Ali Velshi closed the first hour of his show this Saturday with a reminder for Republicans that history will not be kind to them if they choose to coverup for Trump's criminality and don't allow evidence, testimony and at least the appearance of a fair trial in the Senate.
But there have been some strange messages emanating from the U.S. Senate this week, helped along by Trump's lawyers.
Rather than arguing that Trump's demonstrated wrongdoing isn't worthy of his removal from office, they have tried to make the case that there was no wrongdoing whatsoever – no recognition that Trump unlawfully usurped the constitutionally mandated role of appropriations from Congress, and the legally mandated role of deciding where money goes, when he withheld Congressionally approved aid to Ukraine.
No recognition that Trump undermined a strategic ally, Ukraine, involved in a real war with an active adversary, Russia, for his political, personal gain.
Rather, Trump's defenders attempt to make the case that the process itself, a process that is prescribed by the constitution, undermines democracy and threatens the next election.
Trump's lead attorney, the White House counsel Pat Cipollone, actually called this, the impeachment trial, election interference, ignoring the real election interference that his boss and client, continue to refuse to acknowledge.
Rather than arguing on the merit, Cipollone and his team argued that this trial shouldn't even be happening.
If Trump supporters are going to win this trial, they need to win it on its merits, not by default. A default win would be an acquittal, not the exoneration that Trump seeks. And a win on the merits means evidence, not procedural tactics, not made for TV sound bites, and not the willful suppression of evidence.
Senators, you need to hear the full case. Try the whole truth, and then and only then cast your vote, knowing that you left no stone unturned in the greatest constitutionally mandated role you are ever likely to play as United States Senators.
History won't care if it takes another week or two. And for those Senators in potentially vulnerable seats or even in seats that aren't vulnerable, but for which they will have to explain their actions to constituents later this year, this is bigger than any election.
Right is right, and if doing right costs someone a seat in the United States Senate, that's a good deal for democracy. Because the lenses through which Senators and Trump supports in this trial will be seen will not be the lens of the Republican party. They will be the lenses of history, justice and the truth.
