With no defense of Trump on the facts, House Republicans are resorting to manufactured stunts and rules violations to create claims of mistreatment.
Republicans tried to violate impeachment rules by yielding time to each other, and when Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff enforced the rules, they claimed they were being mistreated.
Here was the exchange:
Republicans intentionally violate impeachment hearing rules and then claim Adam Schiff is mistreating them. pic.twitter.com/APHQrXHgtP
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— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) November 16, 2019
Chairman Schiff correctly points out that under the House Impeachment resolution that Trump demanded, neither party is allowed to yield time to other members.
The reality is Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) had the second most time to talk of any Republican on the committee:
In a transparent stunt, Trump and Republicans claimed today that Rep. Stefanik “wasn’t allowed to talkâ€â€”the numbers say different: pic.twitter.com/pfPFcCaHos
— Will Ragland (@citizenwillis) November 15, 2019
The truth is that Republicans can’t defend Donald Trump, and their narrative that the impeachment process is unfair is being disproven on live television by the hearings. Schiff has run the hearings in a fair and even-tempered tone.
Republicans have had equal time in every hearing. The rules are even, which is a problem for Trump and Nunes, so they have cooked up a scheme where Republicans will violate the rules and then cry foul.
Impeachment has been a disaster for Trump and his party.
Republicans are trying to bring the circus to the hearings, and when Rep. Schiff enforces the rules, they stomp their feet and hope to create moments that will play on a loop on Fox News.
Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
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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