Impeachment Trial May Be Headed For A Classification Showdown | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

Rachel Maddow and an MSNBC panel discuss the options available to Democrats if the Trump administration decides to abuse the classification system to keep evidence out of the Senate impeachment trial of Donald Trump. Aired on 01/22/20.
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Impeachment Trial May Be Headed For A Classification Showdown | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC

87 comments

    1. @Walt Schmidt It’s true the Republicans will acquit him, at a very great cost to this nation. Trump is the fall of America. Only people who see, understand this. There is much blood on the hands of this nation, there is a season for everything.

    2. @Jennie Blakeborough omg. this is so disturbing. when will the disturbing new info end? wtf else is there going on? they need to arrest him the minute he is removed. they need to put him in isolation. this is too much.

    3. My Prayer for Justice What is even sadder, just heard from BBC news, that only 11 million are watching the impeachment trial. This out of a projected 2020 population of 330 + million. Growing daily!

  1. He’s still not getting removed because Republicans don’t carry about crimes committed to benefit their own interests.

    1. @oltedders well said! There’s an awful lot of willful ignorance and disregard for the values that made America great to begin with in the kult 45. They think they’re winning while their cult leader turns our country into an oligarchy with a dictator. And they talk about one of his spawn being the next president. They forget that we fought 2 wars to stop being ruled by a monarchy. Their stupidity is astounding.

  2. All this cover up is VERY telling. Not that we didn’t already know. This corruption is getting seriously dangerous. How will we ever come back from this? It’s disgraceful.

    1. @some guy mitch McConnell needs cleansing of his soul…
      He needs to be voted out of leader of the Senate 12 years of his unmanteling of the constitution and Democracy has to end in November…..

    2. 😳 it’s “classified” information that president Dotard Chump is a criminal? 🤣🤣🤣

      EVERYBODY already knows it… it’s just that only american patriots will admit to the fact/s

      FAKE PRESIDENT
      FAKE REPUBLICANS
      FAKE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

    1. Bolton is just trying to sell his book,all narcissistic drama queen style. If he really had something to say,it would be his PATRIOTIC DUTY,to all of our well deserving people of this great country,for him to just say it. Bolton and his book is anti-American,and contributing to Trump and the Republicans demolishing the constitution,which is what we stand for.

    2. cause trump told them. & he never lies. i’m just glad my mother isn’t alive to see this. trump in prison 2020.

    1. @Sophia Lewis The W.H.O. gave a report before the U.N. stating that pollutants in our environment are having a detrimental effect on human intelligence. It isn’t good but none of our politicians will talk about it! It is the only explanation I can find for this madness!

    2. @David Gonzales No offence buddy, but I have been to Cal several times and seen for myself the number of illegals and DACA’s etc…
      Yeah hard to talk to some of theses dems, most seem to be radical left, hard core socialists or out right communists. They never answer my questions as to their leanings so as to give me a better understanding of who and what I am dealing with. The common theme I have found is that they are angry and very hateful.
      meuller was fraud and a waste of time. The investigation was run by wiseman and meuller was just the face of the report to give a credibility, even afetr two and a half years the dems could not find any collusion.
      Now Trump wanted the Ukraine President to look at corruption over there that involved Americans. Low and behold the bidens and polosi with her son, nadler and shift and even kerry have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Money laundering using American finance companies. Biden has five family members in this corruption. Dems are desperately try to pin something on Trump or trying to remove him from office before their crimes are exposed.
      A book was released yesterday on corruption and it mainly features the top dems.. Seventeen chapters eas on the family of biden alone. Thery are so desperate.

  3. This bugs me. Why do you have to go to court to make someone do something the law already says that person must abide by. For example. I commit a crime right in Front of a cop….Police officer says ‘ your under arrest” me “ you can’t arrest me unless you prove in court you have the power to do that. Cop tackles me puts me in cuffs and makes sure I don’t hit my head when he puts me in a squad car.

    1. @Edward MacLennan actually, that quite literally is not true, the 2 year Mueller report and Mueller’s testimony did show some bad things, but what they could not show was that one single vote was changed by Russian interference. Which means, unfortunately, that he is president, and therefore he gets to do what every other president has done.
      Fun fact, the first tim George W. Bush used executive privilege was to protect Janet Reno and Justice department deliberations about Bill Clinton’s fundraising activities, who would have thought??

    2. @Edward MacLennan So all Trump is doing is an illusion or illegal or imaginary. Alternative,projecting on sh’rooms. i really wish you were somehow,for real,but Trump really is.

    3. @Bassmaster E Really,i agree.Grammar,is communication. Dot your,”i”,important,also,but,(There’s that big butt,of mine.),sometimes in the excitement,we all may miss important details.Hence,”forgive us our trespasses,as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It’s all good. live love

    4. Yes, I’ve had that same question myself on a number of occasions. When Barr, Mnuchin, Ross, and McGahn refused to show up for important House hearings or turn over (unredacted) subpoenaed documents, they should have been arrested for inherent contempt and thrown in the Capitol jail until they complied. When he’s locked behind bars, let’s see how long it would take for Mnuchin to order the IRS to turn over Trump’s taxes. Let’s see if the director of the IRS would cheerfully follow him to jail by refusing to comply.

  4. No matter how this turns out, there is one thing that every American will remember on voting day: *innocent people don’t behave this way — guilty people do.*

    1. @BMrider75 On June 20, 2012, President Barack Obama asserted executive privilege in order to withhold certain Department of Justice documents related to the Operation Fast and Furious controversy ahead of a United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform vote to hold Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress for refusing to produce the documents.[27][28] Later the same day, the House Committee voted 23–17 along party lines to hold Holder in contempt of Congress over not releasing the documents.[29]

      Asserting executive privilege is asserting executive privilege. The act of doing so is directly relevant.

    2. @Jackie Bilder The whole world waiting for dems to show proof, It is up to the dems to bare evidence….not the accused…They had so much time at the plate… Time to end the witch hunt….read more and you can see who really made proclamation.confession

      .

    3. @WrizzleDVM : oh dear, cut n paste from Wikipedia. But not necessary, I’m perfectly aware of the details, including the partisan nature of the vote, and, more importantly, the subsequent investigation which condoned that use of Executive Privilege.
      Now, Trump HASN’T yet invoked Executive Privilege, because he KNOWS he has no legitimate grounds.
      So, your argument is invalid.
      Would you like to now discuss the blatent evidence of the Impeachment with respect to Trump corruptly blocking the witnesses?

  5. How does Moscow Mitch and his parasites think that no witnesses and documents is a real trial,,, it isn’t….😒

    1. If Moscow Mitch doesn’t let any witnesses because every Republicans congress would be in trouble! Plus if no documentation to who got paid by the Russian government but also remember that Moscow Mitch is a Russian business in Kentucky! Plus read up on Moscow Mitch wife and who her dad is!

    2. George Thompson plus George shut up ! Sorry but under tRump it will be Ridded because it’s is starting today!

    3. To most of the tRump supporters on here! Sorry but why are you so afraid of truth! Sorry but I would like to know if our so called president did do any crime

  6. If this was a “normal” trial trump would be convicted of a multitude of crimes and probably be headed for jail.

    1. @Lorne H no thanks. You are free to look it up yourself. Believe whatever you want. It won’t matter because November is coming. 2018 was just the beginning.

    2. Ben Frank sorry for you, but I like to believe the truth! And November 2018 wasn’t that big of a upset, you do know Republicans still have the Senate…

    3. @Lorne H They sure do. But not for long. Not after what America has seen. We are coming for the White House and Senate in November. Time to put an end to all this republican corruption.

    4. Ben Frank I don’t agree with the 2 party system. But the economy is doing great under “Trump” so he will get my vote this time.

  7. Of course America has a wright to see and know.He is gilty and he knows it.It is evidence and thus it is not classified.

  8. Trump’s defense team is pathetic, so what… GOP doesn’t care. All of them (stop counting on Collins or Romney) will vote to protect their interests.

    1. Trump’s attorneys are for show,anyway. He admitted on camera,in Switzerland he know’s it’s going to work his way,’cause he has the papers they need to prove his deed is factual.

    2. IT WILL BE THE LAST TIME THEIR INTERESTS WILL BE SEEN BY AMERICANS.
      THEY WILL DISAPPEAR- LIKE TRUMP IN 2020.
      TRUMP’S FOULNESS OF CHARACTER IS ONLY SURPASSED BY HIS STUPIDITY.

    1. jadaliz3 you’re blind and it’s sad, not all people who want this information are Democrats, I’m an independent so stop the name calling like the administration you bow to without question. You’re an imbecile.

    2. Walt Schmidt new information has come out since then so that shouldn’t be included? You’re joking right? You’re okay with our elections being rigged so if Trump lost because of foreign interference you’d have no problem with that? Yea right…

    3. It’s actually causing harm to us,as a country.We should be able to sue,or petition,or something,them to change that. We should be calling our Senators,reminding them who votes for them.

    4. @Walt Schmidt first time in the history of our country a senate trial will not allow witnesses….every impeachment beforehand has had a special counsel appointed to investigate gathering all documents and witnesses for which DoJ refused. Even after SCO investigation there were still witnesses recalled in the last impeachment instance of a POTUS, and the last Supreme Court justice actually. This is historical blocking by the GOP…and by the Executive branch….it says that the Executive branch is subject to congressional oversight during impeachment in the United States Constitution and Trump refused…..he spat on the US Constitution by doing so. There is no merit to your statement

  9. The Republicans actions are becoming ridiculously corrupt and transparently so. Redactions and classifications , executive privilege all used to further a cover-up and proving just more abuse of power.

    1. @Alicia Taylor
      Thank GOD. Someone speaking common sense. The CULT 45 supporters cry about freedom of speech and giving school shooters and church shooters the ability to more easily obtain weapons yet REFUSE to defend and stand up to the actual preservation of the construction.
      These Republicans are practically taking turns taking a DUMP on it and setting it on fire.
      It’s like they are under a spell or in a trance. I don’t get it. It’s a matter of time someone WORSE is in office and they will have a full bliwn DICTATOR taking guns fur REAL… Building a wall to keep the citizens IN and not being able to take a flight OUT.
      They race bait these morons to accept these policy changes. They will be the MAIN people CRYING

    2. @Alicia Taylor None of that matters, Donald Trump will win the impeachment hoax and then go on to win the 2020 election. Case closed, MAGA !!!

    1. @Arthur Kroulik You must have just started watching the news today, they dont need to vote in order to swing our elections.

    2. Wow who should we say thank u too,for that privilege. America please wake up. See the hypothesis all around u, and because this administration is so desperate everything that is done need to scrutinized over & over again. Leave nothing to chance. Look at what we got when we took the election on faith.

  10. Thank you Mya for speaking the truth on that fact that Trump has bragged about intel to the Russians multiple times without any coordination with his staff in advance, they’ve had to cover for him after the fact. Imagine what he’s told members at his properties without a need to know about such things going back to that meeting at Mar-a-Lago with the the Japanese PM & wife in attendance. All in plain sight & earshot of guests #IMPOTUS #NationalSecurityThreat

    1. As long as crooked trump no spine Republican are in charge there is. No national security orange man will tell Putin all of our secrets and no elections wii. Be fair because he wants to like putin a dictator

  11. “There has to be a rational basis…” – Unfortunately, this has not applied to republicans for quite some time.

    1. Due to the fact,that they have, no conscience. Can’t just grow one,if it’s not there. They do,however fake one,but only when they need a vote.

  12. “If you’re not doing anything wrong, you’ve got nothing to hide.”
    Where have I heard that before? Oh yeah. The government says that to us.

    1. Actually that’s straight out of Nazi Germany from the SS I believe field if you’ve got nothing to hide why should you mind us looking

  13. Alan Dershowitz to the Senate: “If the tiny hand doesn’t fit… you must acquit.”
    Dershowitz, the attorney of choice for OJ, Jeffrey Epstein, and Donald Trump.

    It is interesting to note that Harvey Weinstein is being tried on one end of the country and Donald J Trump on the other.

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