Topline
Former President Donald Trump is out of office, but some Senate Republicans are coming out in force to defend the 45th president, cautioning any colleague who votes to convict him in his Senate impeachment trial that they will face consequences—even the most powerful GOP lawmaker in Congress.
Key Facts
No GOP senator has said definitively they will vote to convict Trump, though several seem open to the idea, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who recently argued the 45th president “provoked” the rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6.
Privately, McConnell has yet to indicate how he will vote, and he is not attempting to swing GOP lawmakers in either direction, according to Punchbowl News.
McConnell’s wavering is enough to have angered some Republicans, including Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who told CNN Wednesday that he would not support the Kentucky senator as GOP leader if he voted to convict Trump.
In an interview with Fox News Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said McConnell was wrong when he blamed Trump for the riot, and warned any Republican who tried to “erase” the 45th president from the party would be erased themselves.
Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes Thursday.
Key Background
Ten House Republicans broke ranks and voted to impeach Trump last Wednesday, including Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third most powerful Republican in the House. Several Trump allies have since called for Cheney to be removed from her position as GOP conference chair, and Wyoming state Senator Anthony Bouchard announced Wednesday he would primary the congresswoman.
Crucial Quote
“The mob was fed lies,” McConnell said Tuesday on the floor of the Senate. “They were provoked by the president and other powerful people. And they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government which they did not like. But we pressed on.”
Chief Critic
Republicans opposed to convicting the former president argue the effort would only divide the country further. “You think President Trump committed a crime?” Graham asked rhetorically during the Fox News interview Wednesday. “He can be prosecuted. Impeachment is a political exercise that will further divide the country and I think eventually destroy the United States.” Other Republicans forcefully against convicting Trump include Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Tangent
Other GOP senators who have left the door open to impeachment are Sens. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Mitt Romney of Utah, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, and Rob Portman of Ohio.
What To Watch For
Pelosi is expected to send the article of impeachment to the Senate by the end of this week. Democrats, including President Joe Biden, are hoping for a quick end to the saga, and some lawmakers have floated the idea of the trial lasting just three days, according to Politico.