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Florida’s Senators predictably were no’s on the impeachment vote to convict former President Donald Trump. One had a more decisive role than the other.
Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott both voted with 41 other Republicans, backing the proposition that the former President was innocent of incitement.
Rubio cast the pivotal 34th vote, clinching Trump’s acquittal.
“The real purpose of this trial was to tar and feather not just the rioters, but anyone who supported the former President and any Senator who refuses to vote to convict,” the Senator said in a statement after the vote. “I voted to acquit former President Trump because I will not allow my anger over the criminal attack of January 6th nor the political intimidation from the left to lead me into supporting a dangerous constitutional precedent.”
For Rubio, running for reelection in 2022, the vote should endear him to the base and will likely prove to be a lightning rod for Democrats. Though it should surprise no watcher given his activity before and throughout the proceedings.
Rubio, going into the trial, decried proceedings as a waste of time, and vowed to vote against the proceedings as soon as he could. Indeed, he cast one of a handful of votes against the rules of the trial that Trump’s own legal team agreed to.
On Friday during the question and answer period of the Senate hearing, Rubio submitted a question to House Impeachment managers that seemed to apply to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“Voting to convict the former President would create a new precedent that a former official can be convicted and disqualified by the Senate. Therefore, is it not true that under this new precedent, a future House, facing partisan pressure to lock her up, could impeach a former Secretary of State and a future Senate be forced to put her on trial and potentially disqualify from any future office?”
That question was dismissed as irrelevant, but Rubio also found reason to carp today as House impeachment managers attempted to bring forth witnesses in what was an ultimately failed gambit.
“All this drama for nothing. House managers made fools of themselves. They have agreed to have a news article for the record, something they could have gotten without resistance from anyone,” Rubio groused.
After the vote, Scott also offered a statement: “The attack on the Capitol we all witnessed on January 6 was horrific and the lawless thugs who are responsible for the disgusting violence we saw do not represent America. They should all be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. However, this week, instead of addressing the serious issues facing our nation, Democrats in Congress put our work for the American people on hold and pushed forward with an unconstitutional impeachment trial. The Democrats’ political theater was better suited for the Kennedy Center than the U.S. Capitol. It was a waste of everyone’s time and tax dollars.”
18 comments
Ron Ogden
February 13, 2021 at 5:04 pm
Good for Rubio. He has stood up to the vicious coven that lives and breeds with Washington, DC
James Robert Miles
February 13, 2021 at 5:16 pm
Rubio does NOT uphold the oath of office that he took. He should be removed from office ASAP! He does NOT represent American values which comes as NO surprise! He is guilty of treason just like Trump. If inciting a riot with the intent of overthrowing the U.S. government isn’t an impeachable offense than what is? Once again the GOP (gang of pirates) IS THE PARTY OF THE LAWLESS and Rubio is just another Trump butt-kisser who is unable to see that the idiot he supports will be his undoing!!
Tjb
February 13, 2021 at 5:33 pm
Little Marco, as Trump refers to you, your statement “ that the house managers made fools of themselves” is BS. They powerfully demonstrated that Trump was guilty in inciting the insurrections on our Capitol and Mitch McConnell agrees. You do not stand for what is right … you don’t have the courage to be morally accountable. You are a part of the vicious coven that lives and breeds in DC.
Tjb
February 13, 2021 at 5:33 pm
Little Marco, as Trump refers to you, your statement “ that the house managers made fools of themselves” is BS. They powerfully demonstrated that Trump was guilty in inciting the insurrections on our Capitol and Mitch McConnell agrees. You do not stand for what is right … you don’t have the courage to be morally accountable. You are a part of the vicious coven that lives and breeds in DC.
Dean Gallberry III
February 13, 2021 at 5:35 pm
“House managers made fools of themselves.” I think you meant Trump’s lawyers, Marcocito. Dígame, jefe, will you still be licking his boots when his hija kicks your behind? You’ve been played! Adios, pendejo!
Karellen
February 13, 2021 at 6:13 pm
Cowardly,weak,traitorous,odious. Bible Boy embodies all these characteristics and history will not be kind to him,his merry band of insurrectionists or the GQP/Trump Party.
If Obama or Clinton had even threatened not to accept the results of an election I’m sure Little Marco’s reaction would have been notably dissimilar.
The question must be asked,if sedition and insurrection aren’t enough to convict what is ?
teel
February 13, 2021 at 7:03 pm
This has been a major win for Patriots. You can join us and those that want to save our country.
President Trump is not like all those other politicians who has promised and then abandoned us, he delivered.
Take a moment to realize… Your Vision of the GOP is over.
Patriots are rising up across the US. First course of action is too unseat all RINO’s and change the direction of the Rep. party forever.
Remember everything President Trump did for every American.
Do not forget, today is the morale boost many have needed.
So My fellow deplorable – We are not finished yet. Do not forget how far we’ve come and always remember where we still need to go.
Nothing can stop what is coming. NOTHING.
teel
February 13, 2021 at 7:12 pm
Thank you Sens. Marco Rubio and Sens. Rick Scott fellow Patriots.
Nothing can stop what is coming. NOTHING.
Andy
February 13, 2021 at 7:18 pm
What did he deliver. Tax cut to the Rich? A 12 foot wall that Mexico did not pay for? His health care plan he claimed would be better than Obama care? Taking on China? The carnage stops now speech 400k and counting dead from a pandemic because he dispensed of the pandemic team. Our standing in world is shit because of him. Wages have declined and the rich got richer under him. He cares nothing about his supporters , they are a means to an end!!!
Palmer Tom
February 13, 2021 at 8:09 pm
A vote that will live in infamy.
Ocean Joe
February 13, 2021 at 9:09 pm
When Big Paul Costellano was made boss of the Gambino family, Anniello Dellacroce told John Gotti: “The boss is the boss,” after Gotti felt Dellacroce had been passed over. Marco knows who the boss is. Trump Nation, where nobody pays taxes or takes responsibility for anything.
Douglas Adkins
February 13, 2021 at 11:02 pm
If you read the constitution, it is not possible to impeach a private citizen because they are no longer a office holder. If you vote to impeach an office holder then the remedy is to remove the person from office. The House Democrats waited until after President Trump left office to send over articles of impeachment. This was a charade and a “kangaroo” trial that could never measure up to the requirements of the constitution. I am glad its over and Florida Senators stood on the side of the Constitution. You cannot impeach a private citizen.
Beth
February 14, 2021 at 4:16 am
What a disgusting, disrespectful response from both FL “senators”. I wonder if the families of the officers killed or injured while protecting traitors Rubio and Scott think the proceedings were a waste of time? These two criminals don’t want to do their job, they want to carry on collecting money which is the one and only reason they went into politics. They don’t care if the country is destroyed in the process. They both need to be voted out.
Sonja Fitch
February 14, 2021 at 5:35 am
Little Marco Nazi Rick and Rutherford are damn cop killers. Little Marco, Nazi Rick and Rutherford are Fing traitors . There is no Republican Party. There are only GOPQ and goptrump death cult sociopaths! Vote Democrat up and down ballot in the 2022 elections.
Robert R Sands
February 14, 2021 at 7:28 am
Trump’s legal problems have just begun. You ain’t seen nothing yet! His sucker and looser followers need to be put back in the hole that they crawled out of. They are traitors with fascist tendencies who represent ideas that are totally un American. Scott and Rubio need to go to jail for treason. They don’t and can’t represent the U.S. who pledge loyalty to Trump but not to the U.S.!
Trump 2024
February 14, 2021 at 8:10 am
Good decision, Senators. This impeachment trial was all about blocking Trump in 2024. It was another disgusting display of hypocrisy by Democrats. But…Unity! Ha.
Sonja Fitch
February 14, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Lol those stupid goptrump death cult sociopaths and the GOPQs are going to jail. Where is the trump going? Outside in Palm Beach and golf! Lol you stupid followers you deserve your jail time. Don’t you think Trump deserves jail time? Lol lol
PeterH
February 14, 2021 at 2:18 pm
There is a reason why in the past 32 years of Presidential elections the Republican Party has won the popular vote only one time (Bush2’s second term). Prior to Reagan, the once great Republican Party represented fiscal responsibility and a steady hand at leadership. Both are lacking in today’s GOP.
Reagan, Nixon, Bush2 and Trump have been horrible fiscal leaders (Reagan tripled the national debt in eight years to lower unemployment 1% point). Trump not only has destroyed America’s standing in the world but as Republicans often do …. he’s ruined our economy. Trump added $3.5 trillion to the national debt BEFORE the onset of his failed pandemic onset and leadership.
So now we arrive at Trump’s second impeachment. I guess it’s now OK with Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and the other members of the Congressional Sedition Caucus for their Party’s president to send a weaponized, angry, white nationalist conspiracy theory laden mob from the White House to the Capitol building with the intention of a public lynching of their Party’s Vice President.
Is this the Party Conservatives want to call their own? Are there any real conservatives left in the GOP?
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