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Donald Trump's Gettysburg Address

How the impeachment proceedings are expected to unfold in the Senate today

Here is what is expected on the Senate floor when the impeachment trial convenes at 1 p.m. ET, according to information from the Democratic whip notice as well as interviews with senators and staff from both parties.

- Senators should be at their desks on the Senate floor at 1 p.m. ET for a live quorum and once it is determined they have senators in attendance, the chamber will proceed to consider the articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
- Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the most senior Republican, will administer the oath to the President Pro Tempore, Senator Murray of Washington, the most senior Democrat.
- Murray will administer the oath to all senators in the chamber in conformance with Article I, section 3, clause 6 of the Constitution, and the Senate's impeachment rules.
- The clerk will call the names in groups of 4, and Senators will present themselves at the desk to sign the oath book.
- The Sergeant at Arms will make the proclamation: Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silence, on pain of imprisonment, while the House of Representatives is exhibiting to the Senate of the United States the article of impeachment against Alejandro N. Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security.
- Democrats could pass a motion to dismiss or table the articles on a simple majority vote as early as Wednesday. Senate Republicans are also seeking to reach a time agreement with Democrats that would allow floor debate and for GOP senators to have votes on procedural motions. If a time agreement is not reached, it’s unclear clear how long the process will take as Republicans could attempt any number of procedural delays, although at some point the presiding officer could rule those efforts dilatory and cut them off.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/alejandro-mayorkas-impeachment-trial-senate-04-17-24/h_b7bcaa36b980f22aa43f8447dcd71431

Report: Trump, Kennedy camps were in VP talks as recently as last week

Source: Deseret News

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed Monday that Donald Trump’s “emissaries” asked him to be the former president’s running mate.

Those conversations may have occurred as recently as last week and involved Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who attempted to broker a call between the two candidates, sources told the Deseret News.

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In a post on X Monday, Kennedy distanced himself from Trump, saying he is “against” the former president. “President Trump calls me an ultra-left radical,” Kennedy wrote. “I’m soooo liberal that his emissaries asked me to be his VP. I respectfully declined the offer.”

But as recently as last week, Kennedy agreed to participate in a call with Trump in which the two would presumably discuss the possibility of a joint ticket. The call, organized by Boteach, was quickly canceled after the Kennedy campaign fired a staffer for claiming that defeating President Joe Biden was the “No. 1 priority.”


Read more: https://www.deseret.com/politics/2024/04/16/robert-f-kennedy-donald-trump-vice-president/

What we know so far about the jurors in Trump's New York hush money trial

Source: Washington Post

BREAKING: Trump accused of "Juror Intimidation"

Christie's PAC Is Polling Something

Pro-Trump network OAN and Smartmatic settle 2020 election defamation case

Source: CNN

Voting technology company Smartmatic and the far-right network One America News said Tuesday that they had settled a defamation lawsuit stemming from the outlet’s lies about the 2020 election.

“The case has been resolved pursuant to a confidential agreement,” OAN attorney Chip Babcock told CNN.

Both parties declined to share details about the settlement.

The case against OAN was one of a spate of lawsuits filed against right-wing outlets in the aftermath of the election. In the wake of the 2020 presidential contest, pro-Donald Trump outlets spread lies wrongfully suggesting President Joe Biden had not been legitimately elected president.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/16/media/oan-smartmatic-settlement?cid=ios_app

Momentum builds to oust Johnson from House speakership

Source: Washington Post

Two far-right members are now threatening to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson just as the embattled Republican leader has introduced a complex plan intended to fund key foreign allies during wartime.

Johnson (La.) introduced a four-part proposal Monday night to decouple aid for Israel, which faced a barrage of missiles and drone threats from Iran over the weekend, and help for Ukraine in its fight against Russia, along with two other measures. But his right flank is also vowing to sink a procedural vote allowing any of the measures to be considered on the floor.

During a weekly Republican meeting Tuesday morning, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) stood up and called on Johnson to resign after Massie signed on to Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s plan to depose him, known as a motion to vacate.

That means that if Democrats choose not to rescue Johnson, Republicans would need just a simple majority to oust their second speaker in six months, causing the House to descend further into chaos during an election year when their slender grasp on the majority is at stake.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/16/mike-johnson-house-speaker-ukraine-israel-greene-massie/

BREAKING: Tom Massie (R-KY) will try to remove Johnson as Speaker...