memeorandum: Republican Acquittal of Trump Is a Pivotal Moment for the Party (Alexander Burns/New York Times)

8:25 AM ET, February 14, 2021

Top Items:

David Frum / The Atlantic:

It'll Do — In 1955, a junior United States senator named John F. Kennedy published Profiles in Courage, a collection of short essays about eight of his predecessors who had risked their careers for their ideals over the previous 150 years. — In one single day in 2021 …

Discussion: Georgia Recorder, The Guardian, Los Angeles Times, CNN, Breitbart, Bloomberg, Fox News and Raw Story

Alexander Burns / New York Times:

Republican Acquittal of Trump Is a Pivotal Moment for the Party — The vote, signaling how thoroughly the party has come to be defined by the personality of one man, is likely to leave a blemish on the historical record. — During the first trial of Donald J. Trump, 13 months ago …

Discussion: Daily Mail, Associated Press, RedState, Vox and Raw Story

The White House:

Statement by President Joe Biden on the Senate Vote in the Trial of Donald Trump … It was nearly two weeks ago that Jill and I paid our respects to Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick, who laid in honor in the Rotunda after losing his life protecting the Capitol from a riotous, violent mob on January 6, 2021.

Discussion: The Guardian, Fox News and Raw Story

Kaitlan Collins / CNN:

Trump has privately voiced concern about being charged related to January 6 riot — (CNN)Former President Donald Trump has privately voiced concern in the last two weeks about whether he could face charges as a result of the January 6 riot he's accused of inciting, according to multiple people.

Discussion: Insider, emptywheel, The Times of Israel and The Week

Margaret Sullivan / Washington Post:

‘A moment of truth’? After years of Trump's lies, amplified by MAGA media, that proved impossible for most Republicans — The words spoken on the Senate floor over the past few days were almost innumerable. But the ones that stayed with me through the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump were among the very first ones uttered.

Burgess Everett / Politico:

Up in '22, Murkowski readies to face impeachment vote fallout — Just one Republican senator that voted to convict President Donald Trump on Saturday has to face voters next year. But she does not seem to care about the political fallout. — “If I can't say what I believe that our president …

Discussion: New York Magazine, NBC News, HuffPost, ABC News, Roll Call, IJR and Lawyers, Guns & Money

U.S. Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina:
Senator Burr Statement on Vote to Convict Former President Trump on Article of Impeachment

Discussion: Power Line, The Hill, Washington Post, Raw Story, New York Times and The Daily Signal

CBS News:
McConnell says Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for riot after voting not guilty

Chris Kahn / Reuters:
Poll: Most Americans think Trump at least partially responsible for Capitol attack

Discussion: The Guardian, Slate and The Hill

Scott Wong / The Hill: Pelosi rules out censure after Trump acquittal

Dana Milbank / Washington Post:

Trump left them to die. 43 Senate Republicans still licked his boots. — In the end, the darkest truth of Donald Trump's crime came to light. — As his marauders sacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 in their bloody attempt to overturn the election, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy called …

Discussion: Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Wall Street Journal, The Intercept, USA Today, CNN, Axios and Roll Call

John Nichols / The Nation:
The Senate Has Failed America

Politico:
Inside Democrats' witness fiasco

Jim Swift / The Bulwark:
Trump's Acquittal Is an Ignominious Failure

Discussion: Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, NBC News, BizPac Review, New York Times, CBS Philly, Al Jazeera and FiveThirtyEight

Walter Shapiro / New Republic:
The Botched Democratic Effort to Convict Donald Trump

Discussion: CNN, Axios and Breitbart

Chris Cillizza / CNN:
Why Democrats blinked in the Senate impeachment trial

Discussion: WTOP, Al Jazeera, The Hill, Insider and Axios

Politico:
‘This Acquittal Sends Three Dangerous Messages to Future Presidents’

Discussion: New York Times, RedState and Washington Post

David Corn / Mother Jones:
Senate Republicans Acquit Trump...and Indict the GOP

Discussion: The Hill, BizPac Review, Reason and Joe.My.God.

Politico:

McConnell's next chapter: Guiding the post-Trump GOP — The Kentuckian is the GOP's de facto leader for at least the next two years, as Trump remains exiled in Florida with no real public platform. — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 06, 2021.

Discussion: Raw Story

Politico:
Trump escapes conviction but even his allies say he's damaged

Discussion: Arizona Republic, Media Matters for America, The Guardian, CNN, Maryland Matters, CBS Boston, Talking Points Memo and Raw Story

Mike Lillis / The Hill:
Raskin defends no witnesses deal: ‘I made the call’

Discussion: Political Wire

Dareh Gregorian / NBC News:
Trump acquitted in impeachment trial; 7 GOP Senators vote with Democrats to convict

Discussion: Louisiana Illuminator, CBS News, Associated Press, Slate, The Daily Beast, Breitbart, Grand Forks Herald and WCCO | CBS Minnesota

Politico:
Democrats wrestle with how to quit an acquitted Trump

Discussion: Slate, New York Times and Axios

Scott Alexander / Astral Codex Ten:

Statement on New York Times Article — There was recently a negative article about me and my blog in the New York Times. Most of you already know the history behind this, but for anyone referred here by NYT, this is where I give my side and defend myself.

Discussion: Slow Boring, Instapundit, The Verge and New York Times, more at Techmeme »

Charles C. W. Cooke / National Review:

Ben Sasse's Conviction: Trump's Lies Caused This — In a series of interviews leading up to Saturday's impeachment vote, the GOP senator described the stakes as he sees them: nothing less than the integrity of the Constitution. — What happened on January 6 of this year …

Discussion: Senator Ben Sasse and Washington Examiner

Michael W. McConnell / New York Times:

How Democrats Could Have Made Republicans Squirm — G.O.P. lawmakers were unlikely to convict Trump. But a different approach to impeachment would have been more difficult for them to ignore. — Mr. McConnell, a former federal appeals court judge appointed by President George W. Bush …

Discussion: Common Dreams and Insider

Wall Street Journal:

New York Prosecutors Investigating Trump's Manhattan Properties — Officials are investigating loans the former president took on four buildings, including his flagship Trump Tower — New York prosecutors are investigating financial dealings around some of Donald Trump's signature Manhattan properties …

Discussion: Joe.My.God., Forbes, HuffPost, The Gateway Pundit, New York Post, The National Interest, VICE, Gothamist, Insider and Raw Story

Jonathan Chait / New York Magazine:
Republican Senators Are Asking the Courts to Take Care of Trump For Them

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns & Money

New York Times:
In Georgia, a New District Attorney Starts Circling Trump and His Allies

Discussion: Vox, Political Flare, Raw Story and New York Times

Jill Abramson / New York Post:

Ex-New York Times boss Jill Abramson responds to unrest at the paper — I have been called by many reporters about the controversial departure of reporter Donald McNeil from The New York Times. — “Do I think the Times treated McNeil unfairly?” “Is there a management meltdown at the Times?”

Discussion: The Wrap, more at Mediagazer »

Aymann Ismail / Slate:
An Exhausting Week at the New York Times

Discussion: Twitchy, more at Mediagazer »

New York Times:

First They Guarded Roger Stone. Then They Joined the Capitol Attack. — Oath Keepers guarding Roger Stone on Jan. 5 ... Roger — Stone — ... and participating in the — Oath Keeper — Oath Keeper — Oath — Keeper — Oath — Keeper

Washington Post:

Deputy White House press secretary resigns amid fallout from contentious phone call with reporter — Deputy White House press secretary Tyler Ducklo resigned Saturday amid fallout from a contentious phone call last month in which he berated and threatened a female reporter who was working …

Discussion: Defense One, NBC News, Washington Examiner, Breitbart, New York Times, Insider and The Daily Caller, more at Mediagazer »

Jennifer Epstein / Bloomberg:
Biden Aide Ducklo Resigns Over Report He Threatened Reporter

Discussion: CBS News, Mediaite, NPR, The Federalist, Zandar Versus The Stupid, Wall Street Journal, Washington Free Beacon, Associated Press, The Hill, Politico, NBC News, HuffPost, CNN, Political Wire, Washington Times, New York Post and Axios, more at Mediagazer »

U.S. Senator for Florida, Marco Rubio:

Rubio Statement on Impeachment — Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement after voting to acquit former President Donald Trump. — Rubio: Just minutes after the attack of January 6th began I said it was not only unpatriotic, it was un-American.

Discussion: The Week

Washington Examiner:

It's time for Joe Manchin's big test — Having lost control of the Senate, conservatives are now forced to watch Sen. Joe Manchin closely. In a 50-50 Senate, the West Virginia Democrat will decide which parts of President Biden's agenda can become law. And in the coming weeks …

Discussion: New York Magazine and NBC News