Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey became the highest ranking Republican senator on Saturday to publicly support accusations that President Donald Trump acted in ways that necessitate his impeachment.
Despite the fact that Trump will be leaving office in just 11 days, House Democrats are pushing an expedited effort to impeach Trump for a second time.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that if Trump does not resign, the House would move forward to impeach him for incitement of insurrection. Indeed, the Washington Examiner reported Saturday that 180 House Democrats, the vast majority of their caucus, supports impeaching Trump for “willfully inciting violence.”
What did Toomey say?
Speaking on Fox News, Toomey, who is the top-ranking Republican on the Senate Banking Committee, said he believes that Trump committed “impeachable offenses.”
However, Toomey expressed concern that Democrats may politicize the situation, and that, even if the House does impeach Trump, he’s not certain the articles of impeachment would arrive to the Senate in time for the upper chamber to hold an adequate trial.
“I don’t know what they are going to send over and one of the things that I’m concerned about, frankly, is whether the House would completely politicize something,” Toomey said.
“I do think the president committed impeachable offenses, but I don’t know what’s going to land on the Senate floor if anything,” Toomey continued.
GOP Sen. Pat Toomey: “I do think the president committed impeachable offenses” https://t.co/nBx9jlJTdv
— Andrew Solender (@Andrew Solender)1610227819.0
Toomey’s admission came one day after Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Iowa) revealed that he would “consider whatever articles” House Democrats pass, claiming Trump has “disregarded his oath of office.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) also spoke out against Trump on Friday, demanding that he resign.
“I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,” she told the Anchorage Daily News.
Will Trump be impeached?
While the prospect of Trump becoming the first president in U.S. history to be twice impeached appears increasingly likely, Trump will probably not be removed from office prior to Inauguration Day.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell circulated a memo among Senate Republicans on Friday explaining that, because of the timeline between next week and President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, the Senate does not have enough time to hold a trial if the House approves articles of impeachment.
The memo explains, according to the Washington Post, “the Senate will not reconvene for substantive business until Jan. 19, which means the earliest possible date that impeachment trial proceedings can begin in the Senate is the day before President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated.”