Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is uncertain of where Republican loyalty lies after many Republican senators attempted to dismiss President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial as unconstitutional.
During an appearance on CNN’s “New Day,” host John Berman asked Durbin what the vote told him.
“It appears at least 45 of the Republican senators would rather not go forward with the impeachment,” Durbin said on Wednesday.
He added, “I can’t say what their ultimate vote will be, but whether it’s loyalty to Donald Trump or fear from his followers, they did not want to take up the impeachment article that was sent over by the House.”
Watch the video below:
"We want a complete trial," Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin says after 45 GOP senators reject constitutionality of the impeachment trial. "We have clear evidence in front of us … in addition to our personal experience."https://t.co/H9WQI4jWsP pic.twitter.com/w9SZ2ih9YX
— CNN This Morning with Audie Cornish (@CNNThisMorning) January 27, 2021
Berman asked Durbin if the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 is not “enough” evidence for them to move forward with impeaching Trump, what would be.
Durbin detailed his experience in the Capitol during the riot and accused Trump of instigating the protesters.
He argued the former president “summoned them to Washington, fired them up on the mall, and then pointed to the Capitol and said, ‘Give them hell.'”
Durbin continued, “That is exactly what happened. That was, in my mind, one of the most despicable acts ever by a President of the United States and, sad to say, many of my colleagues do not even want to look at it, let alone accept it.”
He turned his attention to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and other Republicans who claim to impeach a president who has already left office does not align with the Constitution.
“The position that’s taken by Rand Paul and those yesterday that the president’s out of office, ‘Leave him alone, let him ride off into the sunset,’ just doesn’t square with the Constitution and its wording nor in the precedent of the United States Senate,” Durbin said.
He made it clear, “We want a complete trial.”
Durbin went on, “We have clear evidence in front of us as to what occurred that day… in addition to our personal experience.”
Only five Republican senators called the trial constitutional, as IJR reported.
