# The Trump Impeachment Trial
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [January 16, 2020, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524 "2020-01-16T20:12:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 47
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/921 "2020-02-07T11:36:14Z")
> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> It doesn’t “demolish the premises” of arguments I posted here. There is ambiguity as to the nature of the “specific request”. Mr. Trump denies having directed Mr. Giuliani. It still isn’t testimony under oath. Even if it was about Biden or Crowdstrike, even if Mr. Trump directed Giuliani, it’s not even clear that makes for an impeachable offenese.
>
> ~Max
How clear it is depends on the person. The Constitution is deliberately quite ambiguous on this point. It comes down to “do you think this is bad enough to qualify for removal from office?”. There’s no technically correct or incorrect answer - this is politics.
I think this is where you’ve been going wrong in this discussion. You keep trying to apply some technical legal standard, or something like that. But it’s much more simple - do you think this action warrants removal due to the harm it does to our country? That’s it.
---
### Author:  [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/922 "2020-02-07T15:59:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> Its all so very complicated, isn’t it? Goodness, how can we be really sure of _anything_?
So true. I mean gravity is only a _theory_, amirite?
---
### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/923 "2020-02-07T22:03:59Z")
“The truth has cost LTC Alexander Vindman his job, his career, and his privacy,”
[https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/07/donald-trump-pressure-impeachment-witness-alexander-vindman-111997](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/07/donald-trump-pressure-impeachment-witness-alexander-vindman-111997)
> [@](#):
>
> Vindman, a star Trump impeachment witness, escorted out of the White House
Sure Trump learned his lesson… it was that he should not have honest persons checking what he does.
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### Author:  [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/924 "2020-02-07T22:59:07Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> How clear it is depends on the person. The Constitution is deliberately quite ambiguous on this point. It comes down to “do you think this is bad enough to qualify for removal from office?”. There’s no technically correct or incorrect answer - this is politics.
>
> I think this is where you’ve been going wrong in this discussion. You keep trying to apply some technical legal standard, or something like that. But it’s much more simple - do you think this action warrants removal due to the harm it does to our country? That’s it.
Mitt Romney gave a very good example while refuting the notion that there couldn’t be any abuse of power without a crime. It was (I’m paraphrasing) - what if the President pardoned every single Republican currently in prison without pardoning any Democrats. That would clearly be an abuse of power, even though it’s not a crime.
---
### Author:  [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/925 "2020-02-07T23:38:35Z")
Josh Marshall said it today – Trump did absolutely learn a lesson from the impeachment – he learned he could do absolutely anything and his party would back him up. Firing patriots like Vindman is just the beginning. And the GOP won’t do a damn thing about it.
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### Author:  [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)
#### Post date: [February 7, 2020, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/926 "2020-02-07T23:46:33Z")
Looks like Sondland is out too. [https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469](https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469)
What do we call this…
Friday Night Massacre?
Night of the Long Tweets?
The Trumpening?
---
### Author:  [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/927 "2020-02-08T00:00:13Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#):
>
> Looks like Sondland is out too. [https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469](https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469)
>
> What do we call this…
>
> Friday Night Massacre?
> Night of the Long Tweets?
> The Trumpening?
The day that most of the country was tuned out, except a small few who believed that the matter was of fundamental importance to the future of their nation and spent those days in sadness.
Not pithy, but I can’t think of a smaller version.
---
### Author:  [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/928 "2020-02-08T00:10:33Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#):
>
> Josh Marshall said it today – Trump did absolutely learn a lesson from the impeachment – he learned he could do absolutely anything and his party would back him up. Firing patriots like Vindman is just the beginning. And the GOP won’t do a damn thing about it.
This might be good for dems in 2020. It’s who he really is, and it was pent up for a couple of years during mueller and impeachment. I think undecideds will register this.
---
### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/929 "2020-02-08T00:44:58Z")
> [@Defensive\_Indifference](#):
>
> Looks like Sondland is out too. [https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469](https://twitter.com/Kevinliptakcnn/status/1225927262949822469)
>
> What do we call this…
>
> Friday Night Massacre?
> Night of the Long Tweets?
> The Trumpening?
The Empikening
---
### Author:  [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/930 "2020-02-08T00:47:20Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> The Empikening
Pistol Knocked
---
### Author:  [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/931 "2020-02-08T03:25:26Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#):
>
> The Empikening
The Empiker Strikes Back
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### Author:  [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/932 "2020-02-08T03:55:19Z")
The Il Douchening
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [February 8, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/933 "2020-02-08T15:53:24Z")
Darth Hitler.
(Oh, you thought this already _was_ his Dark side…)
---
### Author:  [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)
#### Post date: [February 9, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/934 "2020-02-09T21:15:41Z")
> [@Max\_S](#):
>
> If there is any exculpatory explanation raised, you need to prove that it is unreasonable, to the satisfaction of whatever person you are trying to convince (be it me or a Senator or whoever).
>
> ~Max
Did Trump or his legal team bring one shred of exculpatory evidence?
Nope not a bit. Not a thing.
They did however try to ignore the constitution, and attempt to say that extortion really isn’t illegal.
That was the ‘defense’. A joke.
Ya know, extortion of an ally for personal gain using hundreds of millions of USA dollars isn’t THAT bad. And heck, he was helping out his BFFF Vlad.
What’s next?
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [February 10, 2020, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/935 "2020-02-10T08:01:00Z")
[https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/giuliani-trump-ukraine-pressure-campaign-perfectly-justifiable](https://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/giuliani-trump-ukraine-pressure-campaign-perfectly-justifiable)
Guiliani says that evidence is coming over the next couple of months about how Il Douche was totally justified in all of his perfect actions! Not now, you understand, because its too soon. Couple of months, _amazing_ stuff, incredible!
> [@](#):
>
> “I think over the next couple of months, you’re going to see what he did was perfectly justifiable. The amount of crimes that Democrats committed in Ukraine are astounding.”
---
### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2020, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/936 "2020-02-11T00:37:59Z")
Louisiana GOP censured Mitt Romney. They said nothing when former KKK leader David Duke ran for Senate as the GOP candidate in 1990 and he got 43% of the vote.
---
### Author:  [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/937 "2020-02-11T17:21:09Z")
Majority of Americans don’t believe the impeachment trial exonerated Trump.
> [@](#):
>
> [Quinnipiac Poll 2/10/20](https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=3655)
>
> POST-IMPEACHMENT TRIAL
>
> American voters are evenly split, 49 - 49 percent, on the Senate’s decision to acquit President Trump of both articles of impeachment. Republicans approve 95 - 4 percent, independents approve 53 - 45 percent, and Democrats disapprove 90 - 8 percent.
>
> Despite the acquittal, voters say 55 - 40 percent that the Senate voting to acquit President Trump does not clear him of any wrongdoing in the Ukraine matter. Republicans say 81 - 12 percent that the acquittal clears the president of wrongdoing, while Democrats 91 - 6 percent and independents 54 - 40 percent say it does not. By 51 - 46 percent, voters say the charges against President Trump were serious enough for him to be impeached and put on trial.
>
> Voters say 59 - 35 percent that the Senate impeachment trial was conducted unfairly.
---
### Author:  [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/938 "2020-02-11T19:20:25Z")
But what does “unfairly” mean? Il Douche quite agrees with that word, he thinks it was “unfair”.
---
### Author:  [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2020, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/939 "2020-02-11T19:27:36Z")
He thinks it was unfair to conduct at all, not that it was conducted unfairly.
---
### Author:  [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)
#### Post date: [February 11, 2020, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-trump-impeachment-trial/846524/940 "2020-02-11T19:42:30Z")
> [@elucidator](#):
>
> But what does “unfairly” mean? Il Douche quite agrees with that word, he thinks it was “unfair”.
I think for Trump, “unfair” means anything not sufficiently obsequious enough towards him.
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