Justin Amash Says ‘History Will Not Look Kindly’ On Donald Trump’s Defenders
Former Republican and current Independent Justin Amash was the first member of the GOP to call for Donald Trump‘s impeachment following Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Ahead of Thursday’s House vote on a resolution for the impeachment probe, Amash warned Republicans that “history will not look kindly” on their defense of the president, Newsweek reports.
“This president will be in power for only a short time, but excusing his misbehavior will forever tarnish your name,” he tweeted.
“To my Republican colleagues: Step outside your media and social bubble. History will not look kindly on disingenuous, frivolous, and false defenses of this man.”
The impeachment resolution passed by a vote of 232-196. All but two Democrats voted in favor, and all Republicans voted against the resolution save for three who abstained.
Amash also took a hit out at Trump’s supporters on Wednesday, highlighting that members of Congress swore an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution — not to “support and defend Donald Trump’s abuse of the office of the presidency.”
Per The Hill, the 39-year-old congressman has recently been most critical of Trump’s approach to Syria. He called out the discrepancy in Trump’s claim that he is sending the troops removed from northern Syria back to the U.S., and Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s announcement that over 700 soldiers soldiers from the region would be relocated to Iraq.
Rep. Jim McGovern: "I truly believe that 100 years from now, historians will look back at this moment and judge us by the decisions we're making here today. At the end of the day, this resolution isn't about Donald Trump. It isn't about any of us. It's about our Constitution." pic.twitter.com/bYvas9Jljk
— The Hill (@thehill) October 31, 2019
Amash criticized this discrepancy during an appearance on NBC’s Meet The Press.
“He’s moving troops back into Iraq. A He’s moving other troops into Saudi Arabia,” Amash said, speaking of the Pentagon’s announcement of new troop deployments to the Desert Kingdom.
According to Esper, “things could change” between now and the completion of the troop withdrawal, but until that happens, the plan is for U.S. troop presence in Iraq to help prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State and defend the country.
Amash previously stated that he doesn’t believe Trump has any intention of ending the U.S.’s involvement in wars.
“The guy who has been president since January 2017 is complaining about our involvement in Middle East wars,” Amash tweeted earlier this month, adding that Trump has increased U.S. troop presence and vetoed legislation to limit U.S. involvement in Yemen.
“He is a fraud. Bring home our troops,” he concluded.
The Michigan Representative is the son of a Palestinian refugee and Syrian immigrant. Much like Rand Paul, he has been vocal about his Libertarian-leaning beliefs, including non-interventionism, throughout his time in Congress.
