It’s a resolution that still carries weight. “I’m not going to lose my son at the end of 2020 and lose my country, my Republic, in 2021,” he said. The congressman responded, as always, with a fighting and resilient spirit. CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Raskin how he was able to navigate the tragic start to his year. To Tommy, the purpose of democracy was to stop violence - Raskin imagines Tommy’s horrified reaction to the events of January 6, which strengthened his resolve.Īt one point in “Unthinkable,” Raskin recalls the first interview he participated in after the insurrection. Throughout the book, his presence follows Raskin everywhere, from conversations with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to arguments he gave at the impeachment trial. His focus on his son is not a self-serving, triumphant political dramatization, but instead a representation of the values that Tommy embodied. But when descriptions of constitutional precedent and takedowns of Republican arguments feel excessive - which they rarely do - Raskin never loses sight of the “moral center,” as he would describe it, of the story: Tommy. This is the work of an elected official, after all. There are still the sharply-written paragraphs, outlined in lawyer-like precision, about ethics, political “impossibilities” and the merits of progressive policy. There are the heart-pounding descriptions, thick with fear, as the congressman watched his colleagues barricade Capitol doors and strap on gas masks - for those still attempting to grasp the hours during which seditionists threatened our democracy.
There are the heartbreaking details of Tommy’s last days, oozing with survivor’s guilt - both Raskin’s, and that of others who have lost loved ones to mental health struggles or the coronavirus. Here, Raskin’s language is powerful for its duality: his words that are specific to his life experiences, yet reflect the larger narratives that many Americans have faced since Trump took office in January of 2017. None of these accolades or positions, however, automatically translate to raw, emotional vulnerability on pages.
The fact that “Unthinkable” is well-written isn’t a surprise to anyone who knows anything about Raskin’s background Raskin is a state senator-turned-congressional representative, a Harvard law graduate and a former professor of constitutional law. It was the unyielding support of Tommy and the rest of his family, Raskin writes, that allowed him to navigate the insurrection, which seemed far-fetched even for Trumpian America. Tommy is the current that runs throughout the novel, from when he introduced his father on the family’s front porch during his first state senate race in 2006, to when he later gives input on proposals that Raskin runs through Congress. Rather, it’s the tale of Raskin’s son, whose dedication to animal rights, advocacy for pacifism and “daily ethical zeal for the truth and social fairness” endeared him to family, friends and professors - especially at Harvard Law School, where Tommy was a student. Though Raskin is a politician, “Unthinkable” is not a political memoir. Raskin’s work in the ensuing months focused on Trump’s second impeachment trial, of which the Maryland congressman was the lead manager. Barely a week later, on January 6, came the insurrection in the U.S. On the final day of 2020, Raskin lost his 25-year-old son, Tommy, to suicide.
Raskin’s relentless optimism becomes clear in his latest book, “Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy,” which chronicles the dual tragedies congressman dealt with in 2021. Capitol on January 6, Congressman Jamie Raskin could still see the possibility of a 100–0 result in favor of conviction.
#Congressman jamie raskin son tommy pro
Yet as Senate President Pro Tempore Patrick Leahy called forth his colleagues to vote on whether Trump had incited the insurrection at the U.S. It was a number more promising than a 50–50 split along sharp party lines, the experts agreed, but the president’s acquittal still seemed inevitable.
#Congressman jamie raskin son tommy trial
In February of 2021, pundits estimated that former President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial would end in a 53–47 vote, 14 senators shy of conviction.
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