Sen. Lisa Murkowski said that a fair trial isn’t possible anyway, so she decided to vote against calling witnesses at Trump’s impeachment trial.
Murkowski (R-AK) said:
The House chose to send articles of impeachment that are rushed and flawed. I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents, to cure the shortcomings of its process, but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena.
Given the partisan nature of this impeachment from the very beginning and throughout, I have come to the conclusion that there will be no fair trial in the Senate. I don’t believe the continuation of this process will change anything. It is sad for me to admit that, as an institution, the Congress has failed.
Sen. Murkowski’s reasoning is absurd. If she believes that the articles of impeachment are flawed, the way around it is to vote for witnesses, so that President Trump could mount a proper defense.
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It is not to say that since a fair trial is impossible, I am going to vote against making the trial fair.
Senate Republicans have the power to hold any sort of trial that they want. If the trial is unfair, it’s because Republicans like Murkowski are voting against holding a fair trial.
Murkowski’s reason was an insult, as the least Republicans can do is own their cover-up for Trump.
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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
