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| Trump stands impeached much like Clinton (L) and Johnson (R) |
President Donald Trump kicked off his end-of-year holiday in Florida on Saturday by rallying student supporters on behalf of his political agenda – and against Democrats and impeachment.
"There was no crime ... there was nothing," Trump told a cheering crowd at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in West Palm Beach, Florida. "What are we doing here? The world is watching."
While blasting Democrats for their impeachment push, Trump said at one point that "we're facing an opposition willing to use totalitarian methods to get their way."
Trump mocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for suggesting she might not submit two impeachment articles to the Senate for trial, but spent more time on his standard campaign stump speech.
Turning Point USA, a network of conservatives on college and high school campuses, held its summit not far from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, where he is spending the holidays.
"The radical left doesn't stand a chance against young conservatives who put America first," Trump said to the adoring crowd during a speech that lasted more than an hour.
Speaking three days after the House passed two articles of impeachment, Trump bragged that no Republican lawmaker voted for either allegation. He said that Democrats looked "bad" and that "our polls have gone through the roof."
Pelosi has not submitted the two impeachment articles for trial amid Democratic concern that the Republican majority in the Senate will not conduct a fair and thorough trial.
"No one is above the law and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land," Pelosi said after the impeachment vote. "No one is above the law and this president has been held accountable."
The House on Wednesday passed two impeachment articles that accuse Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
The first article concerns evidence that Trump pressured the country of Ukraine to investigate a U.S. political opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. Trump is also accused of holding up military aid to Ukraine until it followed through with his demands.
The obstruction article deals with Trump's refusal to allow testimony by top aides during the House impeachment inquiry.
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., tweeted after the vote that "we all feel the weight of history in this moment, but President Trump's grave misconduct left us no choice but to impeach. Now it is incumbent on the Senate to conduct a fair trial."
In his campaign-themed speech to student backers, Trump extolled the newly signed defense bill, a revamped trade deal with Canada and Mexico, new trade talks with China, the federal judges he has appointed, and the proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
He also attacked a string of Democratic presidential candidates, including Biden and his son Hunter Biden. who had business interests in Ukraine.
Trump frequently joked with the friendly crowd.
While criticizing what he called an over-reliance on wind power, Trump said that companies often paint windmills different colors, including "an orange-white" – and then he made a crack about his own complexion and hair.
"My favorite color," Trump said. "Orange."
Source: USA TODAY
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