GOP Leaders Slammed Republicans Who Voted To Convict Trump

"President Trump and Vice President Pence on Capitol Hill" (public domain) by Trump White House Archived

Republican senators came under criticism for failing to support the Republican President. 

Seven Republican senators who voted to convict former President Trump in the impeachment trial are already feeling the backlash as several state Republican parties immediately moved to discipline home-state senators for voting to convict Trump.  

Meanwhile, there were 43 Senate Republicans voted to acquit President Trump in his second impeachment trial. 

On the other hand, Lousiana Republicans immediately criticized Sen. Bill Cassidy, as state party officials in North Carolina and Pennsylvania gave harsh statements expressing their disappointment over the votes cast by Senators Pat Toomey and Richard Burr last Saturday.

The Louisiana GOP immediately censured Sen. Bill Cassidy. At the same time, state party officials in North Carolina and Pennsylvania issued sharp statements expressing disappointment over the votes cast Saturday by Senators Richard Burr and Pat Toomey.

Former President Trump was acquitted last Saturday, as he received broad support from Republican voters, state and local parties who lashed out at lawmakers who have been critical of Trump’s actions. For instance, in Wyoming, the state party voted to censure Rep. Liz Cheney for voting to impeach Trump. 

Recently, the Arizona Republican party also censured Republican Governor Doug Ducey after he decided not to back up Trump in his bid to overturn the election results. In addition to Ducey, the Arizona party also censured Cindy McCain, Republican Sen. John McCain’s widow, and former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake, after they supported Biden for President. 

One of the seven Senators who voted to impeach Trump is Sen. Ben Sasse, who is now also facing a potential censure from the Nebraska Republican central committee due to his sharp criticism of the former President’s efforts to overturn the election results. 

However, it was Sen. Bill Cassidy who received the harshest criticism. Four days before Trump was acquitted, the state party already stated that they are “profoundly disappointed” when Cassidy decided to join five other Republicans as they voted that the impeachment trial was constitutional. To defend his vote, Cassidy argued that Trump’s legal team did a “terrible job.”

Meanwhile, last Saturday, Louisiana GOP’s executive committee voted unanimously to censure Cassidy for his vote to convict Trump. 

In a tweet, the party wrote, “We condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the vote today by Sen. Cassidy to convict former President Trump.” The party added, “Fortunately, clearer heads prevailed, and President Trump has been acquitted of the impeachment charge filed against him.” 

On the other hand, Cassidy defended his vote to convict Trump by saying a two-sentence statement. In a tweet, the senator wrote, “Our Constitution and our country are more important than any one person. I voted to convict President Trump because he is guilty.”

However, Senator Richard Burr’s vote to convict Trump was called by North Carolina Republican Party “shocking and disappointing.” Burr is the only one of the seven Republican senators who voted to condemn Trump while previously voting earlier in the week that the trial was unconstitutional. 

Michael Whatley wrote in a statement, “North Carolina Republicans sent Senator Burr to the United States Senate to uphold the Constitution, and his vote today to convict in a trial that he declared unconstitutional is shocking and disappointing.”

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