Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD) addressed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on Monday evening, suggesting that Republicans might attempt to “eliminate” Senator JD Vance.
Raskin referenced the animosity displayed by a small faction of rioters on January 6, 2021, who brought a symbolic guillotine to the Capitol and were reportedly seeking out Vice President Mike Pence to hold him accountable for his refusal to overturn the congressional certification of the Electoral College results. The address was marked by bitterness and vindictiveness, a tone that has characterized much of Raskin’s rhetoric regarding Trump, even prior to his inauguration.
He said:
“Someone should have told Donald Trump that the president’s job under Article II of the Constitution, is to take care that the laws are faithfully executed, not that the vice president is executed. Pence has now joined more than two dozen officials from Donald Trump’s own administration in denouncing him. A historical record. Pence is the first vice president in more than two centuries not to support the president he served with in a general election. By the way, JD vance, do you understand why there was a sudden job opening for running mate on the GOP ticket? They tried to kill your predecessor. They tried to kill him because he would not follow Trump’s plan to destroy and nullify the votes of millions of Americans. Your votes, Pennsylvania; your votes, Michigan; your votes, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona. Are we going to go back to the days of election suppression and violent insurrection?”
In January 2017, Raskin asserted that Trump ought to be impeached immediately upon assuming office, citing a questionable interpretation of the “Emoluments Clause.” This argument suggested that income derived from Trump’s businesses, including revenue from foreign guests at his hotels in the United States, rendered him unfit for the presidency.
Additionally, Raskin opposed the certification of the 2016 election results, a notable contradiction given that he later took the lead as the House impeachment manager in the proceedings against Trump for contesting the 2020 election outcomes. He was also a member of the January 6 Committee, where he evaluated Trump and others who claimed that Congress had the authority to dismiss the Electoral College vote. Raskin’s address, which followed a contentious speech by former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and came before a provocative speech by Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), signified a transition from a tone of “joy” to one of division within the Democratic Party’s rhetoric.
