It's been a tumultuous week in the nation's capital as lawmakers contend with the insurrection and subsequent impeachment of President Donald Trump. KUNR Morning Edition Host Noah Glick checks in with Political Editor Paul Boger to get a sense of where Nevada's lawmakers stand.
Noah Glick: Since yesterday's vote, we've heard that this was a more bipartisan effort than President Trump's previous impeachment, but for Nevada's lawmakers, the vote fell pretty much along party lines. Can you break down that for us?
Paul Boger: Representatives Dina Titus, Susie Lee, Steven Horsford — all Democrats — voted to impeach President Trump yesterday. The trio backed that particular move very quickly after the violent events at the Capitol last week. And in statements, the representatives condemned the attacks. They called for accountability on the count of the president. During his remarks, in particular, on the floor, Horsford said that this act should be reason enough to make sure that Donald Trump is a one-term president.
“Last Wednesday's events were not just a breach of a building, but a breach of our democracy, a threat to our Republic and to who we are as Americans. Donald Trump incited insurrection against America and attempted to overturn the will of the people. We must send a clear message that committing sedition disqualifies a president from serving another day in office.”
Glick: Now, Northern Nevada's representative Mark Amodei voted against impeachment. Did he say why he voted against that article?
Boger: You know, that's an interesting question because I think it's fair to say that Amodei has been unwavering in his support of President Trump. He was chair of Trump's Nevada campaign during the 2016 election and he's backed virtually all of the president's policies. I will say that while Amodei has supported the president in his actions over the last four years, he has been known to voice some criticism or, at least, some separation between himself and the rest of the Republican leadership.
Now what's interesting, though, Amodei was on Nevada Newsmakers earlier this week. And when he was asked about the events of the last week, he was pretty clear that the president did bear some responsibility.
“It was your rally, and they went to the Capitol after that and this happened. So your words, it's fair to say, you had a piece of this. I mean, I'm sorry, but it's like you had a piece of this.”
Glick: So what happens now, Paul?
Boger: The impeachment will move over to the trial, which is in the Senate. That could be taken up as early as next week. So technically, it's now in the hands of our senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, among others.
Glick: Do you have any indication of how they're going to vote on this?
Boger: Both have been fairly mum at this point, as opposed to their Democratic colleagues in the House. They did issue statements in the aftermath of the insurrection, and they indicated that the pair were more concerned about working in a bipartisan manner, really trying to get started on President-elect Joe Biden's agenda.
Now I will say when it does come time for a vote, I will be very surprised if Cortez Masto or Rosen decides to vote against a conviction. They both voted in favor of the previous impeachment. So you can definitely expect that they will very likely vote in favor again.
Glick: Paul, while I have you here, I do want to ask you about some of the armed demonstrations scheduled for this weekend. Are there concerns over possible violence in Carson City or elsewhere?
Boger: So we've heard, and we've seen on social media, that there are armed demonstrations planned in major cities and in capital cities across the country. We don't have a good sense of how many people might show up to Carson City. We do know that some will show up. There have been demonstrations there almost every weekend for months now, but law enforcement is not backing down. They are being very secure. They're saying that they are making preparations and that they are going to keep a close eye on these demonstrations.
