US President Donald Trump became the first president to be impeached twice. The US House of Representatives charged him with “incitement of insurrection” over the attack on the US Capitol last week. The House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump.
This came after Republicans spent the last four years defending Trump’s actions. When impeachment proceedings were carried out against Trump in 2019, only Mitt Romney had voted against Trump, but the siege earlier this month became the last straw.
Also read: Impeached Twice, Trump Urges ‘No Violence’ as He Finds Himself Increasingly Ostracised
In light of Trump being impeached, here’s a look at what the Republicans who voted against Trump said:
Liz Cheney
US Congresswoman Liz Cheney was the most senior member of her party to vote against Trump. USA Today quoted her as saying, “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution… I will vote to impeach the President.”
“This insurrection caused injury, death and destruction in the most sacred space in our republic,” Cheney said according to AFP.
Anthony Gonzalez
A Republican senator from Rocky River, Gonzalez was one of the 10 Republicans who voted against Trump. He said in a statement on social media, “When I consider the full scope of events leading up to January 6th including the President’s lack of response as the United States Capitol was under attack, I am compelled to support impeachment.”
“During the attack itself, the President abandoned his post while many members asked for help, thus further endangering all present. These are fundamental threats not just to people’s lives but to the very foundation of the Republic,” he said.
Dan Newhouse
Representative of Washington’s 4th District in the US Congress Dan Newhouse said in a statement, “A vote against this impeachment is a vote to validate the unacceptable violence we witnessed in our nation’s capital. It is also a vote to condone President Trump’s inaction. He did not strongly condemn the attack nor did he call in reinforcements when our officers were overwhelmed. Our country needed a leader, and President Trump failed to fulfill his oath of office.”
Reuters reported that when Newhouse announced his intention to vote to impeach on the House floor during Wednesday’s debate, drawing applause from the roughly two dozen Democrats on the floor.
John Katko
John Katko of New York was the first member of the House Republican caucus to say he would vote for impeachment. He said, “By deliberately promoting baseless theories suggesting the election was somehow stolen, the president created a combustible environment of misinformation, disenfranchisement and division. When this manifested in violent acts on January 6th, he refused to promptly and forcefully call it off, putting countless lives in danger.”
Peter Meijer
A new member of the Congress from Michigan, Peter Meijer said in statement, “The President betrayed his oath of office by seeking to undermine our constitutional process, and he bears responsibility for inciting the violent acts of insurrection last week.”
Meijer, meanwhile, told CNN, “I was in the House chamber when it was being attacked a week ago today. That was a moment that called for leadership. I was hoping to see the President rapidly try to de-escalate, try to denounce, try to stop the violence from occurring, and he abandoned his post.”
Adam Kinzinger
The Republican from Illinois has been a major Donald Trump critic. He said on Twitter, “It was a sobering moment to vote in support of impeachment today; to walk over to the U.S. Capitol, our symbol of democracy, and recall the violent insurrection we witnessed here just one week ago. This is not a vote I took lightly, but a vote I took confidently. I’m at peace.”
David Valadao
Valadao, who represents California’s 21st Congressional district, said on Twitter, “Based on the facts before me, I have to go with my gut and vote my conscience. I voted to impeach President Trump. His inciting rhetoric was un-American, abhorrent, and absolutely an impeachable offense. It’s time to put country over politics.”
“President Trump was, without question, a driving force in the catastrophic events that took place on January 6 by encouraging masses of rioters to incite violence on elected officials, staff members, and our representative democracy as a whole,” he said.
Fred Upton
Upton, who represents Michigan’s 6th Congressional district said that the Congress must hold the President accountable. He said, “Today the President characterized his inflammatory rhetoric at last Wednesday’s rally as “totally appropriate,” and he expressed no regrets for last week’s violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This sends exactly the wrong signal to those of us who support the very core of our democratic principles and took a solemn oath to the Constitution. I would have preferred a bipartisan, formal censure rather than a drawn-out impeachment process. I fear this will now interfere with important legislative business and a new Biden Administration. But it is time to say: Enough is enough.”
Jaime Herrera Beutler
Reuters quoted Beutler as saying, “The president’s offenses, in my reading of the Constitution, were impeachable based on the indisputable evidence we already have.
Tom Rice
Rice, who represents South Carolina’s 7th Congressional district, said, “I have backed this President through thick and thin for four years. I campaigned for him and voted for him twice. But, this utter failure is inexcusable.”
“I was on the floor of the House of Representatives when the rioters were beating on the door with tear gas, zip tie restraints, and pipe bombs in their possession. It is only by the grace of God and the blood of the Capitol Police that the death toll was not much, much higher,” he said
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