Let's discuss all of this and take potential arguments and put them out there, and then, for a second, discuss how bad it is that we have to do this.

Someone here, and I cannot find your post, so that's on me; come claim your genius prize, called Trump "Schrodinger's President"

This is because he simultaneously sick and not sick, very ill and mildly ill, all of it, at the same time.

So, scenario 1: He's really sick. In this scenario, we have a really sick fool who didn't wear a mask and who infected basically an entire garden party.

In this scenario, with claims by unreliable liars (including him), everyone got sick and one guy, Grassley, is refusing to test because he wants that judiciary committee to have a quorum.

In this scenario, McConnell, a corrupt a-hole is pulling the Senate until the 18th, to avoid voting on a bill to help ppl in distress but also to protect Senate leaders, except the judiciary committee. Which is convening on the 12th to destroy rights and access to healthcare.

In this scenario, Trump is really sick or very sick or mildly ill, depending on whether you believe the nervous looking doctors on the podium surrounded by goons in white coats who look like bouncers, not physicians.

Some sanity:

In the last 120 days I've noted several places within the constitutional process of a change in power where Trump could have properly, appropriately, and without resistance progressed towards seizing power Hitler-style.

All passed without incident.

I've also noted, which is supported by folks far more learned that myself, that the legal shenanigans were just theater.

There is no real path to seizing power at this point and having any excuse to do so.

But... there could be something behind how the 6th is being sold.

Trump could be ... maybe ... a slim chance ... cleaning up his own mess to some degree and we're about to witness state security forces cracking down on far right activists while they are all gathered in one place.

Other than that possibility, it's just more performance.

Without physically seizing and holding the places where power resides in DC, which is improbable at best, there is absolutely no chance at this time for anything other than Biden being sworn in at the end of the month.

The panic is purely for clicks and ratings.

Seriously think about it.

What are the chances of the Proud Boys invading and then holding Longworth in order to prevent elected officials from conducting the business of government?

If you've ever actually been there you know how ludicrous the suggestion is.

☀️ This morning’s newsy @PunchbowlNews AM

"Trump's role in the riot"

Here’s a challenge: Make the argument that Donald Trump had nothing to do with the riot at the Capitol after the first few days of the impeachment trial.

It’s damn tough.
The Democratic impeachment managers did something Wednesday that desperately needed to be done: They laid out in a thorough, comprehensive and digestible manner what Trump said and did in the months and days leading up to the bloody Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

They covered all aspects of Trump’s shocking behavior -- his provocative tweets, TV interviews and speeches claiming the election was being stolen; his months-long campaign to undermine the American public’s faith in the election results;

his efforts, both public and private, to overturn those results once it was clear he lost, especially his attempts to pressure former Vice President Mike Pence;

his repeated appeals to his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6, the same day Congress was set to certify Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory;

The Trump Team lawsuits demonstrate perfectly why laches in the election context is not just a “procedural technicality” about when to bring suit.

So, uh, the Trump rally in DC is off to a good start

We're already at the anti-Semitic dogwhistle portion of the Trump rally

these people are out of their minds

"The Covid-19 PCR tests are fake ... the models were fake" -- Now a coronavirus truther/grifter is speaking at the Trump rally

"Who here is up to the task of not wearing a mask? ... Jesus is king and it's time to let freedom ring"

Remember, the left believes Trump was the result of rightwing hate being allowed to share platforms with civil, good and decent truth-telling people (them)

Since Fox News started they have wailed at the existence of conservative media as dangerous to the country.

1. In honor of Trump’s last full day in office, and what may end up being the big story of the day, here’s a quick #thread on the President’s pardon power — and answers to some of the questions about it that may come up today:

2. Article II, § 2 of the Constitution gives the President the power to “grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.”

The idea was to provide the executive with a check on (perceived) excesses by the courts.

3. That’s why the pardon power is absolute; it wouldn’t be much of a check on the courts if they had the power to review every pardon. Instead, the remedy for abuses of the power, as Chief Justice — and former President — Taft wrote for #SCOTUS in 1925, is ... impeachment.

4. But which offenses can be pardoned? The widespread consensus is that the President may pardon any federal offense (this includes “local” crimes in federal territories like D.C.) by anyone *else* that has been committed (even if not charged) prior to the granting of the pardon.

5. This *includes* so-called “blanket” pardons, such as the one President Carter issued on his first full day in office for Vietnam-era draft

The CPC, and their enabling press & surrogates, wish us to believe they haven't behaved like Trump's GOP. That they haven't copies Trump tactics, to try to get it to work in Canada as well.

2/
Here's a screenshot I made of a quote-tweet from just after the CPC leadership win, that indicates otherwise

3/
related to screenshot in tweet 2/

4/
during the day of the election, for CPC leader, I made a screenshot of CBC PnP's coverage - when the second ballot count had just been announced. Note that before the third ballot, Leslyn Lewis had the highest percentage of votes. You know who Dr Lewis' followers are? M*GA

5/
The CPC are also connected to the CCFR - NRA North

As 2nd impeachment looms, the Republican Party paved the way to this inevitable end of the Trump presidency by enabling, excusing & abetting an openly racist & authoritarian president who did not hide his contempt for the rule of law or disdain for democracy

Republicans found reasons to excuse Trump after "very fine people" in Charlottesville; "go back" to House D women of color; calling Black Lives Matter "a symbol of hate"; and repeatedly denigrating the intelligence of Black women legislators & journalists.

Rs found nothing to sanction (& often actively supported) as he weaponized the postal service, distorted the Census, obstructed the Mueller inquiry, blocked Congressional oversight, openly extorted the government of Ukraine, pressured prosecutors, dispensed improper pardons.

After the election, 2/3 of House Rs and Republican state Attorneys General backed the lawsuit 2 make him president again by invalidating 20m votes. Rs echoed his spurious claims that the election was stolen in large cities w/big Black populations, even as courts found no evidence

R electeds weren't alone. The conservative media ecosystem slavishly defended Trump. One pundit explained that while elites took Trump "literally not seriously," his common-sense supporters took him "seriously not literally." Another insisted: "There Will Be No Trump Coup."

Trump was the catalyst.

He represented to many people a key figure in an historic narrative and that created a massive divide with passions running high.

He exaggerated this due to his nature.
We can't escape that.

But without him, the hysteria will continue.

Its not Trump.

‘The perfect target’: Russia cultivated Trump as asset for 40 years.

This really doesn’t surprise anyone, right? It shouldn’t — most of us have been talking about it on Twitter for at least four years.

“Then, in 1987, Trump visited Moscow and St Petersburg for the first time. Shvets said he was fed KGB talking points and flattered by KGB operatives who floated the idea that he should go into politics.” 2/X

Shortly after, Trump began considering running for POTUS one day.

“For the KGB, it was a charm offensive. They had collected a lot of information on his personality so they knew who he was personally. The feeling was that he was extremely vulnerable intellectually, and psychologically, and he was prone to flattery.” 3/X

I’ve often discussed how Trump was vulnerable to world leaders and intelligence agencies due to the fact that it’s so easy to get inside his bubble — you just have to satiate his ego and his personal sense of grandiosity.

Say nice things and spend money at his properties. 4/X

“This is what they exploited. They played the game as if they were immensely impressed by his personality and believed this is the guy who should be the president of the United States one day”

Putin is a master at this. 5/X

THREAD: It’s #ImpeachmentDay and I’ve got money on my mind.

We learned yesterday that Trump’s largest lender, Deutsche Bank, is done doing business with him.

Before he took office, no U.S. major bank was willing to do business with him.

And in the last 48 hours, we’ve seen scores of major companies respond to last week’s riots & the refusal to certify the free & fair election (all fueled by Trump himself), cut off political donations, and some terminating business/payment processing for the Trump Campaign.

The PGA cancelling the upcoming championship at Trump Bedminster was another major blow to Trump’s bottom line & brand.

None of this would have happened if Trump was simply ending his term like any normal President.

Two weeks ago he was considered the Replican party “king maker” whose influence would be looming for the foreseeable future.

Last Wednesday changed everything and that’s part of what this impeachment hearing is all about.

Unlike the first impeachment which was Republicans vs Democrats, Trump is in his own lane- along with some lawmakers who pushed misinformation, tried to block certification and welcomed the “Stop The Steal” movement to DC.