Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Who crossed party lines and voted with six other Republicans to convict former President Donald Trump, said on ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday morning that he was conducting a full investigation into the events of Jan. . 6, as other lawmakers who appeared in the program called for a 9/11-style commission to investigate the Capitol attack.
“I think there needs to be a full investigation into what happened on January 6. Why were there no more law enforcers, the national guard had already mobilized, who was known, who knew it, and when they knew it, all this because it builds on the foundation so that it will never happen again in the future “Cassidy, who said he believes Trump’s actions fit the definition of an uprising, told ABC News chief George Stephanopoulos.
“I have listened very carefully to all the arguments. But if you look at the uprising as I describe it, as an attempt to prevent the peaceful transfer of power, we can see the president two months after the election and promote that the election was stolen. . ” Cassidy added. “It was clear that he wanted legislators to be intimidated. And even after knowing that violence was taking place, he continued to basically punish the crowd that was there, and only later did he ask him to leave. “It all points to a motive and a method. And that’s wrong, he must be held accountable.”
Madeleine Dean, D-Dad, and Senator Chris Coons, D-Del., Told Stephanopoulos that they would support the creation of a 9/11-style independent commission to investigate the attack on Cassidy. the Capitol.
“Think about it,” Dean told Stephanopoulos. “For the first time in so many years, we have had an uprising fueled by the President of the United States. … The House is desecrated, the Capitol is desecrated. People were terrorized. It was incited by the President of the United States. Of course, there must be a full commission and impartial commission, not led by politics, but filled with people who will be able to endure the courage of their conviction, as dr. Cassidy. ‘
Cassidy indicated earlier in the week that he would possibly vote to convict the former president by conveying in a vote on Tuesday his position on the constitutionality of the trial and adding only a handful of Republicans who would also vote on it. voted, must continue. The Louisiana GOP voted to condemn Cassidy hours after he voted to condemn Trump, but Cassidy defended his position to his voters in Louisiana and told Stephanopoulos he had taken an oath to uphold the Constitution.
“People want to trust. They want to trust their leaders, they want to hold accountable. Now we hold – I’m trying to hold President Trump accountable – and that’s the trust I have in the people who elected me, and I’m very confident that people will eventually move to that position. ‘
Stephanopoulos is pressuring Cassidy on Trump’s future within the Republican Party.
“Do you think he can run a credible presidential campaign again? Will he remain a force in the Republican Party? What does that mean for the Republican Party?” Ask Stephanopoulos.
“I think she may be declining, the Republican Party is more than just one person. The Republican Party is about ideas,” Cassidy said.
Dean, one of the accusation managers, told Stephanopoulos that she acknowledged the Republicans who voted to convict the former president.
“I acknowledge the seven Republicans who stood by us, who followed the facts, who looked at the law and looked at the evidence and found this president guilty of major crimes and transgressions,” she told Stephanopoulos said. ‘It was powerful to hear the 57 feelings of guilt. And then it was enigmatic to hear and see Mitch McConnell standing ‘innocent’ and saying, and then minutes later standing again and saying he was guilty of everything. History will remember that statement to speak from two sides of his mouth. ”
Stephanopoulos challenged Dean on why home managers abandoned their plan to call witnesses after they had enough votes to consider it during a vote on Saturday morning. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the general manager for indictment, said the prosecutor wants the Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler is suing over a conversation she had, according to House leader Kevin McCarthy, about Trump allegedly refusing to stop the rioters.
“Some Democrats say you give in,” Stephanopoulos said.
But both Dean and Coons said in their respective interviews that they did not believe the evidence would change the outcome of the vote to call witnesses.
“We did not need more witnesses. We were in a room full of witnesses and victims, we did not need more witnesses. But what we could secure was a determination by the former president’s lawyers that what she said, was true, it Dean is included in the record and is also a witness to the great crime and uprising incited by a president.
Stephanopoulos also challenged Coons at that point and asked if he thought it would not have made a difference.
“So you do not believe that a full trial, more witnesses, more documents giving us an idea of what is going on in the White House, could better serve the cause of justice and accountability?” Stephanopoulos printed.
Coons said he was impressed with the 57 votes the Democrats could get, the most twofold accusation in the country’s history and a number he did not think they would achieve.
“They could have had another 500 witnesses, that would not have changed the outcome. After Mitch McConnell made it clear that he intended to acquit, despite the compelling evidence, the house managers did not need more witnesses or more evidence. “What we all needed was more Republican courage,” Coons said. “I honestly did not think at the time that the outcome of this trial would change a bit to fight for additional witnesses for months.”
The Delaware senator was also confident that there would have been the 17 Republican votes to convict the former president if they had cast secret ballots.
“I’m pretty sure there would be a secret ballot to be found guilty,” Coons said. “I honestly think there was a majority of Republicans who hung their hats on a not-so-compelling constitutional argument, and we need to find a way to hold that accountable. Ultimately, it’s in the hands of the American people. But I do think the Republican Party is deeply divided at the moment, and I am grateful to the seven Republican senators and ten Republican House members who stood up for the Constitution and acted against President Trump. ‘
When pushed by Stephanopoulos, Cassidy and Dean would not say whether they believe there are grounds for additional proceedings against Trump.
But, Coons said he believes there is, although it is not his top priority right now.
“I think there are grounds for further proceedings, both civil and criminal, against former President Trump,” Coons said. ‘But George, I’m also focusing on continuing the urgent pandemic relief, the revival and strengthening of our economy that President Biden has focused on since he became President … I think the phase of accountability is moving to the courts . now, and we in Congress must continue to carry out the extensive unemployment checks, the stimulus is controlling the reinvestment in our economy that the American people so desperately need and deserve. “
Stephanopoulos urged Coons on how ambiguous the beginnings of Biden’s time in the White House were, as the Democrats lay the groundwork to continue with a simple majority vote to make coronavirus relief possible.
“George, let’s be clear, President Biden has met and spoken to a dual group of senators. There are ten Republican senators still negotiating with the White House, with a group of Democrats, to find a dual path for a suitable brave and broad relief package, ”Coons said.
“But we in the House and in the Senate, Democrats, have given way so that, if there is a month from now for 10 million Americans on the verge of stopping, we can continue with a democratic bill. , “he continued. “President Biden unites the American people. He continues on relief that supports three – quarters of the American people. And from the way he spoke during his inauguration to the actions he took in his first few weeks, he showed us “What real presidential leadership looks like in stark contrast to his predecessor. He worked for unity, and I believe he provides unity for the American people.”