Adams, Butterfield Blast Senate GOP Vote on Trump Impeachment

By Cash Michaels

February 19, 2021 11:50AM
Cash Michaels
Cash Michaels

Even though a North Carolina Republican U.S. senator surprising voted otherwise, Democratic congresspeople Alma Adams (D-NC-12) and G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1) blasted Republicans in the U.S. Senate for their majority vote last Saturday to acquit former Pres. Donald J. Trump for his part in the Jan. 6th U.S. Capitol siege that saw five people die and injured 140 police officers.

The U.S. House impeached Trump with one act of inciting an insurrection, but the then Republican-led Senate would not take up the matter until after Trump had left office Jan. 20th.

Last Saturday, with two-thirds of the Senate needed to convict, only seven Republican senators in the 50-50 split chamber - including outgoing NC Senator Richard Burr - joined Senate Democrats in convicting the Republican former president 57-43, for allegedly inciting the thousands who gathered at his Save America rally just prior to them violently attacking the Capitol in an effort to stop certification of presidential electoral votes officially electing Democrat Joe Biden as president.

Senate Republicans ceased on the fact that because Trump is now out of office, he was not constitutionally liable for his alleged criminal actions, though he may be criminally liable, which 114 constitutional scholars, plus a majority vote by the Senate earlier in the week, said was not true.

Had Trump been convicted by two-thirds of the Senate Saturday, he would have been ineligible to run for federal elective office again.

Alma Adams
Adams
Congresswoman Alma Adams was “gravely” disappointed that he was not.

“I was there on that tragic day,” she said in a statement afterwards. “Trump supporters in Trump hats with Trump Flags stormed the Capitol and said President Trump sent them. The Capitol was attacked, the electoral vote certification was interrupted, the Senate chamber was breached, and people died as a result. The facts of the case could not be clearer; however, we learned today that Donald Trump has a stronger hold Senate Republicans than the clarity of facts or the love of our Constitution and Country.”

After applauding the ten House and seven Senate Republicans who ultimately voted to impeach and convict, Rep. Adams lauded the nine House impeachment managers for the widely heralded case against Trump they put on at trial.

Rep. Butterfield
Butterfield
Adams’ colleague, Rep. Butterfield, also expressed dismay.

“Forty-three Republican senators choose to defend a man and their political futures over their solemn oath to defend the Constitution and protect our Democracy. I commend the seven Republican senators, including Senator Richard Burr, for their votes of conscience,” said Butterfield in a statement.

Irving Joyner, law professor at NCCU School of Law in Durham, warned that the Senate acquittal of Trump will give “…permission to embolden right-wing extremists and racist groups to wage political and physical war against the lawful functioning of the democratic process.”

“As a result,” Joyner continued, “African Americans and people of color need to better organize [their] political forces and voting apparatus in order to defeat these repressive forces at the polls and in the streets during the coming months and years.”

“The evidence presented in this impeachment proceeding” Prof. Joyner concluded, graphically established that “Trumpism” and it’s followers represent a continuing clear and present danger to the survival of this country.”

Monday evening, the NC Republican Party censured Sen. Richard Burr for his vote to convict Trump.

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