Notwithstanding that this act is most likely Unconstitutional, it also seems a rather unlikely way to bridge the gap between the two sharply divided political parties or kick off an effort encouraging meaningful bipartisan cooperation in tackling the urgent issues facing our county – unlikely? well, yes - at least, to those of us living outside the D.C. beltway.
Nonetheless, in her infinite wisdom and with many decades (if not a century) of experience in this sort of thing, the Speaker charged ahead. She forced a change of House rules and rushed through a lone article of impeachment in a single day – without provision for legal representation for the defendant or so much as an attempt to present evidence to prove her claims.
That said, it's not to imply there wasn't an abundance of examples of threatening and dangerous-sounding speech, which might suggest the incitement of violence, to be employed in an impeachment proceeding. But rather, in her zeal to begin healing the country's divisions, the good Speaker simply couldn't take the time away from her other unification efforts to share it all with the country. So in the interest of fairness, and as a public service to you, my fellow citizen, I present for your consideration some of the most damning evidence of hateful, riot-inciting speech I could find so you can decide for yourself about guilt or innocence in the whole matter.
For some background, even prior to the storming of capitol Hill on January 6, President Trump was heavily criticized for his history of pugilistic language aimed at political adversaries:
Exhibit 1a:
If I were in high school I'd take him behind the gym and beat the he** out of him.1
Exhibit 1b:
...my testosterone sometimes makes me want to feel like punching him, which would be bad for this elderly, out-of-shape man that he is, if I did that, (laughing)...2
One of the many claims advanced by the Democrats was that the President's continuing careless words whipped up the crowds at his rallies to extreme acts:
Exhibit 2a:
You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there’s unrest in our lives.3
Exhibit 2b:
I just don’t even know why there aren’t uprisings all over the country, and maybe there will be...4
They further claimed that President Trump's repeated use of incendiary language provoked his followers to threaten political opponents and elected officials: (Even directing followers to storm the Capitol...)
Exhibit 3a:
You get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them! And you tell them that they are not welcome, anymore, anywhere5
Exhibit 3b:
Please don’t just come here today and then go home. Go to the Hill today. Get up and please get up in the face of some congresspeople.6
Because he insisted that election fraud cost him the 2020 election, they claim that he impugned and threatened the elected officials and courts that rejected his claims - although often merely on technicalities:
Exhibit 4:
You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions7
The most serious allegation is that he summoned his most ardent followers to storm the capitol and foment an insurrection:
Exhibit 5:
So, this is just a warning to you... We ain't playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough. And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay.8
One of the most devastating charges was that during the siege on the Capitol - that they blame him for starting - he wasn't quick enough to denounce the mob and talk down the rioters:
Exhibit 6:
This is a movement, I’m telling you. They’re not going to stop and everyone beware, because they’re not going to stop... They’re not going to let up and they should not and we should not9
Of course, others deny that the President did any such thing:
Exhibit 7:
We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them. ...I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.10
So that's the evidence I found, so you can decide for yourself based on the direct quotes. But before you render your final judgment, there's just one more thing your should know.
Actually, all of those quotes – except the last one – were from elected Democrats and not the President.
You can look at the endnotes for yourself and confirm that. All were elected Democrats encouraging riots, Democrats threatening violence and insurrection, and Democrats cheerleading violence directed against their political opponents. This whole narrative they have invented about Trump is known as psychological projection - accusing Republicans of doing what they themselves are doing.
It's what leftists do.
--- Footnotes ------------------------------------------
1 - Exhibit 1a: Joe Biden - “...they asked me would I like to debate the gentleman. 'I said no! If I were in high school I'd take him behind the gym and beat the hell out of him.” – 03/20/2018 –
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/21/politics/joe-biden-donald-trump/index.html
2 - Exhibit 1b: Cory Booker - "Donald Trump is a guy who you understand- he hurts you and my testosterone sometimes makes me want to feel like punching him, which would be bad for this elderly, out-of-shape man that he is if I did that," (laugh) "Physically weak specimen, but do you see what I'm talking about here?” Cory Booker – 07/22/19 - https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/cory-booker-knocks-trump-refers-to-him-as-an-elderly-out-of-shape-man
3 - Exhibit 2a: Ayanna Pressley - "Make the phone calls, send the emails, show up," she continued. "You know, there needs to be unrest in the streets for as long as there’s unrest in our lives.” – 08/15/20 – https://www.foxnews.com/media/ayanna-pressley-calls-for-unrest-in-the-streets-over-trump-allied-politicians-ignoring-americans-concerns
4 - Exhibit 2b: Nancy Pelosi - “I just don’t even know why there aren’t uprisings all over the country, and maybe there will be when people realize that this is a policy that they defend,” she said. “It’s a horrible thing, and I don’t see any prospect for legislation here.” – 06/14/18 – https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jun/14/nancy-pelosi-wonders-why-there-arent-uprisings-acr/
5 - Exhibit 3a: Maxine Waters - “If you see anybody from that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department store, at a gasoline station, you get out and you create a crowd and you push back on them! And you tell them that they are not welcome, anymore, anywhere,” – June 2018 – https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watchdog-says-maxine-waters-inciting-mob-violence-presses-ethics-complaint https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/25/politics/maxine-waters-trump-officials/index.html
6 - Exhibit 3b: Corey Booker - "Before I end, that’s my call to action here. Please don’t just come here today and then go home," Booker said. "Go to the Hill today. Get up and please get up in the face of some congresspeople." – July 25, 2018 – https://freebeacon.com/politics/booker-tells-activists-get-face-congresspeople/
7 - Exhibit 4: Chuck Schumer - “I want to tell you Gorsuch. I want to tell you Kavanaugh. You have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” – 03/04/2020 – https://dailycaller.com/2020/03/04/schumer-kavanaugh-gorsuch-abortion/
8 - Exhibit 5: Cynthia A. Johnson, D-MI House of Reps. - “So this is just a warning to you Trumpers: Be careful. Walk lightly. We ain’t playing with you. Enough of the shenanigans. Enough is enough. And for those of you who are soldiers, you know how to do it. Do it right. Be in order. Make them pay." – 12/08/20 – https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/michigan-lawmaker-disciplined-over-facebook-warning-to-trumpers-after-she-says-she-was-threatened/ar-BB1bN6Qy
9 - Exhibit 6: Kamala Harris - “This is a movement, I’m telling you. They’re not going to stop and everyone beware, because they’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop before Election Day in November and they’re not going to stop after Election Day. Everyone should take note of that on both levels. They’re not going to let up and they should not and we should not.” 06/17/20 – The Late Show with Stephen Colbert https://www.foxnews.com/politics/flashback-kamala-harris-nationwide-protests-not-going-to-stop https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1299013980711784448
Harris also raised funds to bail out rioters, so they could continue rioting:
If you’re able to, chip in now to the @MNFreedomFund to help post bail for those protesting on the ground in Minnesota. https://t.co/t8LXowKIbw
– Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 1, 2020
10 - Exhibit 7: President Donald Trump -
Anyone you want, but I think right here, we’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women, and we’re probably not going to be cheering so much for some of them.
Because you’ll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength and you have to be strong. We have come to demand that Congress do the right thing and only count the electors who have been lawfully slated, lawfully slated.
I know that everyone here will soon be marching over to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.
Today we will see whether Republicans stand strong for integrity of our elections.
01/06/2021 -
https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2021-01-13/transcript-of-trumps-speech-at-rally-before-us-capitol-riot
