BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – President Donald Trump went to Battle Creek, Mich. on Wednesday night resigned to the House vote for impeachment.
He wasn’t happy about it, which became the underlying theme of his two-hour Merry Christmas Rally. However, he still made light of the vote while on the stage.
“It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached,” he said.
Thousands waited in line in the Michigan cold to hear what the President had to say about impeachment. He marveled at how House republicans backed him.
“I think we have a vote coming in ... so we got every single Republican voted for us, whoa, whoa, wow, almost 200," he said.
This was a re-election rally, after all, so he reverted to his attack mode on Democrats.
“They think the Washington swamp should be able to veto the results of an election, that’s what they think," he said.
He listed victories: repealing NAFTA, high employment, the economy.
“As of yesterday we’ve had 133 record days in the stock market now,” he said.
He took shots at everyone -- former FBI Director James Comey and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“Cuz I understand she’s not fixing those potholes," Trump said.
And most infamously, Michigan Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.
He first quoted Debbie Dingell, expalining how she called him to thank him for providing “A-plus treatment” after her husband’s death in February: “Thank you so much. John would be so thrilled. He’s looking down.”
Then he added: “I said, ‘That’s OK. Don’t worry about it.’ Maybe he’s looking up. I don’t know.”
Trump then offered: “But let’s assume he’s looking down.”
Dingell immediately tweeted: "You brought me down in a way you can never imagine. Your hurtful words just made my healing much harder.”
Mr. President, let’s set politics aside. My husband earned all his accolades after a lifetime of service. I’m preparing for the first holiday season without the man I love. You brought me down in a way you can never imagine and your hurtful words just made my healing much harder.
— Rep. Debbie Dingell (@RepDebDingell) December 19, 2019
Dingell did vote for Trump’s impeachment.
Michigan’s role in 2020
The state of Michigan will play a vitally important role in the 2020 election. Trump made it clear that he believes the state will make a huge difference for him on election day in November. He chose Battle Creek for his rally on this historic night because the west side of the state is strongly par of his base.
But there was much more behind the President’s appearance in west Michigan. It was former Republican and now Independent Congressman Justin Amash’s district. Amash becamse the first House Republican to suggest impeachment earlier this year. He voted for it on Wednesday.
Trump previously tweeted that Amash was a “loser.”
Read back: Trump calls Amash ‘dumbest and most disloyal’ in Congress
One important story slipped under the radar on Wednesday. Trump had dispatched Attorney General William Barr to Michigan earlier in the day. Barr was joined by all of the heads of the Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, ATF and U.S. Marshals in Detroit. It’s a picture that’s extremely rare outside of Washington.
They came bearing part of $71 million in more agents and technology to fight violent crime in the city. Barr explained why Detroit, and why now.
“We go where justice is needed most. It’s intolerable for some Americans to experience high levels of violence, and other live in relative peace. So we go where the trouble is,” said Barr.
Here’s what’s next in the impeachment process:
Here’s what comes next in the impeachment process:
- The Senate holds an impeachment trial overseen by the chief justice of the United States.
- Chief Justice John Roberts currently presides over the Supreme Court of the United States.
- A team of lawmakers from the House, known as managers, play the role of prosecutors.
- The official facing impeachment has defense lawyers.
- The Senate serves as the jury.
- A two-thirds majority in the Senate must find the official guilty in order for them to be removed from office.
- Republicans currently control the Senate.
- President Bill Clinton was impeached by the House, but was not convicted by the Senate and remained in office.
Trump, clearly, is not expected to be removed from office by the Repulican-held Senate.