Following the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, mainstream social media giants began blocking President Trump (Trump) and conservative rhetoric, sparking criticism from some Republican lawmakers.
On Monday (Jan. 11), House Democrats formally proposed a unanimous resolution to remove Trump from the presidency under the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution; however, it was then rejected by Republican House members.
In addition to the blocking or restriction of Trump’s account by technology giants, the reduction of Trump’s followers and the removal of Parler, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) announced that Trump’s golf course was disqualified from hosting the 2022 PGA Championship.
The Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) in Scotland, England, said on Monday that they have no plans to hold any future championships at Trump’s local Trump Turnberry Golf Course & Resort.
Congressional Republican Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Sunday (Jan. 10) called for a racketeering investigation of the big tech company that took down the social media site Parler.
House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn said Sunday that a House impeachment vote against Trump would take place this week, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Jonathan Turley, a law professor at George Washington University, said he does not believe Trump’s comments could constitute impeachment.
Here are live updates on developments in the Jan. 11 (EST) clashes at the Capitol, as well as U.S. election-related content
13:30 White House Announcement: President Awards Congressman Jordan Medal of Freedom
President Trump on Monday awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH). The medal is awarded to “an individual who has made particularly outstanding contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to culture.
Jordan, a staunch ally of President Trump, has been a vocal and persistent defender of the facts on key issues such as the Democratic Party’s impeachment over the Ukraine phone call and opposition to the appointment of Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh.
The White House announcement of the award said Jordan is “an inspiration to freedom-loving Americans everywhere, and he has become one of the most important members of Congress of his generation.
13:00 Defense Department has authorized 15,000 troops to deploy to DC before Biden’s inauguration
General Daniel Hokanson of the National Guard Bureau says 15,000 National Guard soldiers have been authorized to be stationed in Washington DC before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.
12:30 Republicans block Democrats’ demand for unanimous passage of resolution to remove Trump
House Republicans on Monday blocked the first effort by Democrats to call for the unanimous removal of President Donald Trump.
Democrats also tried Monday to pass a full House resolution calling for Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to remove President Trump from office, a resolution Republican Rep. Alex Mooney (R-Texas) vetoed.
Mooney said, “(The Speaker of the House sent) members of Congress home and then moved to pass (a resolution removing Trump) without objection a precedent-setting resolution that could endanger the Republic, which is wrong.”
He added, “The U.S. House of Representatives must not accept a resolution – without any hearing, debate or recorded vote – that calls for the removal of a sitting president.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, then said she would reconvene the House on Tuesday to vote on the resolution.
If the resolution is passed and Vice President Pence does not act to remove President Trump from office within 24 hours, the House plans to proceed with impeachment. Democratic lawmakers have already introduced an impeachment resolution Monday that they say would impeach Trump for inciting rebellion.
With just nine days left in Trump’s presidency, many Republican lawmakers say the Democrats’ move is not what they call “unity” or “healing,” but rather a move to continue to divide America; Republicans urge that President Trump finish his term, but Democrats say it is President Trump who is dividing the country.
11:50 House Democrats formally introduce impeachment resolution against Trump
House Democrats on Monday (Jan. 11) formally introduced a resolution of impeachment against Trump, accusing him of “inciting rebellion” during last week’s violence at the U.S. Capitol.
The House is set to vote on the resolution later this week, the first step in an attempt by Democrats to remove the president from office.
Rep. David Cicilline, the Democrat who introduced the impeachment bill, tweeted in the morning about the impeachment proposal he just introduced with 213 of his colleagues against President Trump for sedition.
“Most importantly, I can report that we now have (enough) votes for impeachment.” He wrote.
Rep. Lee Zeldin, a New York Republican, tweeted, “Under the same constitutional process, in the same place, at the same time, the Democrats have all spoken out against every Republican president who has won an election on Jan. 6. The double standard on this matter is insane. If Republicans also object to January 6, they are marked as seditious traitors.”
11:45 Merkel: Twitter’s expulsion of Trump “problematic”
Asked about Twitter’s move to permanently block President Trump’s account, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert said social media operators “have a major responsibility to keep political communication free from the poison of hate, lies and incitement to violence.”
But Seibert also said that freedom of opinion is a fundamental right “of fundamental importance.
He said, “This fundamental right can be interfered with, but in accordance with the law, within the framework defined by lawmakers, not in accordance with the decisions of the management of social media platforms. From this point of view, the prime minister considers it problematic that the account of the president of the United States is now permanently blocked.”
11:31 Biden inauguration theme: Uniting America
The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced on Monday (Jan. 11) that the theme of Biden’s inauguration next week will be “Uniting America,” reflecting his commitment to uniting the country once he takes office.
The committee also said that after the ceremony, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will join former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush Jr. and Bill Clinton in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery as a sign of bipartisanship. Their spouses will also attend.
11:20 U.S. First Lady issues “Our Way Forward” statement
U.S. First Lady Melania Trump issued a public statement on “Our Way Forward” on Monday (Jan. 11), in which she expressed her “disappointment and frustration” with the Jan. 6 violence in Congress and called on Americans to “heal in a civilized way.
“Our path forward is this: to unite, to find our common ground, to be good and strong people.” She said Americans have endured natural disasters and a terrible plague, but what remains the same is the unwavering spirit of people helping each other, and “your kindness highlights the true spirit of our country.”
She concluded by saying that she was honored to serve as First Lady and thanked the American people who supported her and her husband during their presidency.
11:00 House ‘may impeach 100%’ of Trump, but not in Senate
U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, a Republican, said on Monday (Jan. 11) that the House of Representatives “could be 100 percent” on articles of impeachment against President Trump because Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has the votes to do so. But given the time needed for a trial in the Senate, the president “will not be impeached and removed.
Issa defended Trump, saying that the president’s speech at Wednesday’s rally did not incite the crowd, and that many of the people involved in storming Congress had come prepared.
10:36 Another Trump golf course halted from holding tournaments
The Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) in Scotland, England, said on Monday that they have no plans to hold any future tournaments at Trump’s local Trump Turnberry Golf Course & Resort.
We will not return unless we are confident that the focus will be on the tournament, the players and the course itself,” R&A CEO Martin Slumbers said in a statement. But in the current circumstances, we don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Turnberry is one of two high-profile courses owned by President Trump in Scotland, the other being Trump International Golf Links, located amid the Aberdeen dunes.
This comes after the PGA announced that the Trump-owned golf course was disqualified from hosting the 2022 PGA Championship.
10:20 Supreme Court won’t fast-track review of Trump election lawsuit
On Monday, the Supreme Court denied President Trump’s request not to hold a speedy hearing on the Pennsylvania and Will State election lawsuits. The Supreme Court also rejected a similar lawsuit filed by pro-Trump lawyers.
The court announced the decision in an unsigned order that didn’t reveal the justices’ vote breakdown or rationale, which is the usual way the Supreme Court handles it.
10:24 Senator Scott: Democrats Should Focus on American Families, Not Impeachment
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told “Fox & Friends” on Monday (Jan. 11) that members of Congress should focus on the future, not the past, and that they should “do good things for the American people.
“Democrats need to think about what they want to accomplish, not about having a vendetta against Trump.” He said that if Democrats “want to do something good for the country,” they should plan an agenda for American families.
Scott continued, “Doing things for the families of this country doesn’t include impeaching the president. What good would it do for the Democratic Party to do that? What they’re going to do, rather than Joe Biden’s agenda, is we’re going to have to continue to focus on the Democratic agenda to hurt the past.”
10:10 U.S. launches 25 terrorism investigations
Law enforcement officials have launched at least 25 domestic terrorism investigations in response to the violent Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
“At least 25 domestic terrorism investigations have been launched as a result of the attack on the Capitol,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told him in a phone call, according to a transcript of a conversation made by House Armed Services Committee member Jason Crow, a Democrat.
The military confirmed to the Epoch Times that the statement was true.
Crowe said McCarthy told him that the Pentagon was aware that “potential terrorists may have posed a further threat” on the day of President-elect Joe Biden’s 20th inauguration and in the days leading up to it.
10:00 Democrats ramp up impeachment efforts Biden has not made clear his position
Democratic Representatives Ted Lieu, David Cicilline and Jamie Raskin have drafted articles of impeachment against President Trump for “sedition” and plan to introduce them in today’s House interim session.
However, Biden has not taken a firm position on impeachment so far. He has not directly called for Trump’s impeachment, nor has he asked Vice President Mike Pence and other members of the current administration’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution.
9:55 Twitter stock plunges after Trump account ban
Following the violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, Twitter Inc. announced on the evening of Jan. 8 that it had permanently banned President Trump’s personal account, saying it posed a “risk of further incitement to violence” and deleted one of the platform’s largest accounts.
As of 8:07 a.m. on Jan. 11, Twitter shares were down 7.5 percent to $47.60 before morning trading.
9:45 Stripe and Shopify Stop Serving Trump
U.S. online payment processing on Stripe and Canadian multinational e-commerce company Shopify have joined Twitter and other companies in beginning a crackdown on President Trump, his campaign and his business groups.
Stripe said they are no longer processing payments for the Trump campaign because of last Wednesday’s congressional onslaught. According to the company’s website, they are refusing to serve any business that “engages in, encourages, promotes or celebrates illegal violence, or causes actual harm to persons and property.
Meanwhile, Shopify has taken down the online stores of the Trump Group and the Trump campaign.
Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller tweeted Sunday that “75 million Americans voted for President Trump. Other than their votes, their pockets are the most powerful means of communication. We don’t have to spend money on any company that participates in the culture of elimination. Corporate America is about to learn that lesson the hard way.”
9:40 Biden Announces Nominee for CIA Director
President-elect Joe Biden announced Monday (Jan. 11) the nomination of former U.S. Ambassador and former Deputy Secretary of State William Burns to be director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Burns is currently the president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and previously worked in the U.S. Foreign Service for 33 years. He served as deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration and also served as U.S. ambassador to Russia and Jordan, among other positions.
9:30 Democrats Plan Second Impeachment Timeline
According to Rep. Democrats, the following may be the timeline for them to proceed with their impeachment plans.
This morning (11 EST), House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) will attempt to fast-track a bill to remove President Trump from office based on the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution. Republicans are expected to block this, at which point the articles of impeachment will be officially announced through a press conference.
As of now, the Democrats have 214 co-sponsors and have yet to reach a majority vote count.
Tomorrow (12), House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern, a Democrat, will approve a provision that would govern floor debate on the 25th Amendment.
On Wednesday, McGovern said the Rules Committee will meet to approve the rules for the impeachment resolution.
9:00 Democrats attempt to kick Cruz, Hawley, others out of Senate committee
Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-N.Y.) is working to kick Republican Senators Josh Hawley (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ron Johnson (R-Texas) out of the relevant committees and even expel them from the Senate, CNN reports.
In a statement, Whitehouse wrote that after the congressional riots, “the Senate needs to conduct a security review of what happened and what went wrong.”
He said, “Because Congress is protected by the Department of Justice under the separation of powers, particularly the Speech and Debate Clause, the Senate needs to conduct a major investigation. Because of the significant potential conflicts of interest, Senators Cruz, Hawley and Johnson (at a minimum) need to leave all relevant committees reviewing this matter until the investigation into their roles is completed.”
8:30 President Trump may speak today
President Trump may give a speech today, but plans have not been finalized and the speech may be related to big tech companies, according to CNN, sources familiar with the matter.
Trump is unhappy with the illegal censorship of Twitter Twitter Inc. and has internally revealed measures against the behavior of Silicon Valley, but for now, the specific plans are unknown to the outside world.
7:59 Pelosi admits one reason to impeach Trump: so he can never run for office again
In a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she is now pushing for Trump’s impeachment because one reason is to keep him from ever running for office again.
Pelosi said she prefers to pass the 25th Amendment because it would allow Trump to step down immediately, and “Congress strongly supports impeaching the president again.” Pelosi said President Trump is suspected of “sedition.
In a letter to colleagues, Pelosi referred to Trump as an “imminent threat” to the U.S. Constitution and democracy. She said in Sunday’s letter that the House of Representatives will impeach Trump with “great seriousness”, less than two weeks before the January 20 change of office.
7:31 Congressman: Trump is still the most influential Republican on the planet
U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Va.) said President Trump has no intention of resigning and will not be “completely out of the public eye” after the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol.
In an interview with Fox on Sunday, Gaetz told host Jon Scott that Trump remains the leader for those who believe in “the best for America’s future” and for those who support law enforcement and believe in standing up to the radical left.
“President Trump is still the most powerful and influential Republican on the planet.” Gates said: “He leaves the White House at the end of his term, and I think he will continue to influence the tens of millions of Americans who support him.” “They believe the 2020 election (fraud) needs further scrutiny and support America First.”
7:21 Course also implicated? Trump golf course disqualified from PGA Championship
The U.S. left has begun to boycott various things related to Trump, in addition to technology giants blocking or limiting Trump’s account, cutting Trump fans’ followers, and Parler being taken down, the Professional Golf Association (PGA) announced that the Trump-owned golf course has been disqualified from hosting the 2022 PGA Championship.
The PGA committee announced Sunday that it passed after a vote by members to terminate Trump’s Trump Bedminster Golf Club in New Jersey from hosting the 2022 PGA Championship.
Trump expressed great disappointment, saying that millions of dollars had been invested in the club to prepare for the 2022 PGA Championship, and they stressed that the PGA had breached the contract and had no right to terminate the agreement on its own.
7:10 He Jinli on the cover of Vogue magazine, causing a buzz
The February issue of Vogue magazine features Vice President-elect Kerry Hor on its cover, but it has generated a lot of buzz. Her office has not issued a comment.
The cover of Vogue’s February issue was unveiled on Twitter over the weekend, and features Hejinli wearing a black blazer, white short top, dark seven-piece pants and black Converse canvas shoes. But Her team has reportedly approved another image of her in a light blue suit.
Fox reports that several Vogue fans were quick to criticize the cover, saying it was of poor quality and not up to the fashion magazine’s usual standards, and questioning the “whitewashing” of her skin tone.
In a wave of criticism, some even called on Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of the American edition of the fashion magazine, to “whitewash” the cover. The magazine’s editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour, has been called upon to step down.
6:30 Michigan lawmaker: State Legislature to move forward with investigation of election irregularities
Michigan legislators will continue to investigate reported irregularities in the 2020 election, state lawmakers said, according to a Jan. 10 report on Just the News.
State Rep. Daire Rendon, who represents Michigan’s 103rd District, confirmed to Just the News that the investigation conducted by the Michigan Legislature last month will continue after state lawmakers return this Wednesday.
Rendon, a Republican, told Just the News, “I’ve spoken with House Oversight Committee Chairman Matt Hall (R).” “His goal is to continue the oversight hearings on the election.”
But Rendon notes that the COVID-19 pandemic has placed “a lot of restrictions” on how lawmakers can hold meetings at the state Capitol.
6:20 Pelosi presses Pence to activate 25th Amendment
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Sunday (Jan. 10) proposed the next step in trying to remove President Trump from office. The White House meanwhile said Trump is scheduled to travel to the U.S. border with Mexico on Tuesday.
Pelosi said Congress on Monday (Jan. 11) will take up a bill introduced by Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-Calif.) calling on Vice President Mike Pence to convene his Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
Pelosi says if Pence does not respond, the House will proceed with articles of impeachment, which have been drafted but not yet introduced.
6:15 Fox host: Mainstream media using riots to silence conservative Republicans
Fox News host Mark Levin said on this week’s “Life, Liberty & Levin” that the mainstream media is “exploiting” last Wednesday’s riots at the U.S. Capitol to “silence” conservatives and Republicans.
Levin stressed that “we should be outraged by what’s happening on Capitol Hill,” but added that “the media has played a huge role in what’s happening in this country.
“We need to reject all of this violence, but what is the media (doing about it)?”
He said that while the media talks about unity while spitting at people out of their mouths, he continued, “74 million people voted for Trump, and they haven’t gone away. Their concerns are still there.”
6:10 DOJ indicts 2 more people
The Department of Justice announced Sunday (Jan. 10) that two men have been indicted in federal court for violence that occurred at the Capitol last Wednesday.
The two men were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and by the counterterrorism division of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the DOJ said in a statement.
Larry Rendell Brock was arrested in Texas and charged with one count of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and one count of violently entering and committing a wrongful act at the Capitol.
Another man arrested Sunday was Eric Gavelek Munchel of Tennessee, who was charged with one count of unlawful entry, and one count of entering the Capitol by violence.
6:00 Which Republican lawmakers are calling for Trump’s resignation
Republican members of Congress are debating whether to pressure President Trump to resign.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Friday became the first Republican senator to call for Trump’s resignation.
A day later, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who will retire at the end of 2022, said Trump’s actions rise to the level of impeachment.
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Pa.) considered impeaching Trump.
Rep. Garrett Graves (R-Ga.) called for Trump’s resignation on Friday but said he does not support impeachment or invoking the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
Senators Mitt Romney (R-Texas) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) had not spoken as of Saturday night about whether Trump should resign or be removed from office.
Other Senate Republicans said Trump received 74.2 million votes on Election Day, suggesting Trump has influence among Republican voters.
Senate Republican Steering Committee Chairman Mike Lee (R-La.) contacted National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien and White House counsel Pat Cipollone, asking them not to resign before Trump leaves office.
Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman Roy Blunt (R-Miss.) predicted on Friday that Republicans would reject any articles of impeachment that the House quickly passes, and he told Missouri television that a Senate vote for Trump’s removal from office would not happen.
5:45 FBI Calls on Public for Tips in Capitol Violence Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said Sunday it has received 40,000 tips from the public to identify people involved in acts of violence at the U.S. Capitol last week.
FBI agents working on the investigation are using facial recognition technology to help process the digital information that has been submitted.
The FBI last Thursday asked the public to send, and digital media to provide tips on riots or violence in, and around, the U.S. Capitol.
The agency said in a subsequent statement that if someone witnessed illegal violence, they can submit any information, photos or videos that might be relevant.
5:30 Senior Republican Congressman Calls for Racketeering Investigation of Big Tech
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) on Sunday (Jan. 10) called for a racketeering investigation of big tech companies that took down social media site Parler.
U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), pictured here, was hailed by President Trump as a “great American hero” as the two-year Russia investigation came to a close.
Pictured is senior Republican U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.). (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
In an interview with Fox, Nunes, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Apple, Google and Amazon “clearly violated the Antitrust Act, the Civil Rights Act and the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act). There should be a racketeering investigation of all those who coordinated this attack on not only one company, but on all people like us, like me, like you.”
Recent Comments