Sen. Mike Lee turns over phone record to House impeachment managers, Trump defense

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) on Saturday gave House impeachment managers and former president Donald Trump’s defense attorneys a copy of a log from his cellphone, which shows that as the Jan. 6 riot unfolded, he received a call from the White House at 2:26 p.m. that lasted for four minutes, a spokesman for the senator said.

The document sheds new light on a key moment when Lee has said that Trump called his cellphone — apparently believing that he was calling Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). Providing it to both sides in Trump’s unfolding trial only on Saturday demonstrates the kind of evidence senators could continue to gather about Trump’s activities now that they have voted to seek witness testimony and subpoena documents.

According to Lee’s office, the log shows that Lee received the call from [phone], a main White House switchboard number, just 13 minutes after Vice President Mike Pence was hustled from the Senate floor at 2:13 p.m. and Senate action was halted, as insurrectionists stormed through the Capitol building. Lee has said that when he realized Trump’s confusion, he handed his phone to Tuberville. Tuberville has said that during the brief call, he personally informed Trump that Pence had just been evacuated from the Senate floor. “I said: Mr. President, they’ve taken the vice president out. They want me to get off the phone, I gotta go,” Tuberville said Friday.

That account — and the new phone record — strongly undercuts a claim from Trump’s lawyers on the Senate floor on Friday that “at no time” had Trump been informed that Pence was in danger during the hours-long riot, as well as their complaints that accounts of the phone call presented at trial were mere “hearsay.” It also demonstrates that as rioters forced a halt in the counting of the electoral college votes, Trump was focused on finding additional ways to delay the process — Tuberville was at the time taking a lead in objecting to votes confirming Biden’s election win.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/13/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/#link-IFIB3TEPTREOBLTVIZUK2BEVWQ

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[UpInArms]

1. So, was this tweet before or after the Tuberville call?

According to video footage from that day, Pence was removed from the Senate at 2:14 p.m. after rioters had broken into the Capitol, meaning that when Trump lashed out at Pence at 2:24 p.m., he already knew Pence’s life was in danger.

“Mike Pence didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution,” Trump wrote in his tweet.

Videos shown by Democratic House members presenting their impeachment case document that rioters were aware of Trump’s tweet. Some had erected a gallows outside the Capitol. Others roamed the halls, chanting, “Hang Mike Pence.”

The exact time Pence was taken from the Senate following the breach of the Capitol by the mob Trump had incited to try to overturn the presidential election was known the day of the attack, as was the time of Trump’s tweet. What was not known until Tuberville’s statement was whether Trump was aware of the danger Pence was in at the time he posted his tweet.

https://apicciano.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2021/02/11/trumps-tweet-attacking-pence-came-right-after-learning-his-vps-life-was-in-danger-during-the-january-6th-insurrection/

[BumRushDaShow]

2. If Pence was removed from the chamber at 2:13 pm EST per the OP

and the 45 tweet came at 2:24 pm EST (and Tuberville supposedly said that they "had to leave" ), then...

That's why all the panicking.

[scarletwoman]

4. That 2:24 pm tweet came before trump called Mike Lee at 2:26 pm.

[Beartracks]

11. "Pence didn't have the courage... He's been sidelined... This is what happens...

... when you go against Trump. "

=========

[bucolic_frolic]

3. So why didn't Mr.-Mike-Pence-has-no-courage guy show some courage and storm the capitol himself?

Insurrectionists in blue suits and red ties just not up to it I guess?

[Ligyron]

5. I'm surprised Lee gave it up so easily.

I mean, he could have dragged it out longer which is their goal.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. From what I gather

it was reported a month ago and his lack of response to it suggested that he stipulated to it... Meaning his little outburst was just as most of us thought - distraction. In fact, Ghouliani had called Tuberville as well and left a message - https://thedispatch.com/p/giuliani-to-senator-try-to-just-slow

[Ligyron]

8. Hahaha, yeah I remember that.

Good and drunk as usual by that time of the day, Ghouls called a Dem instead of Tubbyville to pass on Dump's double secret, tell.no.one.eva request. What an asset Ghouls has been ... for us.

[crickets]

7. K&R for visibility.

[onecaliberal]

9. Why aren't we moving forward with this.

I just heard the senate president say there can be no new evidence entered into the record. Why didn’t we take a minute for witnesses?

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I expect that in the case of Buetler

she was only willing to "testify" under oath, what statements she had already made, that were reported on, and apparently 45 conceded to the conversation and that was by agreement, included in the record.

I think what Leahy was talking about was adding "new stuff" (slides, clips, etc) in the closing remarks that hadn't already been presented earlier.

[onecaliberal]

14. I can see all sides, the arguments are valid.

We’re following a path. The House managers have presented a mountain of damning evidence. The recons were never going to convict. I know all of that is the case. It’s a pathetic state of affairs when there are two different sets of rules for Dems and republicans.

Thanks for clarifying re: Leahy.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

13. Great question. Guess because they thought the threat to

Pence happened after he knew that pence was in danger and not before? Not as impactful??? It's sad... To me that we couldn't hear real people testify.

[onecaliberal]

15. I wish we would have too but in reality we ALL witnessed it live on tv.

We heard every tweet and every clip of that orange monster day after day. I get it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. Yup. It's a horror in itself. Maybe some day we'll learn what

really happened - all of it. I would take GOP up on their hints that a prosecution might be better. Subpoena every MF in the WH that afternoon. And every hate group organizer. The park service. The Pentagon involved. Everyone.

[spooky3]

19. Didn't Pelosi call for a full investigation? I still want to know

who prevented there being better preventive protection at the Capitol (e.g., was it truly because Mayor Bowser asked that no Natioinal Guard be deployed or that they not be armed?), and why there wasn't an immediate response once it was clear that the Capitol Police were outnumbered and Bowser, Pelosi, Schumer and others made frantic calls for help?

edited to add link to appointment of Honoré to head investigation:
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/pelosi-tasks-retired-lt-gen-russel-honor-leading-review-capitol-n1254421

[onecaliberal]

20. Trump stopped whatever deployments of law enforcement

Police and or guard.

[spooky3]

21. But that hasn't been proven yet, has it? that's why I want an investigation.

There was a written memo from Mayor Bowser that I would like to have explained.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. Yes... Whole subject still mystery. Though did read Boswer did

Get her NG asked ahead of time. But just for traffic. No riot gear. But supposedly she has no jurisdiction over Capitol.

The rest is still murky and totally fishy.

[spooky3]

23. She doesn't have any jurisdiction, but the Capitol Police can and have requested help in the past

AFAIK, and when they do, she can send the Metro Police and request the NG. When she requests help from the National Guard for DC, she has to get approval from the Sec. of the Army, as I understand it, and that was one reason for the delay, despite the governors of MD and VA ordering NG and police to go to DC to help as soon as authorized.

So, not only do we need to figure out who did what on the 6th (and before) we need a better response structure going forward, IMO.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

24. Yes! I did read too that the NG is not a rapid response team

Hell they may be at work or home and have to go gear up. But trump didn't want them to never show up. He wanted to slow it all down. Imagine there was a wink and nod to those involved to snail pace it all.

But someone is lying. Sund said he asked 6 times. Pentagon said he didn't.

Bowser couldn't have ordered NG for Cap right?

[spooky3]

25. Good points. Those contradictions have to be sorted out.

I think she can’t do anything unless Capitol Police request her help, but could be wrong. However the bombs were planted on DC streets and she has jurisdiction there.

[paleotn]

18. Who says they're not?

Oh....you thought the impeachment was the only trouble Donnie is in right now. Really, that's just the start.

[Beartracks]

10. Trump (and other planners?) clearly wanted to keep delaying the certification...

... in order to buy more time for the insurrection to succeed.

========

[DeminPennswoods]

17. That's what Sheldon Whitehouse said

was his first thought when he put together the timing of the calls to Lee/Tuberville.