And although he hasn’t crossed the aisle, he has been critical of Trump in the past. When the proceedings resumed, he and several others chose not to object. While Senator James Lankford (R-OK) had planned to vote against the electoral college vote count when he was interrupted by the threat of rioters breaching the capitol, there is something about him that makes me wonder. As reported, he was observed “openly wrestling with the evidence, taking copious notes and pacing furiously.” Cassidy’s quiet deliberation is what we should expect from all of our elected officials. He surprised the public by joining the five Republicans to assess the constitutionality of the proceedings when the trial began. While many Republicans have chosen to ignore the proceedings, Bill Cassidy (R-LA) appears to be doing just the opposite - taking his oath seriously and weighing the evidence presented. In an interview, historian Heather Cox Richardson said (the relevant snippet starts at 1:34, but I highly recommend listening to the entire interview) that some Republicans may “decide to stay home to make it easier to convict him because they don’t want to take a stand for or against Donald Trump.” Two factions are splitting the Republican party: those who support Trump and those who do not, and they may not want to alienate either side. But if all 100 do not show up for the vote, that number shrinks proportionately. Assuming all Democrats and Independents vote to convict, 17 Republicans will have to join them to impeach former President Trump. With all 100 senators present, that number is 67. But it could also mean something else, and it could translate to a conviction of Trump.Īn impeachment conviction requires a two-thirds majority vote of the senators present. On the surface, it seems to be a dereliction of duty, a snub to the proceedings by those who still consider the trial unconstitutional. Other Republicans have been skipping the proceedings and may not show up for the vote count. It’s also much easier to look the other way and vote to acquit than view it and not vote to convict. Granted, the events of that day can be difficult to watch. Instead, they were doodling, studying non-related maps and other materials, or turning their backs when impeachment managers played video evidence of the insurrection. Many Republicans were not paying attention to the proceedings. It seems some have forgotten what that means. These Republicans, along with Senate Democrats, are the jurors in this case, who swore a solemn oath to exercise “impartial justice” during the impeachment proceedings. They turned a blind eye to evidence presented by the impeachment managers while others weren’t even present. As former President Trump’s impeachment trial progressed in the Senate, many observers noted that some Republicans were adopting a “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil” approach to the proceedings.
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