For Jamie Raskin, the Democratic convener and professor of constitutional law who is leading an effort to impress Donald Trump for a second time, the last fortnight has been turbulent.
He lost his 25-year-old son Tommy, who had been struggling with depression, on New Year’s Eve.
Seeing his role, Raskin served a testimonial last week on Joe Biden’s main impact at Congress with members of his family, since he was split as a group of pro-Trump finishers who took a storm on the Capitol building.
Despite these deep emotional blows, Raskin last week drafted the impeachment article against Trump over his role in inciting the Congressional storm, which is likely to be voted down by House of Representatives later Wednesday.
The day before the Capitol storm, Raskin had buried his son, who died after leaving a note for his family. “Forgive me,” he wrote. “My illness won today. Please look after me, the animals, and the poor people all over the world for me. My love, Tommy. “
As he stood to speak in the debate on the testimony less than 24 hours later, Raskin – who had crushed a piece of black cloth to a lapel – received a sustained shout from colleagues of Congress on both sides of the Congress. corridor, who was aware of his recent loss and had yet to vote.
Shortly afterwards, a Trumpist mob broke in.
Since then, Raskin has written a House resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to call for the 25th amendment and say Trump cannot finish his term, which ends next week. . A penny was judged doing so on Tuesday night.
The room quickly moved to an article of impeachment, which Raskin helped with drafting. He has been clear about why he has to push through the sad feelings he and his family have been resisting to hold Trump to account.
“The president is a deadly threat to the American republic and the American people,” Raskin told Atlantic magazine last week as he began writing an impeachment article. “Nothing like this has happened. from the civil war. “
And as Raskin told the Washington Post, he felt his son ‘s presence through the recent events. “I felt it in my heart and chest,” he said. “All the way through the counting of electoral college votes and through the view of the armed attack on the Capitol. “
His son, a law student, as Raskin explained to the paper, had asked him a question that had focused his mind.
For a class on the first issue of freedom of speech change, Tommy Raskin had asked his father about “incitement to forthcoming lawless action”, and whether a government official who had sworn in to establish the constitution should maintained at a higher level.
“Ironically that’s going to be an urgent issue for us talking about Donald Trump,” Raskin said. “Some people say: ‘Well, Donald Trump was just using his free speech.’ As president of the United States, he cannot incite, advise and encourage mobs that invade the United States Capitol. “
Raskin is clear about what the U.S. is protesting after the attack on Congress.
“The president didn’t want to let her go, and the result of the obsession with the big lie he won was the election of this horrific attack on Congress,” Raskin said. “The president has become a clear and immediate threat to the republic.”
“That is the basic work for fascism, when you put racism, antisemitism, conspiracy theory and magic thinking. That is the real powder of an attack on democracy, ”Raskin said of the riot in an interview. “So we have to be very tough, and very strong right now in defending the constitution and democracy.”
When Congress stormed, Raskin’s thoughts were mostly on his 23-year-old daughter, Tabitha, and on his son-in-law, who accompanied him to the Capitol and was separated in the riot.
When they were reunited, Raskin assured his daughter that it would be more relaxed the next time she went to the Capitol. “Dad, I don’t think that will be the case next time,” she replied.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be upset on 116 123 or by emailing [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, the national lifeline for suicide prevention is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the emergency support service is Lifeline 13 11 14. Other international helplines are available at www.befrienders.org.