The Impeachment process ended before it began. Anyone that believed that the process would be a fair one and would attempt to evaluate all information possible was hopelessly naive. The Republican leadership showed complete disregard for the checks and balances in place, and openly stated that they would not be impartial throughout the proceedings. 

If the defense and the jury were in cahoots and had coordinated a joint defense, the whole trial would have been declared a mistrial and the jury would have been dismissed with the possibility of being prosecuted for committing juror misconduct. 

The White House defense was the very definition of incompetence as the House Impeachment team showed a clear understanding of the law and of what is at stake if the Senate does nothing about it.

The vote on Friday was not only about allowing witnesses in the process; it was a vote to either put a stop to the incompetence and lawlessness occuring in the White House or to allow foreign intervention in our elections, which would  give more power to a corrupt president who has no regard for our institutions. A total of 51 Republican senators stood with their party instead of with the American people. They chose party over country, and these actions are unacceptable if we want to maintain our democracy. Every single Republican senator that voted against witnesses is complicit in allowing the president’s powers and corruption to continue to run rampant.

Perhaps the second most irresponsible moment of the proceedings came when the senators had the chance to ask the White House defense and the House Impeachment team questions regarding the evidence. The questions varied from being serious and difficult to answer to self serving ones. But the worst line of questioning came from Senator Rand Paul; his question was the only one that Judge Roberts refused to answer because of the likelihood of outing the whistleblower’s identity. 

Senator Paul’s cheap stunt to out the whistleblower put the life of that individual at risk. Senator Paul’s cheap theatrics do not belong in the halls of Congress and he needs to be held responsible for his incompetence and complete disregard for the safety of an American patriot. 

While the official end of the impeachment trial of Donald Trump will be on Wed. Feb. 5,  it can be stated with absolute certainty that Trump will not be removed. The House Impeachment team lacks the votes to achieve it.

Senators, presidents and other government employees are not above the law. They should be held to a higher standard. When they break the trust placed on them, the consequences need to be harsher than what an everyday citizen experiences. The president broke this trust placed on him, and the senators that are letting him go scot-free are accomplices in his corruption. 

Republicans have placed the president above the law and by doing so, they have failed the voters, they have failed their duty as our representatives, they have failed our Constitution and they have failed this once great nation.