House impeaches Trump for role in deadly Capitol riot

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a note to his Republican colleagues this afternoon on impeachment, writing "while the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate.”

Earlier, McConnell rejected calls by Democrats to bring the Senate back immediately to convict President Trump in his final days in office.

McConnell’s office made that clear to Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s aides on Wednesday, according to Republican officials.

Chad Wolf, who resigned as Homeland Security acting secretary two days ago, said Wednesday that President Trump bears some responsibility for the events at the US Capitol last week.

However, it is for Congress to determine if it was an impeachable offense, Wolf said. He told CNN there is also personal responsibility for the rioters who entered the Capitol. 

Some context: Wolf stepped down as acting secretary on Monday after a government watchdog and federal judges cast doubt on his legitimacy to lead the department, including in a court ruling last Friday blocking Trump administration asylum limits.

He served in an acting capacity for 14 months in the top role, a position that now will be filled by Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Pete Gaynor for the remaining days of the Trump administration.

The day after the attack on the Capitol, Wolf urged Trump and all other elected officials to condemn the violence in a sharply worded statement, while vowing to stay in his position until President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

"I was disappointed that the President didn't speak out sooner on that. I think he had a role to do that. I think, unfortunately, the administration lost a little bit of the moral high ground on this issue by not coming out sooner on it," he said Wednesday of condemning the violence.

Wolf told CNN he would like to see more from the President in terms of calling for nonviolent protests.

"[I]f you're going to protest, you do that in a very nonviolent way. I'd like to have him speak, have him say that and just that," Wolf said. "And have that be the message that carries the day."

The fence line securing the US Capitol complex is currently expanding after a small but vocal group of anti-fascist demonstrators approached the barricades.  

New eight-foot metal fencing is currently going up on 3rd St. NW. It expands the security perimeter by about 250 yards.  

Earlier today, a group of over a dozen protestors marched with large banners to the fence line, chanting and yelling at police with bullhorns.  

Capitol police carrying a large number of flexible handcuffs moved quickly to push the demonstrators back to 3rd St.  An officer announced on a loudspeaker that the demonstrators were assembled without a permit and needed to leave.

The demonstrators eventually folded their banners and left.  

The street is now lined with dozens of officers. Lined behind them for reinforcement are National Guard troops carrying semiautomatic rifles.  

 After the protesters left, utility vehicles carrying the fencing arrived fencing arrived.  

States across the country are increasing security measures at their capitol buildings ahead of what the FBI warned are "armed protests" being planned at all 50 state capitols.

Online chatter about more violent demonstrations "is off the charts right now," one official told CNN. Facebook has seen online signals indicating the potential for more violence following last week’s insurrection, a company spokesperson said.

Here's how some states are preparing for potential unrest:

Multiple layers of security are also in place around the US Capitol as the House debates on impeaching President Trump. Heightened security is also planned for President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Today, National Guard members are surrounding the entire grounds of the Capitol. They were just issued weapons, many of them carrying semi-automatic rifles.

California GOP Rep. Young Kim, who narrowly won her seat in November, said she supports censuring President Trump but opposes impeaching him.

"I believe censuring the president is a better option. This would be a strong rebuke of his actions and rhetoric and unite our country and chamber, rather than divide it," she said.

Read her full statement:

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he fully supports lawmakers impeaching President Trump. 

"To those of you who think, well he's only got one week left, this is not about time. It's about doing what's right, it's about setting a higher bar for the presidency of this country, it's about standing up for the Constitution and the rule of law," Murphy said during a news conference Wednesday. 

Murphy, a Democrat, praised Republican Rep. Liz Cheney for supporting Trump's impeachment.

"I don't think I'll often find myself in agreement with Wyoming Representative Liz Cheney, the third highest member of the House Republican leadership but I do here and I give her a huge shout out for being on the right side of this from moment one, never equivocated," he said.

"Representative Cheney said of President Trump's last actions last week and I quote her, 'there has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,' and that he hits it on the head," Murphy added.

A lectern of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which was seen being held by a rioter as a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol last week, was set up for an enrollment ceremony tonight in the House of Representatives.

Adam Johnson, of Florida, was arrested in the state Friday and booked into the Pinellas County Jail just days after he was allegedly caught on camera carrying the House speaker's lectern.

In opposing the impeachment resolution, Texas Republican Rep. Lance Gooden said, “And I also want to thank my Democratic colleagues for finally joining Republicans in condemning mob violence after six months of refusing to acknowledge it.” 

Facts First: This accusation is false. Numerous Democrats — including President-elect Joe Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and other senior members of the party’s congressional caucus — condemned rioting and looting last year while also supporting peaceful protests against racism and police brutality. 

Republicans are entitled to argue that Democrats should have issued such condemnations more forcefully or frequently, but it’s just inaccurate to say they didn't issue the condemnations at all. 

The Justice Department appears to be hitting up against the potential limits of the law, as they try to keep people detained who came to Washington last week for a coup attempt.

A judge is already asking for more from the Justice Department on why he should keep one defendant locked up who brought guns and ammo to Washington and wrote in text messages about shooting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.

One of the more serious cases so far, against Cleveland Meredith Jr., who is accused of threatening Pelosi and bringing hundreds of rounds of ammo and guns to Washington, DC, is where this came up today. 

Prosecutors had asked for Meredith's detention. Meredith's lawyer countered that keeping him locked up because of perceived "dangerousness" alone is not enough under the law. 

"Congress restricted the government’s ability to request detention," Meredith's lawyer wrote in a court filing Wednesday afternoon, citing the Bail Reform Act limitations that reasons defendants can be kept in jail must be because they are a flight risk, potentially obstructive or charged with crimes of violence, a drug offense, or an offense that could merit a life sentence or death. 

His lawyer argued Meredith should be released while he awaits his trial.

Meredith has not yet been indicted, and was arrested last week on a criminal complaint alleging that he illegally possessed weapons and made the threats.

He was set to have a judge decide whether he should be detained today. That is now being postponed until tomorrow, and DOJ is getting another opportunity to argue for why he should remain in jail.

Meredith is still detained.

He has no prior convictions on his record, his lawyer also argues.