Legal Takes And Other Observations

Once Trump leaves office, the Senate can’t hold an impeachment trial, writes J. Michael Luttig https://t.co/Ms7ZlS9Vls

— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) January 12, 2021

I’m going to go with Vladek on this one.

Indeed, the Senate has disqualified three of the eight officers it has removed. On this reading of the Constitution, it didn’t have the power to do that, because by the time it voted to disqualify those officers, they had already been *removed* from their offices.

— Steve Vladeck (@steve_vladeck) January 12, 2021

Meanwhile, back in the Congress:

Rep. Liz Cheney: “I will vote to impeach the President.” pic.twitter.com/iMGDzXUyju

— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) January 12, 2021

Liz Cheney as the person doing the right thing?

That’s dark. That’s real freakin’ dark.

— LightlyThreatenHat (@Popehat) January 12, 2021

ALSO: Biden called McConnell yesterday and asked if Senate could dual track impeachment trial and cabinet confirmations.

Far from telling Biden he would not discuss the impeachment, McConnell said he would check with the parliamentarian and get back to Biden.

— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) January 12, 2021

Several GOP sources say tonight that if McConnell supports conviction, Trump almost certainly will be convicted by 67 senators in impeachment trial.

"If Mitch is a yes, he's done," said one Senate Republican who asked to be named. Many Rs are staying mum https://t.co/JOOmuKwhNc

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 12, 2021

Tweet of the day here https://t.co/0OAyzply1f

— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) January 12, 2021

More legal takes:

The DC US attorney said today that people will be shocked when they learn what happened in the Capitol. Keep in mind, top congressional leaders have quite likely been briefed what they've found.

— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 13, 2021

Especially bad legal takes:

Trump with what sounds like a warning to Congress:

"Free speech is under assault like never before. The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration"

— Jordan Fabian (@Jordanfabian) January 12, 2021

We are living in the dumbest possible timeline. pic.twitter.com/Xr9o8Ckaod

— KSV (@KSVesq) January 12, 2021

Lauren Boebert is refusing to comply with the metal detector or allow a bag search. Now standing in the House doorway. Security is refusing to allow her to enter. Appears to be a standstill.

— Marc Rod (@marcrod97) January 13, 2021

That metal detectors were just put up outside the House Chambers comes after House Dems expressed concerns about GOP freshmen violating gun laws, and amidst fears about possible complicity w the Jan 6 terrorists by some House Republicans https://t.co/wXXEVVYwRG

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 12, 2021

Jim Jordan, fighter against censorship, is currently on the floor of the House arguing in favor of a rule that limits members' ability to say disrespectful or unflattering things about Donald Trump.

— Max Burns (@themaxburns) January 13, 2021

"Far-right domestic terrorists will grow more violent if we try to remove the man they consider their leader" isn't the home run argument for Trump that the House @GOP thinks it is.

— Max Burns (@themaxburns) January 12, 2021

pic.twitter.com/gnigS9WcZd

— Bad Legal Takes (@BadLegalTakes) January 12, 2021

Why are Democrats and the Socialist Fake News Media refusing to put the past in the past and reach for unity when all it would take is just doing anything Trump supporters demand and abandoning rights or the rule of law and surrendering completely

— LightlyThreatenHat (@Popehat) January 12, 2021

Good question.

Twitter already dropped the Big One. Businesses and banks are already signaling Trump is radioactive once he leaves. Pence is putting out vaguely conciliatory readouts after 25A chatter. McConnell's really it at this point in terms of credible remaining consequences.

— Benjy Sarlin (@BenjySarlin) January 12, 2021

And in our Learning-from-history Dept.:

Last Wednesday, Pence was the patriot and Trump was the other. https://t.co/PDukvmBov3

— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) January 13, 2021

"As reported by Suetonius, the Michael Wolff of ancient Rome, he never forgot a slight, slept only a few hours a night and married several times, lastly to a woman named Milonia." https://t.co/LNO4l5HzVy

— Dana Rubinstein (@danarubinstein) January 12, 2021