House impeaches Trump as Capitol riot probe continues

The Ohio National Guard is sending over 700 members to the nation's Capital that have “some very specific capabilities,” Major General John Harris said during a Thursday news conference.

Harris said Ohio has the “fifth largest National Guard the country,” and they are sending specific units that were requested by the federal government.

Additionally, Harris said they have sent “security type forces that can augment the law enforcement there in the National Capitol Region.” 

He added that its two companies of “specially trained folks that can help with the security of critical infrastructure there.” 

Ohio is also sending “some communications personnel and equipment and they'll be able to provide some redundancy for communication should that become necessary,” Harris said.

Some of the more than 700 National Guard units have already deployed, and more will be traveling in.

The general public will not have access to the National Mall on Inauguration Day, according to an official familiar with the discussions.

The official said there will be no big screens, no toilets, no panels where people stand, and that the public will not be able to get down to the mall.

There are ongoing discussions between the District, National Park Service and the US Department of Interior on when the shutdown will happen. There won’t be access on Jan. 20, but when exactly before that is still the subject of discussion.

President-elect Joe Biden’s advisers, who are helping plan the inaugural, say it is intended to be a virtual event. They did not object to heightened security restrictions recommended by authorities pertaining to the Mall or the area surrounding the White House.

The restrictions on the National Mall were first reported by the Washington Post.

The House vote to impeach President Trump, historic as it was, has created a series of complicated questions for the looming Senate trial – nearly all of which will have repercussions for the opening days of incoming President Joe Biden.

It’s something Democratic senators and aides say they’re keenly aware of as they’ve worked through possible scenarios – keeping Biden’s team in the loop each step of the way.

Biden himself called current Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Jan. 11 in an effort to attempt to map a path forward that allows his administration to start its work – both nominations and potential stimulus legislation – as soon as possible.

The stakes are enormous and will dictate how quickly Biden gets his team in place, as well as whether he and his new Senate majority can launch what are expected to be legislative efforts.

"I hope that the Senate leadership will find a way to deal with their Constitutional responsibilities on impeachment while also working on the other urgent business of this nation," Biden said in a statement following the impeachment vote Wednesday night, alluding to his desire to 'bifurcate" the process in the upper chamber.

The ability to solidify doing two things at once weighs heavily on what comes next. As McConnell made clear in a statement Jan. 13, Senate trials have historically not been short.

"The Senate has held three presidential impeachment trials," McConnell said. "They have lasted 83 days, 37 days, and 21 days respectively."

While Democrats have been eyeing a tighter timeline, no final decisions have been announced – either on how the trial will play out or when one will actually begin.

But past trials underscore the complicated balancing act that lawmakers are grappling with. Running through this trial provides a guide, but with the caveat that everyone involved is attempting to work through alternatives.

Former acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf expressed his dismay that the outrage following the armed insurrection at the Capitol last week was not present over the summer when there were violent protests in Portland and other cities, but again laid some of the blame for last week’s events at the feet of President Trump, saying that the “President’s words matter.”

Wolf however then turned his attention to the violence over the summer.

“Actions in Portland and Oakland, areas like that where the activities of very violent individuals trying to burn down a courthouse and others, it’s very similar to what we saw here in the capital trying to disrupt the workings of the federal government. And at that time there was very few outrage, very few outspoken individuals about the attack on those federal facilities and law enforcement,” Wolf said, adding that he thinks there should be the same level of outrage across the board.

Wolf again said his decision to leave the administration early was because of legal challenges to his authority.

Wolf said that he hopes the Biden administration doesn’t immediately overhaul some of the immigration measures put in place by the Trump administration to cater “to one political spectrum or ideology, one side of the aisle or the other.”

President-elect Joe Biden and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell talk more than people know, a source familiar with the matter told CNN. 

The feeling inside, according to this person, is that people see McConnell as someone who is on the level and won't pull a quick one, an attitude that is shaped by Biden himself. And they also understand that while there is going to be GOP opposition to the size of the relief package, there is pressure on McConnell to do something on Covid-19.

Biden is cautioning strategic patience internally. There have been multiple times when folks have wanted to go harder on confirmations etc and Biden is the one who says give it a minute.

Biden has had “lots of conversations, with lots of people, including McConnell” about the size of the Covid-19 package, confirmations, and other matters, this person added. 

On the impeachment front, McConnell has rejected Democratic calls to bring the Senate back immediately to convict President Trump, a decision that is likely to allow the President to serve out his final days in office. Biden yesterday urged the Senate to conduct the impeachment trial while simultaneously working on other critical issues.

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: