Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland, a constitutional law professor and the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, blasted Trump supporting House representatives, comparing them to a “religious cult.”
Defeating Trumpism
Raskin was on MSNBC’s “The Weekend,” where he stated, “I have told my GOP colleagues that when we get through this period, and we will, and when we defeat Trump and Trumpism, and we will, they’re going to be fit only for selling flowers and incense at Dulles Airport.”
“No Critical Thinking”
The Democratic representative continued, “They are acting like members of a religious cult who have no critical thinking skills left. They will follow exactly what Donald Trump tells them to do.”
Congress After January 6
Raskin, a lawyer, author, and former constitutional law professor, recalled the events after the January 6. He said, “I remember when we went over to the Senate in the impeachment trial, the second impeachment trial where I was leading the team, and a lot of Republicans there felt, like, ‘We’re going to pass the buck. We’ll let somebody else deal with Donald Trump.'”
McConnell Blamed Trump
Two weeks after the Capitol riots, in late January 2021, a Kentucky Republican said, “The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the President and other powerful people.” This was days after Congress voted to impeach Trump, but the Senate acquitted him.
Raskin on McConnell’s Vote
The Maryland representative recalled, “McConnell got up and explained that he didn’t vote to convict. Not because Donald Trump wasn’t guilty. He said he was morally, ethically, factually responsible.” According to Business Insider, McConnell allegedly told a close friend he “didn’t get to be a leader by voting with five people in the conference.”
McConnell Used a “Technicality”
Raskin continued talking about McConnell and said, “And then he said, ‘We’ll let the courts deal with it. There can be a criminal prosecution later.'” The Maryland lawmaker added, “I think some people in the Supreme Court might be thinking, ‘Well, let’s kick the buck back over to Congress or the people. We’ll let them deal with it.'”
Raskin Goes After Trump
In a letter to the former President and likely GOP nominee for the 2024 elections, Representative Raskin demanded that Trump return about $7.8 million his companies reportedly received from foreign governments while in office.
Inside the Letter
Raskin wrote, “Your acceptance of foreign emoluments while in office was a stunning violation of the U.S. Constitution — and a profound betrayal of the interests of the United States and the trust of the American people.”
Most Payments are Connected to China
The alleged payments uncovered in a report by House Oversight and Accountability Committee Democrats claim Trump’s companies accepted money from foreign entities in 20 countries. According to the report, $5.6 million came from China and went to Trump’s hotels in Washington, Las Vegas, and Trump Tower in New York.
Raskin Had More to Add
The Democrat asked Trump to turn over to Congress a “full accounting of the money, benefits, and other emoluments ‘of any kind whatever’ you pocketed from foreign governments or their agents during your term as President and that you return the total sum of these foreign emoluments to the American people by writing a check to the U.S.”
Raskin on the SCOTUS’ Decision
Before the start of 2024, representative Rasin talked about Trump’s immunity claim and told CNN, “The Supreme Court must decide this question as quickly as possible if justice is to be served, and it’s got to reject the extravagant and baseless claim of presidential immunity.”
“Ridiculous Claim”
Raskin continued, “It is a ridiculous claim that the president can commit any crime that he or she wants while in office and can’t be prosecuted, whether it’s murder or rape or conspiracy to overthrow the government.”
Raskin on the 14th Amendment
While on CNN, Raskin discussed who can and who can’t be POTUS and asserted, “Is it undemocratic that [former California Gov.] Arnold Schwarzenegger and [Energy Secretary] Jennifer Granholm can’t run for president because they weren’t born in the country?” Raskin continued, “If you think about it, of all of the forms of disqualification that we have, the one that disqualifies people for engaging in insurrection is the most democratic because it’s the one where people choose themselves to be disqualified.”
Trump is That “Tiny Number”
“Donald Trump is in that tiny, tiny number of people who have essentially disqualified themselves,” Raskin concluded.
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