Sarah Mueller
U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said Friday he will not support calling witnesses in the Senate trial and won’t vote to convict.
In a statement, the Republican said he assumes President Donald Trump abused his power in asking for Ukraine to launch an investigation into political rival Former Vice President Joe Biden, but he doesn’t think it’s in the public interest to remove the president.
The Senate is likely to conclude the trial without hearing from witnesses or subpoenaing documents. Known as “moderate Republican swing-votes,” Sens. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have announced they will vote no. Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she will vote yes, but Democrats need four Republicans to vote with them to get testimony and documents.
The House drafted two articles of impeachment alleging abuse of power and obstruction of Congress late last year. House managers have been arguing to senators that this would be the only time in history that an impeachment trial didn’t include witness or documents.
Rubio said the question would not just be whether the President’s actions were wrong, but ultimately whether what he did was removable.
“The two are not the same,” he said. “Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a President from office.”
A Quinnipiac University national poll from earlier this week found 75 percent of registered voters want witness to testify in the impeachment trial, including 49 percent of Republicans, 95 percent of Democrats, and 75 percent of independents.
Rubio said he believes half the country would view removal as illegitimate — as nothing short of a coup d’état.
“It is difficult to conceive of any scheme (Russian President Vladimir) Putin could undertake that would undermine confidence in our democracy more than removal would,” he said.
According to a roundup of polls from FiveThirtyEight, 48% of Americans support removing Trump from office, with 46% who don’t support removing him.
6 comments
NO MORE REPUBLICANS !!!
January 31, 2020 at 3:59 pm
It’s amazing how easily the Chickenshit-In-Chief keeps all his little chickenshits in line! These Republican legislators are absolutely the wussiest of all the wusses in government service worldwide! Scott’s as much of a lowlife and gutless criminal as Trump – but Rubio might have been expected to have some cojones. And to think – he actually ran for the presidency! It’s become embarrassing to be an American!
Theresa
January 31, 2020 at 5:59 pm
Spineless
Elizabeth DuBois
January 31, 2020 at 6:16 pm
When 75% of registered voters wanted to hear from witnesses and you voted no, you put your personal agenda ahead of the people you represent. Enjoy your last years as a senator, as I will work to have you removed at your next election. You really are “little Marco” as President Trump so aptly named you. Very spineless and a follower, not a leader.
D Slater
January 31, 2020 at 7:17 pm
I will not be voting for any republican going forward. They are not for the people or for the constitution. I think their decision will have ramifications going forward…they will regret this.
Mr &Mrs Harold Theiss
January 31, 2020 at 8:03 pm
I will never vote for Sen Rubio nor any Republican in any future election. Their vote for no witnesses was despicable.
Sonja Emily Fitch
February 1, 2020 at 5:59 am
Wow Marco lived up to his fame as the representative of bs and being a coward. NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. NO ONE IS OUT OF REACH OF THE VOTERS. Marco hope you are trained to work a real job instead of the sitting on your lazy butt. VOTE DEMOCRATS…..
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