Republican congressman explains his vote for impeachment
“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,” Meijer, a Michigan freshman lawmaker told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
“To me that was disqualifying. My heart broke in that time, seeing folks ransacking the Capitol. And since then, the President has not accepted responsibility. I hold the seat that was held by Gerald Ford for 25 years before he was elevated to the White House. He pardoned Richard Nixon, but that was after Richard Nixon resigned and was held accountable for his actions. And here, there must be accountability.”
Pressed at that time on whether he’d made a definitive decision on impeachment, Meijer maintained that he would “wait to see the additional evidence presented, but again, this is something we’re strongly considering.”
Ultimately, though, he concluded that Trump had “betrayed his oath of office by seeking to undermine our constitutional process,” according to a statement released by Meijer’s office earlier Wednesday.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is not planning to bring the chamber back for a trial before January 19, meaning it won’t begin until Trump is out of office and President-elect Joe Biden has been sworn in.
McConnell said in a statement following the vote that a Senate trial could not be completed ahead of Biden’s inauguration even if it started beforehand, and he wanted Congress and the executive branch to spend the next week focused on “facilitating a safe inauguration” and an orderly transfer of power.
“I trust that Sen. McConnell will do what he thinks is best for the country,” Meijer said Wednesday evening. “He’s shown that he cares about the institution, that he cares about the nation, and I’m sure whatever timeline he proposes will be appropriate.”
CNN’s Jeremy Herb, Manu Raju, Lauren Fox and Phil Mattingly contributed to this report.
