Senator Lamar Alexander says there was a “mountain’ of evidence” in the impeachment, but doesn’t feel the need to hear from witnesses. The Tennessee Republican released a statement saying:
“I worked with other senators to make sure that we have the right to ask for more documents and witnesses, but there is no need for more evidence to prove something that has already been proven and that does not meet the United States Constitution’s high bar for an impeachable offense.”
Yet he acknowledges what Donald Trump was wrong:
“It was inappropriate for the president to ask a foreign leader to investigate his political opponent and to withhold United States aid to encourage that investigation. When elected officials inappropriately interfere with such investigations, it undermines the principle of equal justice under the law. But the Constitution does not give the Senate the power to remove the president from office and ban him from this year’s ballot simply for actions that are inappropriate.”
Instead, he thinks this should be decided at the ballot box.
“The question then is not whether the president did it, but whether the United States Senate or the American people should decide what to do about what he did. I believe that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision in the presidential election that begins in Iowa on Monday.”
The people did decide – we chose a republic. You chose a king. #coward https://t.co/2XUrVCZpjp
— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) January 31, 2020
After Alexander’s decision #Coward and #LamarAlexanderIsACoward became the #1 trending topic on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/RoArquette/status/1223103479020830721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1223103479020830721&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffpost.com%2Fentry%2Flamar-alexander-twitter-coward_n_5e33beb6c5b611ac94d2475a
What dereliction of duty, @SenAlexander. You are violating your oath to protect the Constitution. Shame on legacy. https://t.co/jgcjfdkcLA
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) January 31, 2020
Lamar Alexander admits Trump extorted Ukraine in an attempt to cheat in the 2020 election but it's not impeachable.
Imagine punching your kid in the face and the jury saying, "yeah, we watched the video and you're guilty, but it's nothing to go to jail over."#witnessesnow
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) January 31, 2020
Senator @LamarAlexander has served as the Governor of Tennessee, the Secretary of Education and a US Senator
His legacy will be that he cast the deciding vote that rigged the Senate impeachment trial to protect Donald Trump
This is what he will be remembered for
— Edward Hardy (@EdwardTHardy) January 31, 2020
Watch more reaction from CNN above.