Bill Weld: Trump faces higher risk of removal if senators go to secret ballot
Interview
David Smith in Washington
Trump impeachment inquiry
Ex-governor of Massachusetts and Republican candidate sees some parallels between Trumps predicament and Nixons downfall
David Smith @smithinamerica
Sat 26 Oct 2019 02.00 EDT
Donald Trump faces a higher risk of being removed from office than is widely assumed if senators vote on his fate by secret ballot, according to a Republican challenging him for the US presidency.
Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, is mounting a long-shot challenge to Trump in the Republican primary and he is now suggesting the president might not even be on the ballot in November 2020.
Conventional wisdom holds that, in the wake of the damning testimony of the acting ambassador to Ukraine, Bill Taylor, of a quid pro quo, House Democrats inquiry will inevitably result in Trumps impeachment before the end of this year but the Republican-controlled Senate will then acquit him.
I do think the House will send it over to the Senate for a trial, Weld said before a recent campaign stop in New Hampshire. I dont really have a prediction on the Senate. I have no idea what the chances are.
A straw in the wind was provided by former senator [Jeff] Flake of Arizona recently when he said if there was a secret ballot, there would be 30 to 35 votes to convict. Well, all you need is 20. I think from Senator Flake that was a trial balloon to plant the idea in Leader [Mitch] McConnells head that maybe a secret ballot would inform his judgment. If they go to a secret ballot, I think you could see some real movement.
More:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/oct/26/bill-weld-trump-challenger-impeachment-senate
TreasonousBastard
(43,049 posts)dem4decades
(11,304 posts)djacq
(1,634 posts)Such as it is.
rainin
(3,011 posts)They need to be forced to put their name next to a vote of aye or nay, and live with it for the rest of their lives.
On the one hand, I agree with you. An open government should insist that the vote of our representatives is public, and any secret ballot sets bad precedent. On the other hand, for the sake of this country's survival, Trump has got to go.
Karadeniz
(22,572 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,485 posts)Skittles
(153,193 posts)MustLoveBeagles
(11,634 posts)but at this point I want him out. I don't care how.