On Wednesday, the U.S. Senate held a "trial" regarding the Articles of Impeachment directed at Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. I've got "trial" in quotation marks because the trial never really got off the ground. As detailed in the overview of the proceedings, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) started out with a show of allowing the Republicans to have a say in the proceedings, it would all be for naught, and the Republicans exposed that, beginning with Senator Eric Schmitt's (R-MO) objection calling for a full trial.
READ MORE:
The Mayorkas Impeachment Trial That Wasn't: How Senate Democrats Torched Precedent
WATCH LIVE: Mayorkas Impeachment Trial Begins
Schumer then raised a point of order asserting that the first Article of Impeachment was unconstitutional as it did not contain an impeachable offense and should be dismissed. Republican senators made several motions and parliamentary inquiries as procedural maneuvers aimed at exposing the Democrats' game.
Among those was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who, during the proceeding, moved to table Schumer's point of order while pointing out the purpose of an impeachment trial.
McConnell speaking on impeachment trial of Mayorkas: 'Tabling articles of impeachment would be unprecedented in the history of the Senate. It's a simple as that.' pic.twitter.com/DnC1lKNEyv
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 17, 2024
To clear up any confusion on this (as some are apparently under the mistaken impression that McConnell was not in favor of the trial), this was the opposite. McConnell was moving to table Schumer's point in order to allow the trial to proceed.
In support of his motion, McConnell laid out the purpose and framework of impeachment, and the dereliction of the Senate's duty being pushed by Schumer and the Democrats.
JUST IN: Mitch McConnell Drops The Hammer On Chuck Schumer After Mayorkas Impeachment Is Dismissed pic.twitter.com/cNNu9kLJbU
— 1776 (@TheWakeninq) April 17, 2024
Here's what he had to say:
Madame President, the Senate just swore an oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws of our country. We swore to discharge a duty that is quite different from our normal work. As a court of impeachment, we are called not to speak, not to debate, but to listen — both to the case against the accused and to his defense.
At this point in any trial in the country, the prosecution presents the evidence of the case, counsel for the defense does the same, and the jury remains silent as it listens. This is what our rules require of us as well. But the Senate has not had the opportunity to perform this duty. The Senate will not hear the House Managers present the details of their case against Secretary Mayorkas — that he willingly neglected the duties of his office and that he lied to Congress about the extent of that failure. Likewise, we will not hear the secretary's representatives present the vigorous defense to which he is entitled.
Our colleagues know that we are obligated to take these proceedings seriously. This is what our oath prescribes; it's what the history and precedent require, and I would urge each of our colleagues to consider that this is what the Framers actually envisioned. The power of impeachment is one of the most delicate balances our constitutional system strikes with a portion of the American people's sovereign electoral authority. It purchases a safeguard against malpractice, and it gives the Senate the power and the duty to decide. This process must not be abused; it must not be short-circuited. History will not judge this moment well. Therefore, I move to table the point of order and ask for the yeas and nays.
Procedural wrangling notwithstanding, the Republicans, as the minority, were not able to overcome the Democrats' steadfast determination not to hold a trial, even though, as noted, they did manage to lay bare the Dems' unprecedented decision to simply ignore the constitutional requirements of impeachment proceedings.
Following the adjournment, with the Articles of Impeachment dismissed without a hearing, McConnell took to the floor to scorch Schumer over his craven politicking.
"It's not a proud day in the history of the Senate."
— ABC News (@ABC) April 17, 2024
Senate Republican leader McConnell says the chamber "set a very unfortunate precedent" by dismissing both impeachment articles against Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas without a full trial. https://t.co/bCSQz5TOQc pic.twitter.com/5LzwYb4U3w
We've set a very unfortunate precedent here, which means that the Senate can ignore, in effect, the House's impeachment. It doesn't make any difference whether our friends on the other side thought he should have been impeached or not. He was. And by doing what we just did, we have in effect ignored the directions of the House, which were to have a trial. We had no evidence, no procedure. This is a day — it's not a proud day in the history of the Senate.
If Wednesday's proceedings serve to underscore anything (aside from the Democrats' apparent indifference to the chaos at the border and the Biden administration's feckless and reckless (mis)handling of it), it is the importance of gaining (and retaining) a majority. Hopefully, that will remain crystal clear in the minds of voters (preferably those inclined to vote Republican) come November.
Editor's Note: This article was edited post-publication for clarity.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member