Hold on, fella. Graham was endorsing Alexander's view that held Trump had engaged in serious wrongdoing? Probably not. But the reality-distortion field within the GOP is so strong that often Trumpers do not even realize when they unintentionally acknowledge the truth. Alexander's move did raise the prospect of whether any other Republican senators would join him in accepting the House manager's case but deciding Trump ought not be booted out of office. If so, one potential ending to the Trump impeachment drama could be half the Senate affirming that he did abuse his power and engage in serious misconduct.
A democracy can only effectively function on the basis of good information. If reality is not recognized and accepted, a nation cannot have the debates and discussions necessary for making the best decisions for its citizenry and the future. Authoritarians have long known that controlling the narrative is key to political control. The Trump impeachment trial was a test of the American system. Could the politicians in charge handle the truth, evaluate it fairly and reach a reality-based conclusion (which could still allow for a vote not to remove Trump)? The Republicans failed. Instead, they rallied for Trump; they renounced reality. Their action was in synch with how George Orwell in 1984 described the most important need of an authoritarian political party: "The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." That was the GOP playbook for the Trump impeachment. This trial was a measure of whether truth could triumph over political hackery and the authoritarian impulse that Trump has injected into the Republican Party, and the Republicans have convicted themselves.
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