Senator Bill Cassidy (R) - Louisiana
US Senator Bill Cassidy was one of only six Republicans to vote in favor of moving forward with former President Trump’s impeachment trial Tuesday.
Cassidy, who had previously voted against the trial’s constitutionality, said he was swayed by strong arguments from the Democrats’ legal team.
“I said I would be an impartial juror. Anyone listening to those arguments the House managers were focused, they were organized, they relied upon both precedent, the constitution, and legal scholars,” said Cassidy.
Fellow Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, who says he will vote to acquit the President for the second time, voted to dismiss the trial on constitutional grounds saying you can’t impeach a President who is out of office.
Cassidy also blasted the President’s defense team, who were roundly criticized for their performance Tuesday.
“President Trump’s team were disorganized, they did everything they could but to talk about the issue at hand and when they did talk about it they glided over it, almost as if they were embarrassed of their arguments,” said Cassidy.
Cassidy further added that anyone interested in the thought process behind his vote should just watch video of Tuesday’s proceedings.
“If you listen to it, it speaks for itself. It was disorganized, random, they talked about many things but they did not talk about the issue at hand,” said Cassidy.
Cassidy says his vote to proceed does not mean he will vote to impeach on grounds that Trump incited the riot on January 6th at the U.S. Capitol.
The Louisiana State Republican Party issued a statement hammering Cassidy for the vote saying “The Republican Party of Louisiana is profoundly disappointed by Senator Cassidy’s vote. We feel that an impeachment trial of a private citizen is not only an unconstitutional act but also an attack on the very foundation of American democracy.”
Comments