In an op-ed published at The Advocate this Sunday, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) responded to the backlash from within his own party over his vote to convict Donald Trump in the wake of his impeachment trial, saying that he voted to convict simply because Trump “is guilty” for inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol last month, adding that the event was a clear attempt to “prevent a peaceful transfer of power.”
“Rather than defending the Constitution, President Trump was actively subverting the peaceful transfer of power, which is a bedrock principle of the Constitution,” Cassidy wrote.
“Even as Vice President Mike Pence was being evacuated to a safe location by Secret Service agents because the mob was approaching the Senate chamber, President Trump was calling Senators trying to block certification,” he added.
Cassidy slammed Trump for failing to activate the National Guard and for refusing to curb his rhetoric to quell the mob “at the first opportunity.” Since Trump didn’t testify, Cassidy wrote that he was forced to rely on the timeline of Trump’s tweets and his public statements, including his dissemination of voter fraud conspiracy theories, to inform his vote.
“I voted to convict former President Trump because he is guilty,” Cassidy wrote. “That’s what the facts demand.”
“I have no illusions that this is a popular decision,” he continued. “I made this decision because Americans should not be fed lies about ‘massive election fraud.’ Police should not be left to the mercy of a mob. Mobs should not be inflamed to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power.”
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