‘A stomach-churning experience.’ KC-area lawmakers debate Trump’s impeachment
Congressional Republicans knew they wouldn’t persuade Democrats to back off their plans to impeach President Donald Trump Wednesday.
But the marathon televised debate provided a powerful microphone to deliver their messages—albeit in one-minute bites — to voters, potential donors and a president highly attuned to television performances.
For Rep. Roger Marshall, a western Kansas congressman seeking an open Senate seat, the historic event offered an opportunity to burnish his pro-Trump credentials ahead of a 2020 primary in which the president’s support could likely determine the Republican nomination.
“I rise today in opposition to the impeachment of a legitimately elected president of the United States. Enough. Madam Speaker, for the love of this country, enough. Enough of this impeachment circus. Enough of these sham witch hunts,” Marshall said.
Marshall’s path to the nomination could be obliterated if Secretary of State Mike Pompeo enters the race to replace retiring Sen. Pat Roberts, an idea that Trump has floated in recent weeks.
But if Pompeo doesn’t run, it’ll be critical for the congressman to earn Trump’s backing against former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the party’s 2018 nominee for governor who served on Trump’s transition team.
Kobach and Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, another Republican seeking the nomination, released statements blasting impeachment, but only Marshall was able to speak to a national audience.
In an interview seconds after he voted against impeachment, Marshall said that every House member made up their minds weeks ago and his words were primarily intended for the president’s ears.
“I think, No. 1, I wanted to make sure the president understands that we still support him and that we have his back,” said Marshall, who revealed he spoke to Trump last week.
“You know, it’s tough times. I spoke to the president Thursday night and, gosh, he was just still so upbeat, just amazing, very locked in on the Senate race in Kansas. I was amazed with how much much he knew about it... So I want him to know, I want Melania to know that we have their back. I want the people back home to know that I’m supporting the president.”
Marshall said he would not give further details about his conversation with the president when asked if he discussed Pompeo’s potential entry into the race.
During his speech, Marshall accused House Democrats of pursuing impeachment as revenge for the 2016 election and warned they were setting a dangerous precedent.
“If my Democrat colleagues were honest, they’d tell us the only thing President Trump is guilty of is being not Hillary Clinton,” Marshall said.
For Republicans in competitive primaries, such as Marshall, Trump’s support in 2020 could be crucial.
Nationally 50 percent of voters support impeachment compared to 43 percent who oppose it, according to a Morning Consult and Politico poll conducted the weekend before the vote.
Voters are split along party lines with 86 percent of Republicans opposing impeachment and 87 percent of Democrats support it, according to the poll.
Lawmakers of each party warned members on the other side that history would harshly judge their votes.
The nine Republicans from Missouri and Kansas voted against Trump’s impeachment, while the three Democrats from the two states, including freshman Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids, supported impeachment.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, said he had no plans to speak on the House floor despite pressure from his staff. The Kansas City congressman, who, came out in favor of Trump’s impeachment in September, emphasized that he took no pleasure in the decision.
“It’s a stomach-churning experience for me. Just think, we’re voting to reprimand— it’s beyond reprimand— we’re voting to indict the president of the United States. And I haven’t seen anybody jumping up and down with joy. I’m certainly not doing it. I hope we can recover,” said Cleaver, the long-time chairman of the bipartisan House Civility Caucus.
Cleaver said he had no choice but to support impeachment in the face of revelations that Trump tried to pressure Ukraine into investigating possible 2020 opponent and former Vice President Joe Biden’s son by allegedly withholding military aid.
The House impeachment resolution charges Trump with abuse of power for his administration’s alleged efforts to coerce Ukraine and charges him with obstruction of Congress for the White House’s defiance of congressional subpoenas.
Cleaver, the former pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Kansas City, said he has no hatred for Trump and that his Christian faith requires him to pray for the president, who would become just the third chief executive ever to be impeached. He’s been doing that since before the impeachment process began, Cleaver said.
“I kind of resent the fact that one of the talking points is that somehow if you vote for impeachment that you hate Donald Trump. I don’t think some of the members understand for those of us who actually believe in Judeo-Christian principles that we are compelled to pray for people in authority,” said Cleaver.
Missouri’s only other Democrat in Congress, Rep. William Lacy Clay, who represents St. Louis, delivered a passionate morning speech speech in support of impeachment.
“Our founders feared a lawless amoral president would willfully put national security at risk for his own personal gain. In 1974, Republicans made it clear that their ultimate loyalty was not to one man but to upholding the constitution,” Lacy Clay said, in reference to President Richard Nixon who resigned before he could be impeached and removed from office.
“Today the uncontested evidence shows Donald Trump violated his oath of office,” Lacy Clay said. “My friends on both sides of the aisle can either defend him or defend the constitution. History will not permit you to do both.”
The House vote will trigger a Senate trial of the president, but it’s widely expected that the Republican-controlled Senate will acquit him. A two-thirds vote is required to move the president from office.
Cleaver said he had already spoken to Missouri Republican Sen. Roy Blunt Wednesday but instead of discussing impeachment the two “had a long conversation about some stuff we’re trying to do at home.”
Missouri Republicans in the House were vocal in their criticism of the impeachment process during Wednesday’s debate.
Rep. Jason Smith, whose district covers southeastern Missouri, told Democrats they had failed to present convincing evidence to justify the president’s impeachment.
“Your frothy eloquence neither convinces, nor satisfies me,” Smith said. “I’m from the Show-me State. You have to show me. The only thing you have shown so far is that you’re about to impeach a duly elected president who has done nothing wrong.”
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who represents central Missouri, decried the process as a charade.
“In order to arrive at their Stalinistic predetermined conclusion House democrats spent the last several months staging well-rehearsed hearings where the charges were drawn up by their own focus groups,” Luetkemeyer said.
“Even with the odds so stacked against the president, Democrats still came up with nothing,” he added.
Another Missouri Republican had a TV moment before he even opened his mouth. Rep. Billy Long, whose district includes Springfield, spent much of the late afternoon and early evening seated directly behind Republican speakers.
Instead of a pocket square, Long had cash sticking out of his suit jacket pocket throughout the debate, an image that caught the attention of Twitter users who compared it to a political cartoon come to life. The bills were removed by the time Long got up to speak against Trump’s impeachment.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 4:02 PM.
