Sen. Josh Hawley Thursday slammed the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump as a "total kangaroo court" and accused Democrats of "trying to pursue a personal political vendetta against an ex-president" and against the 74 million people who voted for him.
"It is an illegitimate proceeding. It is unconstitutional," the Missouri Republican said on Fox News' "The Faulkner Focus." "They're making this up as they go along. It is totally unconstitutional and incredibly selfish on the part of the Democrats who are pursuing their own personal political vendettas here. They need to take seriously their oath of office and focus on the American people, not just what pleases the Democrats at the moment. This is a total kangaroo trial."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., has accused Republicans who stand with Trump of being his "enablers" and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Trump's jurors include his "co-conspirators," and Hawley slammed those comments as being "absolutely absurd and offensive."
"They have no evidence here, that first of all, that this trial is constitutional," said Hawley. "The Constitution doesn't permit them to do what they are trying to do."
It's also "wrong" for Democrats to pursue claims that Trump instigated the Jan. 6 riots at the Capitol when there are more important things they can focus on, Hawley added.
"Right now, we can't get enough vaccine to vaccinate the folks in my state," he said. "Our small businesses are in crisis. This is what the Democrats want to do with their time."
He also rejected claims that the Republican Party belongs to Trump, calling them "absurd."
"The Republican Party belongs to the voters, the people who sent us here," he said. "That's who I'm accountable to."
Hawley also slammed the use of Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., as a House impeachment manager, given the scandal over his connections with a Chinese spy.
"It goes to show this is a kangaroo proceeding," said Hawley. "These folks have no respect for the Senate, no respect for the impeachment trial that is supposed to go on. John Roberts is supposed to be here. Instead, we have Pat Leahy in the chair making it up as he goes along. The whole thing is a sham and is a disgrace and it is time for it to end."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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