Name: How the 25th Amendment Gets Invoked
Uploaded: 2021-01-09T22:23:10.845884+00:00
Duration: 8334 s
Channel: The Lincoln Project
Description: Michael Steele explains the internal process by the cabinet. But the West Wing exodus is making the initiation of the 25th amendment a challenge. Jennifer Horn emphasizes to do the right thing for democracy.

Michael Steele explains the internal process by the cabinet. But the West Wing exodus is making the initiation of the 25th amendment a challenge. Jennifer Horn emphasizes to do the right thing for democracy.

Michael Steele explains the internal process by the cabinet. But the West Wing exodus is making the initiation of the 25th amendment a challenge. Jennifer Horn emphasizes to do the right thing for democracy.

Ex President Trump

https://d3ev5earl6dvd0.cloudfront.net/public-media/videos/001/528/001528/video_zpLOAbE.mp4#t=7213

The Lincoln Project

How the 25th Amendment Gets Invoked

Tara Setmayer & Rick Wilson Opening on Insurrection at Capitol Hill

Insurrection at Capitol HIll Incited by Donald Trump

This is Fascism, Anti-Government, Authoritarianism

New Ad Preview by The Lincoln Project

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The Breakdown  The Lincoln Project to discuss the insurrection and violence at the Capitol. 
LPTV

We’re here to answer your questions. Tweet #AskTheBreakdown

The Breakdown The Lincoln Project to discuss the insurrection and violence at the Capitol. LPTVWe’re here to answer your questions. Tweet #AskTheBreakdown

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https://d3ev5earl6dvd0.cloudfront.net/public-media/videos/001/528/001528/video_zpLOAbE.mp4

Tara Setmayer is The Lincoln Project Senior Advisor. Rick Wilson is a Co-founder of The Lincoln Project. What was witnessed today was inevitable.

When Trump finally gives his one minute video, it was the most half ass thing in the world. This is after people have broke into the United States Capitol. They've broken and they stood on the podium. That video was there are fine people on both sides on steroids. He literally said, We love the called the Patriots, for fuck's sake. Do you understand? You? We love you. We are. These are not patriots. These people are anarchists. They're traitors. Their insurrectionists there. Sedition ists. There are a whole lot of ists, but patriots sure as hell is not in that list line list. A long list of things. Okay, this is insanity. This is dangerous, and people have died today. Ah, woman was shot inside the Capitol during this melee, and we have the video of that. Actually, I'm gonna show in a second, and sts his people. These seditious bastards go to the capital. Let's take a listen. You were going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue. I love Pennsylvania Avenue and we're going to the capital. But we're going to try and give our Republicans the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah, that is just a pure incitement. It was pure excitement, and he wasn't the only one. He wasn't the only one, okay? His his coked up freak of a son, Don Jr went out there and told people to go down, go out there and and, you know, show, Show them. You know, those republicans that you know aren't on their on their side. You know, we're gonna show them Rudy Giuliani went out there and and called for What did he call it? Rick, do a trial by combat combat. What are you gonna do? Go jousting with people? Yeah, Well, what is this? These are these are sick fantasies. These these these wannabes wanna be fascists. These in cells that hate women that have little pit dicks that run around with their guns because they are such insecure men that this makes them feel good about themselves. They're part of something. And they join on with the lob onto Donald. Donald Trump, as someone that they find to be a masculine figure of authority, was the biggest coward out there talking about Oh, we're gonna march down. He was in his bunker. I've got news for you. He wasn't marching down anywhere. He looks down on most of them anyway as being underlings. And this is these are the people. These are the This is what these people are fighting for and to every single Republican that was gonna go to that house floor today and dispute this election and stand with Donald Trump and his conspiracy theories and the lies and the incitement of this Shame on you. Every single one of you are unfit for office. The Republican Party should be dead today. They should be embarrassed to ever be a party again.

People will be held accountable for their actions. Push us to socialism? Trump is anti-freedom. The silence of the republican party needs to held to account.

Lincoln Project is responsible for the content of this advertising. I hadn't even seen that ad yet, Rick and I say we wear? Uh, it was being finished while we were getting the broadcast. I'm not even sure the lawyers have seen that ad yet. Well, you know, I think legal will be okay with that one.

I worked on Capitol Hill for seven years. I've sat through seven states of the Union. State of the Union was always a fun time for us because we got to see all of the lock down and the Secret Service and the snipers on the roofs and things like, you know, very Washington very, you know, dramatic stuff. It happens every year in State of Union. It is the most secure place in the world at that time because you have the entire government there. For the most part, um, including the President, Vice President. So it is possible to lock down the capital it is possible for to have security bubble. When I started to see the video coming in, uh, some, uh we showed, uh and I saw that there was no National Guard presence. There was no perimeter set up around the capital that the Capitol police officers were ill equipped toe handle the rush of the mob rushing them. I said to myself, What is happening here? And as I watched them break in and I watched, there was no, no, I mean with reckless abandoned. They were completely overrun. As I look it, I watched the video is one of my best friends. His wife works for a member of Congress. She was at work today. Um, you had enough sense that God's leave their baby at home and not hurt Thio daycare on the House side. But when I saw the videos of Capitol Police officers being helped through injured Capitol Police officers being helped through the hallways of Congress by other officers telling people to fend for themselves because the the the barricades have been breached. That the capital had been breached. They were overrun. It sent shivers down my spine. I come from a law enforcement family. I look at this and I say that could have been my husband or anyone else. I mean, it is unacceptable. And what was the reason? I know there are a lot of people asking Where the hell was the National Guard? Where were the reinforcements? Let me explain something. Washington D. C is not a state. It is under federal control. Most places. And the only thing the mayor controls law enforcement wise is the Metro Police, local PD, Capitol Police Park police, Secret Service, the National Guard, FBI. Name them. Name them. They are federally control. Muriel Bowser, who is the mayor of Washington. Call asked for the National Guard to be called up days ago. She put it out there That that was gonna happen. But she does not control them. She could Onley make the request. The president of the United States is the commander in chief. The National Guard is under the purview of the Pentagon. They have to activate them. The federal government has to activate them. Same thing with the FBI or Border Patrol or anybody. Park police, even Secret Service. What we saw during the BLM protests, we saw all hands on deck. Right. I write this. We didn't see anything because it was on purpose. Donald Trump did this on purpose. He sat that and jerked himself off in the White House, thrilled with what was going on. His people were doing this for him. That is what happened. The cruelty is the point. And when things started to get out of control because Congress members had to be evacuated and guns were drawn in the freaking house chamber to protect people from being attacked, they were begging the president to do something, begging him. And he still put out these milk toast a statements. And then he finally at four o'clock or three o'clock, said, Okay, they can activate the National Guard now a little late, But that's what happened.

The Breakdown cast reacts to video of woman being shot at Capitol Hill.

Reed Galen Co-founder of The Lincoln Project.  Do you think if trump loses, this is he's like, going to go quietly into that good night? Is there anything that would ever tell us that that was gonna be the way it would go on dso we went from saying that, you know, our mission was to defeat Donald Trump on November 3rd to our mission is not over until Joe Biden takes the oath of office on January 20th. And I think today is the is the is the worst example of why that is Andi also, you know why the fight? You know, for some of us we thought was over, I think is really just beginning. Onda really? Just beginning in earnest. Um, you know, there are 13 members of the United States Senate, right? Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, James Lankford, Steve Daines, John Kennedy, Marsha Blackburn, Mike Braun, Cynthia Loomis, Roger Marshall, Bill Haggerty, Tommy Tuberville. Let's not forget Josh Holly, right? They knew what they were doing. They did this for their own game. They didn't do this because they believe in any election security silliness. They did it because they wanted to be on the side of Donald Trump. And they believed that their future within the Republican Party and further power was through Donald Trump. They knew what they were doing. Every one of them is known what they've been doing since the get go and for the ones who aren't on the list that I just read. They sat quietly for four years, and so, you know, I saw the plot. It's this morning. The McConnell was getting for a speech before all hell broke loose about the, you know, the the institutions. And, you know, he's a He's a true man of the building and of the United States. He used Donald Trump for his own purposes, put up with all of it, thought he could ride the tiger. And you know what? The tiger eats you if you stay in the cage with him long enough and I agree with Rick and I agree with you Tera and I agree with you, Jennifer, this man should not be present. United States for one more moment. Um, if he's not taken out by the 25th Amendment, he should be impeached tonight. Um, he should be barred from further office for ever holding office again. This man should be washed out of our collective system and we should begin the healing process. I hope that everybody had a chance to see the President elect speak today. It's good to know that there is a leader in this country who has the wherewithal and the fortitude, uh, you know, brought brought about by a generate, you know, generations of work and a lifetime of struggle that understood what this was and called it out for what it iss. He didn't sugarcoat it. He didn't. You know, he didn't use soft language. He said what it was, and he demanded Trump do what he's gonna dio. But here's why. Trump's not going to do anything because he's sitting in a large white house, our house protected by men and women who take an oath to put their lives on the line. For Hiss and for Trump, this is just one more part of the show. This is one more part of the TV antics that he loves so much. Did Donald Trump want this to happen? He did. He did want this to happen. He's happy it happen, and he knows most of all that he is personally and physically protected from this. And so I think that the members of the United States Congress, both in the House and the United States Senate it is now incumbent upon them to remove this cancer from the American people. He didn't just cause the death of that woman in the capital tonight, which he did. But the deaths of 325,000 other Americans because of his botched handling of the coronavirus. This man, it's You know what? I was telling Rick on a text earlier. You know, this is gonna sound not humble. And I'm sorry for this. I'm really sick of being right all the time, right? I'm really sick. Is an organization for saying crazy things and people saying that sounds crazy. And then them coming to fruition. I would really like us. Wants to say this is gonna happen and they say, and then it doesn't. But that's where we are because I think everybody fantastic on this pro e. I think everybody on this broadcast has known since long before he ever became president. Just what a cancer he waas and what it meant to invite this vampire into our American house. And so tonight, you know, all I can say is that to every one of our Lincoln Project members are followers are donors. The fight begins the people who incited this from Donald Trump toe Holly to Cruz. We will never to Ron Johnson. We will never give them a moments rest. They will get not one moments rest from us until they're driven from public life. If that's an election, if that's a resignation, if they hang their heads in shame and walk out of the capital for their last time, whatever the case might be, they will never leave this country. They have forfeited their rights to serve this country. They should go back to their homes and stared a television set and for eternity.

Governor Hogan, the Governor Hogan of Maryland and Governor Northam of Virginia had to deploy state troopers and National Guardsmen and women into the District of Columbia because the District of Columbia, given its its role as a federal area, could not defend itself. Um, that these two governors of different parties across different sides of the Potomac and the Chesapeake Bay did what they needed to do without any authorization without any, you know, without any asking they did it. They knew it was gonna happen. They saw what was happening, and they went into action. And, you know, once in a while we forget that we're a federal republic. But I'm a little bit thankful that those two gentlemen were sitting in the governor's mansions today. I'm glad that you brought that up Read because I mentioned earlier visited a lot of people have questions about this, why they were so unprepared and why we didn't see the National Guard out there visibly. They're protecting the perimeters and why we didn't see the park police, and they're on their horses and their riot here, like we did during the black lives, matter protests. Um, because Donald Trump didn't allow it. He did not allow their controlled by the federal government, which he controls for 14 more days. Unfortunately, maybe not, um, if we had our way. Well, I also I also talked to a dear friend of mine who works at a fairly significant federal agency who understood that also that and I'm not I'm not at all, um, you know, for giving what seems to be an epic security failure. But there was also a great deal of concern among the Capitol Police that a fair number of these people were probably armed and they were trying to do. They were trying to do you know, this stuff in such a way that did not encourage these people to draw their weapons and basically just have a shootout in the Capitol hallway, right? But it should never have gotten to that point is my is my point. You have absolutely the National Guard and the phalanx around the, you know, the Capitol grounds. Like I said during the state of the Union, you can't get anywhere near the Capitol grounds for blocks. Its's you, right. And we're two weeks away from the inaugural. Lot of these security checkpoints should have already been in place. Correct. And that's where having the feds give the green light to do it comes into play. And so and it didn't it never should have. They should never have been anywhere near the Capitol police officers to even reach the capital on break windows and get into the chamber. And have, you know, members evacuated that never should have gotten that far. Um, so you know, I think what we're gonna do now is we have some callers. We're gonna bring some of our our Lincoln Project viewers in to talk to us because we promised we would. So let's go to our first caller.

The panel speak on the differences between BLM protests and what happened today with mostly white rioters at Capitol HIll today.

But my question for you tonight is who should be held accountable for this disgrace on our democracy. Donald Trump, Don Jr and Rudy Giuliani just inside of this crowd. Today they take their tails down to the capital and they disgrace the whole Capitol building their climbing on walls. It's just it was absolutely disgraceful and ridiculous. And then, as an American, I just feel that this was so shameful. And this is and like Biden said. This is not who we are as America. This is. I mean, my friend is was out here crying today because she's looking at this and she's viewing this and she's like, What is going on to my country and all my 60 years I've never seen anything like this happened in my country. They need to be held accountable and who should hold them accountable? Well, uh, Rick, Jennifer, who wants to take that? Well, they've all got to be held accountable. I mean, there's the list is too long to go through. Let's start with Mitch McConnell and the 13 seditious senators who gave them something to go protest, you know, in front of today to go to go trying to become part of, um, you know, of course, Donald Trump. Of course, everybody on his campaign, of course, Rudy Giuliani. Every one of these people needs to be held accountable and whatever legal way is possible. And, you know, I was thinking about this earlier when you were I don't remember. You were Rick talking a talking about this, but every single one of those 13 senators should be pressured nonstop to resign. They should be pushed out of their seats. They should not be serving. And they have proven in this in this circumstance that they are are willing to betray their oath, betray the Constitution and serve a single cult leader rather than the people that elected them and sent them there to serve. They should be pressured to resign. And when we talk about Donald Trump in the 25th Amendment and 14 more days and impeachment, there is a much quicker, cleaner way to take care of that. Mitch McConnell and those 13 senators should be marching over to the White House right now with a pre written letter of resignation and surround the president and in the Oval Office until he signs it. He's Mike Pence for every single one of these people who has been giving him cover for the last four years. Should be at the White House right now. Handing him a pen to sign a letter of resignation. Make it immediate. We all know, unfortunately, that they'd have Thio pry that Donald Trump, you know, away from the Resolute Desk. He would never resign.

He's never going to do it. To be honest with you, I had a conversation today with a good friend of mine who has sources in Trump World who said that Donald Trump's actually considering not leaving the White House on Inauguration Day. That was this morning. So these aerial right here, I hope he doesn't. I hope that they that President Biden is forced to send the National Guard in there and that we can see it on film as that big baby is grasping the leg of the resolute desk and the forces go in and have to drag him out. I e can hear you on that. As amusing is, that would be satisfying is that would be to us to see them drag him out and, like, handcuff him and take him away. Um, my fear is that the optic of the optics of that would in spite the lunatics even more. And I worry. I'm worrying if that if it comes to that, because you know, we've never faced anything like this before. And on January 20th, the 12 01 Donald Trump becomes a private citizen, and if he decides to barricade himself in the White House, he's trespassing, then on federal property, which puts the secret service in a very precarious situation because they're your eyes to protect the office and the property, not the person in it. So you know, what do you do then? I don't know. I hope it doesn't come to that. Honestly, it's here. Here's, here's it's not going to come to that. And here's why. No matter what he's saying, no, what? No matter what bluster and arrogance and you know the emotional illnesses spilling out of his mouth while he's in the White House right now, it won't happen. And here's why. At his core in his heart, Donald Trump is a coward. Yeah, he's a coward. That's why he needed to send this crowd of rioters Thio, you know, to to express his anger and and everything he's feeling today because he can't do it himself. He's a coward. He won't stay in the White House. He won't put himself in that position. He'll pack up and he'll slink out the back door, you know, and and you take his last ride on Air Force One and go down to Florida, he will spout off. He will say all sorts of things he will do and say everything he can Thio recreate this scene that we saw today again on Inauguration Day. But he won't be there. He won't be part of it. He is too weak and too cowardly. I hope so. I really dio because he may feel emboldened by seeing these fools out there that are standing back and standing by at the ready because he loves them so much. And they feel emboldened by his praise. Um that they you know that they aren't out there saying we've got your back, Mr President. You know, they drag you out. Well, you know, we'll protect you. I saw videos last night of thes these rioters and insurrectionists egging on police in D. C last night telling them, you know, Hey, we had your back, but we don't need more Now we're coming for you, You know, their your our enemies now claiming to be marines and things. You know, these people are insane and they're dangerous. Eso I can't call it. I don't know. You know, we really just don't know. But I hope you're right, Jennifer. I'd rather you be right than me on this one.

crisis. So you know the tendrils of the ugliness in this presidency. Um, you know, every moment he's still in office is very troubling and very concerning to all of us. It's just we forget how, just how much power the enormity of the authority of the present United States has because most of most presidents air restrained and using it and rightfully so for president. I want to read a statement from former President George W. Bush. Laura and I are watching scenes of mayhem unfolding the seat of our nation's government, disbelief and dismay. It is a sickening and heartbreaking sight. This is how election results are disputed in a banana republic, not in our Democratic republic. I am appalled, but the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election. I mean the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, traditions and our law enforcement. The violent assault on the capital disruption of a constitutionally mandated meeting of Congress was undertaken by people whose passions have been inflamed by falsehoods and false hopes. Insurrection could do grave damage to our nation and reputation in the United States of America is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. Those who are disappointed in the results of the election, our country is more important than the politics of the moment. Let the officials elected by the people, fulfill their duties and represent our voices in peace and safety. May God continue to bless the United States of America. The title of this letter WAAS statement by President George W. Bush on insurrection at the Capitol. Oh my God, we have a former president of the United States acknowledging that this is an insurrection. One of our viewers may not love George W. Bush, whether you're Republicans or Democrats. But this is a man who understood the role of the presidency, and once he left it, there have been many people. Many of us have encouraged him to speak out more, But the degree to which he believes that that that former presidents should be to do good works and be seen and not heard is enormous for him to issue a letter of that clarity at recon tell you this is an enormous signal, an enormous signal. You're right. You're absolutely right about that. And to put an exclamation point on that, um, or 10 former secretaries of defense to feel the need to issue a statement which will be talking about more on tomorrow night's show. But to put out a statement clarifying what the role is or what lack thereof of the role of the military in the election process. And what's happening now is extraordinary. Also, nothing like that has ever happened before. Why were they so spooked that they felt that they needed to do that? Um, we've talked. We've reported on our show some of the personnel moves that Donald Trump made very troubling. Personnel moves over at the Pentagon, installing loyalists and people who have no business being in those positions to wreak havoc within the Pentagon and do God knows what fitting of his on de. So obviously, 10 bipartisan SEC deaths felt it was necessary for them to speak out at this moment in time, um, speaks volumes. Also, I I just don't know that people understand the enormity of this moment and what this means, how outside the norm. All of this is we're talking about insurrection, insurrection in 2020 these air terms and things that we haven't used referring to the United States outside of history books. But it's happening before our eyes. And there are a lot of people who are responsible for the lead up to this Ah lot of them. And like I said earlier in the show, I told a couple of them to go f off on Twitter today when they tried to come out and claim that we should be calm. Be peaceful, you know. Let's not do this. No, you can all fuck yourselves left right on Sunday to Sunday because you were part of it to help create this. We don't want to hear from you. Now go away. Who? We don't wanna go away.

Our callers. We have another one. Who's next? We have a caller from Alaska, I think. Yes. Oh, Hello. Yes. Anchorage, Alaska. Hi. Well, hello. Good to be here. First. I want to thank you for adding a righteous anger to my emotional mixed today. I was feeling, of course, a lot of sadness and a fair bit of joy. Remember, we have apparently kicked Mitch McConnell out of the leadership of the Senate. Um, and he's one of the most powerful Trump enablers s. Oh, that's a great victory. So a lot of joy, A lot of sadness, But I'm really glad I tuned in because we should be angry. I mean, this is I'm glad you added anger to my mix. So my question is, um do you have the do you think you have the energy the resource is and the desire to expand the Lincoln Project beyond just targeted advertising, which obviously you should continue to dio your your brilliant But, um, but I'm just curious because I think it's an interesting coalition. I'm left of center and I think you guys were spot on. I love you guys. Mhm. Thank you. And I think the answer is yes, yes and yes. But I'm gonna let Rick Alcoholic really fully answered that before I say one last thing that let Rick answer. I love Alaska. I became friends with your former governor, Bill Walker, and his lovely wife, Donna Walker. We were Harvard fellows together last year, and they are wonderful, beautiful people, and I have an open invitation. My husband and I to go visit the beautiful state of Alaska when things calm down and it's safe to do it. So I'm thrilled that you called in. We love Alaska. And now Rick Wilson will answer your Yes, Yes and yes. Question. We're going to stay in this fight in a very meaningful way across a lot of different domains. But the political and the messaging and the media and the cultural fight ahead, this is a large, complex, multi variant problem. And trumpism is as sticky a problem as Trump himself. So we're gonna be We're gonna be finding this in a lot of different areas, from disinformation to to how social media is enabled the spread of fascism and authoritarianism to holding the individuals who enable this stuff accountable. It's gonna be we're going to stay in this fight in a very meaningful way across the whole spectrum of debates.

I have a piece of intel I want to share with our viewers. Right now, I have just been told that there is a senior executive meeting of Twitter happening as we speak. They are deleting his tweets wholesale right now, and there is a strong consideration be given to removing a platform complete as of this one, we'll see if that happens. But it is A. It is a It is apparently a They was described to me just now, as a group of Twitter's senior most stakeholders, Um, is discussing this as we speak, so that is an exciting piece of news. I, uh, who's in the room? I'm not sure he's in the room, but let's be clear, if that's true, that while the responsible and correct thing to do because he has clearly several times broken their terms, you know of use their it's just another case of a a significant entity that had the ability to have a positive influence previous to this and chose not to. Twitter is long overdue to take action on Donald Trump's tweets. Yes, all I agree with you, that same thing with Facebook. And it's my understanding that book is that Facebook is taking down his videos. Um uh, speakers. Well, being this there's that, but yeah, a little too. Thanks for doing it now. It only took a freaking insurrection to get get off classes, but I guess better late. Never point. And you know what, Terry you were saying? You know, you're not sure if people understand how significant a moment this is how How extraordinary and serious and dangerous this is. You know, when they'll get it when they take Trump all Twitter, then suddenly everyone's going to say, Oh, this must be a really big deal. I What is that say about us as a culture that exactly it'll be it'll be on parlor will be on five minutes after. Oh, yeah, you're right. Trump will be right there. Yep. Well, they can have it. That's their own little island. Let them *** Same people don't go on parlor so they can all you know, have their little circle jerk over there on parlor and let him stay over there and their own little island. I think we have a couple tweet here. I'm gonna bring it and realize how dirty you are. I'm e a lot, you know, I know I'm accustomed to it from Rick, but I had no idea with you. Look, like I said, I'm a guy's girl. I've been a tomboy my whole life. I'm from Jersey it, You know, it's just kind of how we are. And tonight I don't care, because I'm just so this is a day Thio. Say what you're thinking.

Unless the Republicans condemn Donald Trump after today, it will be the end of the party. Trumpism will live on Fox News and talk radio.

Michael Steel is a Senior Advisor to the Lincoln Project. Citizens should realize we were very close to lose the United States of America today.

Are Americans ready to move forward from Trumpism to democracy? How do we move on? Trumpism is not just Trump himself anymore?

Rick Wilson says tell them the truth. Jennifer Horn says reassure them that they are safe. Tara Setmayer says you should be an example.

Democrats will now be in power in the senate.

How the 25th Amendment Gets Invoked

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