Eric Swalwell Wrecks Trump’s Last Defense On Impeachment

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) destroyed the Trump and GOP claim that impeachment is a secret process by revealing that dozens of Republicans were at Bill Taylor’s testimony.

Rep. Swalwell said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, “So there were a lot when we started. I counted about 75 people in this very small room, you know, about two-thirds of them were members. Now, at the end of the day after all of the complaints about the process, after all of the attacks on the chairman, it was about, you know, a ten to one ratio of Democrats to Republicans.”

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Swalwell was asked how many Republicans were in the room, and he answered, “Dozens, dozens.”

Rep. Swalwell added that Republicans use their time early in the hearing to attack the process, and then they leave, “They use a lot of otheir time in the beginning of each of these hearings to attack the process. They have access to be there, but then you see them all get-up and leave and you’re sitting there wondering if you’re so interested in the process why don’t you participate and listen for these ten-hour sessions. Most cases most of the Democrats stay and very few Republicans stay. If they did stay and if they heard what these witnesses are saying, I hope that just like I that they would be moved and very concerned about what it means for our country and constitution.

Republicans have access to the impeachment investigation. They get equal time at the hearings, but House Republicans don’t want to be part of a legitimate impeachment investigation, so they attack the process behind the hearings, and then leave.

The Trump/GOP defense is that impeachment has been a secret process that Republicans have been frozen out of, but it’s not true, and Rep. Swalwell showed exactly why.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association