Some Republicans Reportedly Have ‘Severe Misgivings’ About Mitch McConnell’s Impeachment Strategy
Speaking at a Capitol News Briefing on the Connecticut Network on Thursday, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal suggested that some members of the GOP are taking issue with Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell‘s impeachment plan. McConnell previously said he would be coordinating with Donald Trump and the White House — a comment that drew criticism from fellow Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski.
According to Blumenthal, McConnell will face pressure from Republican lawmakers to approach the forthcoming impeachment trial in a fair manner, The Hill reports.
“I’ve talked to anywhere from five to 10 of my colleagues who have very severe misgivings about the direction that Mitch McConnell is going in denying a full, fair proceeding with witnesses and documents. My hope is that they will say publicly what Sen. Murkowski did, and really hold Mitch McConnell accountable.”
Blumenthal expressed hope that some of his Republican colleagues with similar worries would come forward, pointing to Murkowski’s decision to voice her concerns.
“I believe Sen. Murkowski is saying what a lot of my Republican colleagues are thinking, in fact, saying privately,” he said.
Blumenthal also said that McConnell’s decision to work in tandem with Trump and his administration is “sabotaging” the impeachment process.
Blumenthal’s revelation isn’t surprising, as there have been many reports of private concerns about the president’s conduct. Per Business Insider, Independent Rep. Justin Amash — who used to be a Republican — was the first member of the GOP to call for Trump’s impeachment. He did so following Robert Mueller’s report into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and echoed Blumenthal’s sentiments, suggested that many of his Republican colleagues felt the same way he did.
“By the way, a lot of them think I’m right about the Mueller report, they just won’t say it. There are a lot of Republicans,” Amash said at a town hall event.
Pretty rare moment in politics. @justinamash says some of his colleagues agree with him about President Trump and the Mueller report but won't speak out publicly. pic.twitter.com/3APeeiI3US
— Daniel Lewis (@Daniel_Lewis3) May 28, 2019
The seemingly unwavering loyalty of the GOP to Trump was one of the reasons Amash left the party. As The Inquisitr previously reported, the Michigan congressman has blasted what he perceives as a shift in the Republican Party under Trump that is moving away from its traditionally conservative values and toward appeasing the president at all costs.
Amash has also been critical of Democrats for opposition to Trump, although he was supported the articles of impeachment against Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, making him the sole vote of support for impeachment coming outside of the Democratic Party.
