Gingrich: Voters will judge Dems for 'radical' impeachment push

Democrats in the House formally delivered one article of impeachment (pictured at left) against Donald Trump Monday, and the very next day Democrats and a handful of Republicans in the Senate defeated a procedural vote that attempted to halt the impeachment trial scheduled for Feb. 8.

Attorney: Absence of Justice Roberts reveals 'sham' trial Chad Groening (OneNewsNow.com) If the public wants evidence that the coming impeachment trial of Donald Trump is a sham, look no farther than the absence of the chief justice, says a constitutional attorney.  The U.S. Constitution "expressly states" that the chief justice "shall preside" over an impeachment trial but John Roberts has declined to do so, points out attorney and radio host Abraham Hamilton III.  Hamilton "Not may. Not should. Shall preside," Hamilton, general counsel for the American Family Association, says of the historic document.  "So why won't he preside now?" he asks rhetorically. "Because the Chief Justice has indicated, by his refusal to participate, that this is an unconstiutional sham."  It's a "sham" trial, Hamilton tells One News Now, because you can't remove someone from office who is no longer in office.

The procedural vote, introduced by Sen. Rand Paul, was narrowly defeated 55-45 but it suggested there are not enough votes to convict since that requires a two-thirds majority.

Speaking to Fox News before the Tuesday vote was taken, Newt Gingrich called it “quite astonishing” to witness the “self-righteous” Left reveal how much it hates Americans who voted for Donald Trump.

“And I think it’s a genuine threat to the survival of America,” he said, “as a system of law and as a constitutional structure. "

Gingrich was serving as Speaker of the House in December 1998, and had already announced he was stepping down, when the House of Representatives sent two articles of impeachment to the GOP-led Senate only to witness Clinton’s acquittal when the split Senate failed to get a two-thirds vote to convict.

Political observers at the time said Republicans had expected the tawdry Clinton-Lewinsky scandal would help them gain more seats in the 1998 midterm elections but, on Election Day, they barely held on to the majority.

Already under fire for an ethics violation and an extramarital affair, Gingrich was forced by his own party to step down while Clinton remained in office to finish his second term.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was similarly projecting major wins for her party last fall only to witness a huge gain of seats by Republicans, and she was elected Speaker Jan. 3 with an 11-seat majority. 

Before this week’s Senate vote, in a floor speech, Sen. Paul called the impeachment push a “kangaroo court” and a “partisan vendetta” because, he said, impeachment is for removing office holders, not former office holders who are now private citizens.

“It’s almost as if [Democrats] have no reason to exist except in opposition to Donald Trump,” Sen. Paul said. “Without him as their boogeyman, they might have to legislate.”

Gingrich, whose career began as a history professor, told Fox News the Democrats have no “moral standing” in their attempt to punish a now-former president who got a historic 74 million votes.

It is obvious, the former Speaker said, Democrats want to keep Trump from running for president again.

“As an historian,” he said, “it's hard to express how truly radical a moment this is in American history and what a profound break it is with the traditions of the American system."