Sen, Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said though many Republicans voted against conviction at his Senate impeachment trial, former President Donald Trump hasn’t proved he deserves their loyalty.
In an interview on NBC News’ “Meet The Press,” Durbin said Republicans have only to look at Trump’s record of turning his back on allies.
“Many of the Republicans were voting out of loyalty to Donald Trump,” he said of the Saturday vote to acquit Trump of "incitement of insurrection” “in the deadly Jan, 6 Capitol siege.
“For those who want to know what Donald Trump's version of loyalty is, I have two words, Mike Pence,” Durbin said of the former Vice President, who refused Trump’s urging that he reject the certification of President Joe Biden’s win on Jan. 6.
“Many of them were voting out of fear, what would happen if they went home,” Durbin said. “I would ask them to take a reflection on the future of their party… which embraces … Proud Boys and shunning Cindy McCain and [Louisiana GOP Sen.] Bill Cassidy. What's the future of the Republican Party in that posture?”
According to Durbin, the Senate was never going to get enough votes to convict Trump without that of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
“I think that argument that we can't impeach someone who is out of office really baits the question,” he said
“That means there's some period in the presidency when Congress cannot respond quickly enough that a president can get away with anything,” he said. “I don't believe the Framers [of the Constitution] were that careless in writing those sections….You can't resign your way out of your responsibility.”
He also slammed “Soviet-style revisionists” in the GOP, suggesting there should be an investigation to leave a “clear” record of what happened on Jan. 6.
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