Senator Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) suggested that most Republican senators would vote to convict former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection against Congress if the vote were done via secret ballot.
The Senate needs two-thirds of the chamber––67 senators––to convict Trump, which means Democrats would need 17 Republicans to cross the aisle. Thus far, it looks like most of the party would vote to acquit the former president despite the evidence against him.
“If the Republicans could vote by secret ballot…most of them would vote to convict,” Hirono told CNN. “So again, that shows that they are hiding behind an unconstitutional claim.”
She added that fear is guiding some Republicans’ decisions.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Because fear has been motivating them—the Republicans for the entire four years of the Trump presidency,” she said, pointing to Trump’s rhetoric, which has “emboldened” figures like the white supremacist Proud Boys.
Hirono said she personally does not have any questions that need to be answered during the impeachment trial for her to vote to convict.
“All of us were witnesses to the horrific events of January 6th,” she said.
You can watch her interview in the video below.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in Impeachment 2.0: "What is happening with my Republican colleagues, most of them, is their extreme fear of Donald Trump and the Trump base. So, what's motivating them is extreme fear rather than doing their constitutional responsibility…" pic.twitter.com/RqP53oztpc
— The Recount (@therecount) February 9, 2021
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
