In an interview broadcast Sunday, Utah Republican Mitt Romney blasted President Donald Trump while arguing against impeachment, The Hill reports.
Romney went on CNN’s State of the Union to discuss, among other pressing issues, Republican Representative Justin Amash’s calls for impeachment. Romney disagreed with the Michigan lawmaker, arguing that now is not the right time for impeachment while criticizing President Trump’s behavior.
“The American people just aren’t there. I don’t think impeachment is the right way to go,” he said.
Romney urged those calling for the impeachment to consider “practicality and politics,” arguing that “you just don’t have the elements” to make the case for obstruction of justice, and impeach Trump.
Nevertheless, Romney praised Amash, calling his statement “courageous.”
While arguing against impeachment, the Utah Republican blasted Trump, stating that “the president has distanced himself from some of the best qualities of the human character.”
While some may have expected Romney, one of the most vocal Trump critics hailing from the Republican Party, to come out in favor of impeachment, he has refused to do so. This means that Michigan Representative Justin Amash is still the only serving Republican politician to call for the radical maneuver.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , in a viral Twitter thread published yesterday, Amash explained why he believes Trump should be impeached, receiving praise from Democratic lawmakers. Amash said he drew four principal conclusions from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, concluding that impeachment proceedings against the president should begin.
The libertarian-leaning lawmaker pointed out that the Constitution defines impeachable offenses as corrupt and dishonorable conduct while criticizing Attorney General William Barr for “misleading” the public about Mueller’s findings pertaining to obstruction of justice. Amash criticized fellow Republicans for not being principled, arguing that they have a duty to uphold the Constitution and that they should do so regardless of political consequences.
Trump calls Rep. Amash a “loser” for saying president engaged in impeachable conduct https://t.co/87673tlQrY
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) May 19, 2019
Amash’s comments have upset President Trump, it seems, who took to Twitter today to insult the Michigan representative as a “total lightweight,” and a “loser,” while blasting Robert Mueller and the Democratic Party.
As The Daily Beast pointed out, by openly calling for impeachment, Amash put House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats under pressure. Unlike the Republican, Pelosi has consistently argued against impeachment, suggesting that it would be “too divisive” for the country. Much like the house speaker, the majority of top Democrats have argued against the maneuver as well.
Progressive Democrats have not refrained from calling for impeachment, however. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, for instance, suggested that Amash co-sponsors her impeachment investigation resolution.
