House Democrats are planning to vote to impeach President Donald Trump as they are accusing him of inciting the violent mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “Special Report,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) was asked if he believes there is a chance enough senators will vote to convict and remove the president from office.
“I don’t see any of that,” Manchin said as he explained, “Because there’ll be still 48 Democrats until we seat Warnock and Sen. Ossoff. So, until that happens, you need 67 votes. I think my arithmetic that means we [need] 19 Republicans. I don’t see that. And I think the House should know that also.”
He continued, “I think this is so ill-advised for Joe Biden to be coming in, trying to heal the country, trying to be the president of all the people when we’re going to be so divided and fighting again.”
Watch the video below:
West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin tells @BretBaier that the Democratic push to impeach president Trump is "ill-advised" pic.twitter.com/96uKcRAG3o
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 11, 2021
Instead, he argued lawmakers should let law enforcement officials investigate the storming of the Capitol and prosecute those who were responsible.
He also claimed Congress could “do [the impeachment trial] later if they think it’s necessary.”
However, Trump is slated to leave office on January 20, after President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. That has raised questions about whether there would be enough support to convict Trump before the inauguration — or whether the Senate could convict Trump after he leaves office.
When asked if there is any “credibility” for an impeachment trial after Trump leaves office, Manchin said, “Here’s the thing… Yes, I think that basically, if it comes to that point and there’s enough evidence… I don’t think that, basically, you can ever condone the type of actions, an insurrection that’s happened to our country and to our Capitol.”
Finally, he noted that Trump will leave office “no matter what happens” and doubted that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) would start an impeachment trial much earlier than January 19.
House Democrats on Monday unveiled an article of impeachment charging Trump with “incitement of insurrection.”
“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government,” the resolution reads, adding, “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
