The Lead House impeachment manager Jamie Raskin says prohibiting presidents from facing impeachment after leaving office will create a “brand new January exception to the constitution of the United States.”
Raskin disclosed this at the former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial which began Tuesday at the Capitol.
Trump is accused of “incitement of insurrection” for his actions and words leading up to the deadly US Capitol riot.
“It’s an invitation for the President to take his best shot at anything he may want to do on his way out the door, including using violent means to lock that door, to hang on to the Oval Office at all costs and to block the peaceful transfer of power,” Raskin said.
“In other words, the January exception is an invitation to our founders worst nightmare,” said Raskin, before playing a montage of Trump’s statements and rioters at the US Capitol on January 6.
President Joe Biden is however, staying out of debate on Trump’s senate impeachment trial, the White House said.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a news conference that Biden is not watching the Senate impeachment trial of his predecessor.
“Look, the Joe Biden is the president, he’s not a pundit. He’s not going to opine on the back-and-forth arguments, nor is he watching them,” Psaki said in response to a media question.
