House impeaches Trump as Capitol riot probe continues

Reps. Charlie Crist of Florida, Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri and Nancy Mace of South Carolina have introduced a bill to award US Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal for “for his bravery and quick thinking during last week’s insurrection at the United States Capitol."

Goodman lured a group of rioters away from the entrance to the Senate chambers on Jan. 6, where lawmakers were still debating an objection to Arizona's Electoral College vote count.

After the House of Representatives impeached President Trump for a second time on Wednesday, attention now turns to the Senate.  

The Senate can vote to convict Trump by a two-thirds majority. That means 17 Republican senators would have to vote "yes" to convict Trump, assuming every senator shows up to the vote and all 50 Democratic senators also vote “yes” to convict. 

All eyes are what soon-to-be Minority Leader Mitch McConnell decides. Several GOP aides have told CNN that McConnell's decision will certainly have an impact on the conference.

Here's a look at some of the Senate Republicans we're watching ahead of the trial:

CNN's Ali Main and Nicky Robertson contributed additional reporting to this post.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is taking steps to secure his state capitol ahead of inauguration day next week, saying, “violence will not be tolerated.”

During a Thursday news conference, DeWine signed a proclamation that authorizes the use of National Guard – if they are needed – to help protect the state capitol. 

“The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be out in force in Columbus. The Ohio National Guard will be out in force in Columbus. Our guard will be there to back up local law enforcement and to back up the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Both will have a significant presence in Columbus. Also, both will be available for any place else where trouble might arise,” he said.

DeWine also closed the State house “will be closed this coming Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Further, I'm also ordering all state office buildings in downtown Columbus, to be closed on these four days as well.”

About 700 members of the Ohio National Guard will be used in the national Capitol region, at the request of the federal government, he said. 

“We have unique capabilities, we have special personnel and special equipment that has been specifically requested by the federal government for us to deploy to Washington,” he said. 

Federal law enforcement officials are warning that domestic extremists are likely more emboldened to carry out attacks on President-elect Joe Biden's upcoming inauguration and throughout 2021 after seeing the success of last week's siege on the US Capitol.

This warning comes after the FBI said earlier this week that it received information indicating "armed protests" are being planned at all 50 state capitols and the US Capitol in Washington, DC in the days leading up to the inauguration

Meanwhile, the feds continue to investigate the Capitol riot from last week as questions continue to swirl around who was involved in the attack and whether it was planned.

Here are some key things to know about the investigation: 

Delta Air Lines announced it will not accept firearms as checked baggage on flights bound for Washington, DC.  

The measure is the latest attempt by airlines and government agencies to address concerns that the rioters who stormed the US Capitol last week may return for incoming President Joe Biden’s inauguration.  

Law enforcement agencies and the Transportation Security Administration have stepped up their efforts, including in some cases a second screening of DC bound passengers as CNN reported on Wednesday. American Airlines said it will suspend alcohol service on flights to and from the DC area around the inauguration.  

"We’re all on high alert, based on the events over the past couple of weeks up in Washington," Bastian said. "We are doing an awful lot in terms of gathering information and talking to the intelligence agencies both federal and local as well as FAA and TSA. We’ve increased the amount of security, both at airports and in the skies, seen and unseen." 

For context: Passengers, with a few law enforcement-related exceptions, are prohibited from carrying firearms, ammunition and other weapons onboard a plane. But the Transportation Security Administration does allow the transportation of an unloaded weapon in a locked and hard-sided container as checked baggage in a passenger plane belly. 

Over the next several days, some Republicans senators will make it very clear where they stand on impeachment.

Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen.Tim Scott, both Republicans from South Carolina, have done that. Last night, Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, did it too. Cotton said that after Trump leaves office, “the Senate lacks constitutional authority to conduct impeachment proceedings against a former President.”

Sen. Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio who is up for reelection in 2022, said his decision will be based off of not only the evidence he hears, but “among my considerations will be what is best to help heal our country rather than deepen our divisions.”

Remember: Republicans must have 17 members vote "yes" to convict Trump in the Senate. All eyes have been on what McConnell decides.

CNN is told by multiple GOP aides that McConnell’s decision will certainly have an impact on the conference. But, it’s also important to remember that while McConnell has a lot of influence, he’s not going to be whipping members on a vote like this.

And, for members in states where Trump is popular, McConnell’s vote may not sway them at all. That doesn’t mean members are not obsessing about where McConnell falls on this.

In fact, multiple Republican members and aides CNN has spoken to in recent days have wondered why McConnell has stayed as quiet as he has. Members are asking each other what their leader is thinking.

CNN asked a series of Republican senators if they’d heard from McConnell in recent days on this topic and aside from the conference-wide note he sent yesterday, all of the members and aides CNN talked to said McConnell has been giving members their space to think through this on their own.

Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, a House impeachment manager, said she and her fellow managers are in “very preliminary stages” of planning for a Senate trial.

“We're going to have to figure out what kind of evidence we need to present to the Senate to prove our article of impeachment,” which could include TV footage and witnesses, she said on CNN’s “New Day.” 

Impeachment managers are expected to meet again today and over the weekend, she said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell does not plan to bring the Senate back before President-elect Joe Biden in sworn in, and the timing and length of the trial is still unknown.

Responding to GOP Sen. Tom Cotton saying he would not vote to convict the President after Trump has left office, DeGette said “they could prevent him from ever holding office again [and] they could prevent him from getting all of the perks of a retired president.”

Watch the interview:

Just as his last two videos came after cajoling from aides, President Trump's Oval Office speech on Wednesday night came only after advisers talked him into taping it, according to a person familiar with the matter.

CNN also reported Wednesday that Trump agreed to the video after a briefing from Secret Service officials about potential threats surrounding the inauguration, which one official described as "sobering."

Trump had seemed reluctant to tape the videos, in part because he believes they make him look like he's caving to pressure to tone down his stance on the election. 

His first video on the day of the insurrection came partly at the urging of his daughter Ivanka Trump, but the President threw out the script his team had prepared and ad-libbed most of it, including the line telling the rioters "we love you."

The subsequent videos have been more tightly scripted, with heavy input from the White House counsel's office on the text. Trump has read them from teleprompters set up by the White House Communications Agency as senior officials look on, ensuring he does not diverge from the words as written.

Advisers have repeatedly urged him to tape the spots, citing both the potential legal implications of inciting the riot and the desire from fellow Republicans that he show a willingness to lower the temperature among his supporters.

Watch:

States across the country are increasing security at their capitol buildings ahead of what the FBI warned are “armed protests” being planned in all 50 states from Jan. 16 through at least Jan. 20 in the wake of the US Capitol riot.

Federal officials reiterated this in a call with law enforcement leaders across the country Wednesday, saying they remain concerned about the prospect of extremists appearing at planned rallies and conducting violence.

Security is also ramping up in battleground states crucial to President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential victory, with governors activating the national guard, closing capitols, erecting fences and barriers, and boarding up windows. 

Here's a look at what steps states are taking to prepare for potential unrest: