Posted on Feb 14, 2021
Stacey Plaskett: Trump trial needed ‘more senators with spines, not more witnesses’
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Just before voting Saturday to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, the Senate seemed to reverse course with a decision not to call witnesses.
Del. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands who was one of the House impeachment managers, is defending the agreement between House managers and Trump's attorneys not to call witnesses after all.
"We had no need to call any witnesses at the end of the trial because, as all Americans believed at that moment, the evidence was overwhelming," she said in an interview Sunday with NPR's Weekend Edition.
The Senate voted 57-43, including seven Republicans, to hold Trump guilty on an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection. But that was short of the two-thirds, or 67 votes, needed to convict.
"I know that people have a lot of angst and they can't believe that the Senate did what they did. But what we needed were senators, more senators with spines, not more witnesses," Plaskett said.
She said the House managers wanted to enter into the record the statement of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., about a conversation Beutler had with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., regarding a call he had with Trump on Jan. 6.
Del. Stacey Plaskett, a Democrat from the U.S. Virgin Islands who was one of the House impeachment managers, is defending the agreement between House managers and Trump's attorneys not to call witnesses after all.
"We had no need to call any witnesses at the end of the trial because, as all Americans believed at that moment, the evidence was overwhelming," she said in an interview Sunday with NPR's Weekend Edition.
The Senate voted 57-43, including seven Republicans, to hold Trump guilty on an impeachment charge of inciting an insurrection. But that was short of the two-thirds, or 67 votes, needed to convict.
"I know that people have a lot of angst and they can't believe that the Senate did what they did. But what we needed were senators, more senators with spines, not more witnesses," Plaskett said.
She said the House managers wanted to enter into the record the statement of Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash., about a conversation Beutler had with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., regarding a call he had with Trump on Jan. 6.
Stacey Plaskett: Trump trial needed ‘more senators with spines, not more witnesses’
Posted from opb.org
United States Senate
Donald Trump
Republicans
Congress
Washington
Posted >1 y ago
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they did not call witnesses because they were afraid of the truth coming out
once pelosi and bowser were put on the stand under oath all would be exposed of it being planned
once pelosi and bowser were put on the stand under oath all would be exposed of it being planned
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No way were they going to allow the House and Senate Sergeant at Arms to be called and explain why NG support was rejected prior to 6 Jan. It's the same reason no hearings were held by the House and no fact finding. Learning that Officer Sicknick was not killed during the riot should have given all Americans pause. Crazy days ahead.
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