With the Senate expected to vote largely along party lines to acquit President Donald Trump on Wednesday, thousands of people are planning to take part in demonstrations at more than 270 locations across the U.S. to condemn Republican senators for turning what was supposed to be a trial into a “cover-up” by refusing to allow witnesses and additional documentary evidence.
The “Reject the Cover-Up” protests — organized by coalition of progressive advocacy groups including Stand Up America, Common Cause, and Public Citizen — are scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 5:30pm local time.
“Trump won’t be exonerated,” Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, said in a statement. “Here’s what the dictionary says ‘exonerated’ means: To absolve someone from blame for a fault or wrongdoing, especially after due consideration of the case. The Senate will not find Trump without fault or wrongdoing — and a majority plainly believe he did commit wrongdoing. And the Senate assuredly did not give due consideration to the case.”
WHAT: Reject the Cover Up Rallies
WHERE: Nationwide
WHEN: Wed., Feb. 5 afternoon
We’re taking to the streets to hold our senators accountable for covering up for this lawless president. https://t.co/XtdgsfDBis
— Stand Up America (@StandUpAmerica) February 4, 2020
“Absolutely no one is fooled by any of this,” Weissman said of the GOP’s expected vote to acquit the president. “The Senate has failed to hold Trump accountable, so the American people will.”
In an interview with CBS News Tuesday, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) — who is facing a tough reelection fight this year — became the latest supposed GOP swing vote to announce that she will vote to acquit Trump, declaring her widely ridiculed belief that “the president has learned from this case.”
Is this a joke @SenatorCollins?https://t.co/Z5U8MHHOEv
— Common Cause (@CommonCause) February 4, 2020
The president himself undermined Collins’ stated rationale for acquittal just hours later. Asked about Collins’ comments during a private lunch ahead of his State of the Union address, Trump reportedly insisted he did nothing wrong and repeated his now-infamous line: “It was a perfect call.”
“Trump has only learned one lesson,” tweeted advocacy group Stand Up America. “The Senate won’t hold him accountable for interfering in our election.”