walk free. He has not take any responsibility for what he has done. Long before the election he had said if he did not win he will not accept the result. He egged on his crazy 😜 deranged goons to kill themself for him. That woman who was shot at the Capitol said just before she was shot that she was willing to die for that con man who wants to take over this country by any means necessary. He must be impeached!.
We don’t have 24 hours to wait.
They are not done. More murder is planned for the 17th in DC and in EVERY State Capitol
Unsure? Watch Michael Moore’s video from Saturday night – it will shake you to the core.
Which video???
On MM’s Facebook live stream from Saturday night 1/9
Does anyone else who has ever been in a relationship that was abusive see the parallels to now?
The Republicans have had no idea how to to confront their abuser, just think placating them will somehow get the person to change, even after he almost killed them.
They have no idea that now is the most dangerous time, and also how to escape trump, and cut off contact with his enablers.
I have been in an abusive relationship and you’re right, the parallels are uncanny.
God, you’re right. I’ve been thinking of ordinary Americans being trapped in an abusive relationship with him, but you’re right that it applies to probably most of the Republicans on Capitol Hill at this point.
Thank you, Kaiser, for continuing to keep this front and center. My biggest fear is that this, like all of Trump’s sh^t, will fade with the next news cycle. Thank goodness hasn’t happened yet but they are never going to stop trying to steer the narrative away from this.
And thanks for bringing up Sarah Palin 2.0, Lauren Boebert. I was appalled at her even before the insurrection, with all of her grandstanding about needing to bring her gun to the Capitol, but now it seems pretty clear that she was aiding these goons. She needs to be removed and locked up.
Esmom, I too was afraid this would fade, but removing him from office and staining his name is gaining momentum. And Pelosi is out for his hide. As well she should be.
I live in gun totin’ Barbie’s district and it’s embarrassing. Her local ads were all guns and nipples — I am not trying to be crass but she literally ran on guns and sex appeal, I couldn’t tell you a single issue she campaigned on.
Oh, that’s just gross. DIsgusting.
I got accused of being a conspiracy theorist on par with Trump supporters for saying it was obviously an inside job in some respects. Lol, okay my dudes, you’ve got two options then – either this was intentionally set up for security to fail or the police who protect our Capitol are so unbelievably, ridiculously incompetent that they somehow missed the general tension and social media hints of what was coming. Which do you think is more likely? What scares you more? Frankly, it’s the latter for me. This is way easier to swallow if bad players were involved.
Trump has spent the last 4 years infiltrating every layer, of every American institution
to serve his own purposes so I fully believe this was an inside job as well. The Capitol police heads declined national guard and FBI assistance, didn’t communicate with their staff to bring gas masks to work due to potential riots and only prepped for a peaceful protest despite being informed otherwise. This isn’t even including the police and terrorist photo ops and allowing them through barricades. The police that were actually trying to do their jobs we’re like lambs being led to slaughter.
It’s time to nail this fucker and everyone who supported this coup to the wall, cause there is no softening the blow of what they did. The whole world saw American democracy being shat on, and maybe Republicans finally saw what they’ve been supporting for 4 years. (Aka the literal and figurative destruction of democracy).
BEAUTIFULLY SAID, Watson!!!! AGREED!
Bravo Watson. YES! This has been in the making for sure – for years. I also read a Cap. police officer committed suicide yesterday – I wonder what happened. did he know something? As the days pass, the truth will come out.
The fact that these people were chanting about killing the VP and it isn’t the last straw for him. Thank god this presidency is ending, they need to make sure he isn’t able to run ever again.
It is over for Trump. I can’t see Pence invoking the 25th Amendment – I think he would be putting his (and his family) life in danger in doing so. He doesn’t want to spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder.
Even if Congress votes to impeach Trump, according to the news, it would be put on “hold” for 100 days. Biden has so much that he needs to focus on when he takes office – will he really have the time to pay attention to the impeach proceedings related to a former president??
What I am waiting for is those individuals who stormed the Capital to get charged with domestic terrorism. So far the charges against some of these guys is along the lines of breaking and entering – “illegal entry to a federal building” or something like that. I hope they are just rounding them up on lessor charges and will then add the domestic terrorist charge. The Trumper domestic terrorists will soon see that they will be abandoned by their dear leader, who will want nothing to do with them.
Last Wednesday, and it looks like this was before the Capitol attack, Schwarzenegger posted a screenshot of a Twitter from Lindsay Graham’s account – dated May 3, 2016 – “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…..and we will deserve it.” Belongs on a billboard somewhere.
Meanwhile, Arnold’s video has 32+ million views.
And, it appears Biden, Harris, Obama, Bush, and Clinton and spouses will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That’s going to be a security nightmare.
*will lay a wreath after the Inauguration
Good ole’ Lady G never spoke truer words.
Impeachment means he will lose:
$200 000 a year pension
$1 million a year travel benefit
Secret service detail
the ability to run ever again.
Do. It. Now.
Even if Pence did invoke the 25th, Congress should still impeach him for these reasons. I don’t want him to be able to run again, come hell or high water.
Although it sounds like some of these things may not be accurate, which sucks:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/11/politics/fact-check-tweet-trump-impeachment-run-2024-secret-service/index.html
I think she’s giving him too much time.
But she plays the long game, and i trust her.
I am all for impeachment because it would guarantee that man would never come to power again and he would never see another penny of taxpayers’ money which he never deserved in the first place. He should be stripped of all those perks regardless.
They need to go for impeachment, now. This is the only way to protect the US from any further horrors Trump wishes to inflict on us. He does not deserve post presidency benefits, he deserves to be in a orange jumpsuit.
BTW, I fully believe this was an inside job. I do not trust a single Republican after this incident, even the ones taking a stand against him now are just too little too late.
Impeachment alone does not strip him of his perks. He needs to be impeached and then REMOVED from office. He will still receive secret service protection, no matter how he leaves office.
Hasn’t the news been since Friday that she would give him 24 hours? Theoretically Pence works on the weekend! I feel like Pelosi and the Democrats keep giving him more time. If he didn’t do it after realizing Trump was “gleeful” about the prospect of Pence being murdered in front of his family members, who would likely then also be murdered, he’s not going to suddenly grow a spine and invoke the 25th. I want Trump out of office today.