Following weeks of witness testimony, leaks to the media, and unveiled transcripts regarding an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans appear unfazed.
“Unless there is something else that shows up somewhere, we dont see this as an impeachable offense,” Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) said Wednesday, reported the Washington Examiner.
Democrats have claimed there was clear “quid pro quo” in a July call Trump made to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alleging that Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine to force Kyiv to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and Hunter Biden, his son.
Trump has repeatedly denied the claims, urging the public to read the publicly available transcripts of the phone call themselves. In the July call, Trump makes a request for Zelensky to “look into” the business activities of the former vice president and his son, who was on the board of Ukraine-based energy company Burisma at the time.
“Even if there were a quid pro quo that does not rise to the level of impeachment,” Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) told the Examiner.
“You have to understand, Joe Biden suggested they had six hours to respond to his demand they fire a prosecutor or there would be consequences,” Rounds said. “This type of diplomacy is hard to watch but nonetheless has existed and hardly rises to an impeachable offense.”
Meanwhile, Republicans said that not many of their constituents are asking them to remove Trump from office.
“I dont imagine the country is as fixated with this as we are,” said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), according to the report.
Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that nothing that the House transcripts have revealed so far would merit the Senate removing Trump from office.
“If it were today, I dont think there is any question it would not lead to a removal,” McConnell said.
Another Republican lawmaker said that the fact that BiRead More – Source
