Sen. Hawley: The House has no evidence of any impeachable offense
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley says there's no way he's voting to impeach President Trump in the Senate.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo, vowed Monday he will not vote to impeach President Trump in a Senate trial, claiming House Democrats have failed to even charge a crime against the president.
"The House impeachment articles are a joke, Laura, as you pointed out. They don’t even charge a crime," he told Laura Ingraham on "The Ingraham Angle."
"Let’s remember what an impeachment is. [It's] like an indictment and then it comes to the Senate for a trial. If you had the evidence for a crime, they would have charged the crime and put it in the articles of impeachment. They didn’t because they don’t have anything. This whole thing is a joke and it’s time to get the president exonerated," he continued.
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Hawley was asked about House Democrat Zoe Lofgren, of California, expressing her concern that Senate Republicans appear poised to "rig" the upcoming trial.
Lofgren was asked on MSNBC Sunday what she expects to happen when the Senate trial begins, given recent comments by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
"Well, some of the things I’m hearing from the senators looks like they plan to rig the trial," Lofgren responded.
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"I think that’s a serious problem for the country, but I think it’s a problem for Trump as well. President Trump is hoping to be exonerated. He will not be exonerated if everyone knows he rigged the trial. If they’re not going to hear any evidence, if senators announce that they’ve already made up their minds, they don’t need to look at the facts, that doesn’t clear the president, if he's not convicted in the Senate. That’s just a political endeavor to protect a man who is guilty of abusing his power," she added.
Hawley responded that Republicans' opposition to impeachment is based on the lack of evidence put forth by the House of an impeachable offense.
"We have seen the hearings. Look, there is nothing there, and they didn’t charge a crime, Laura. They had their chance, they had their kangaroo court. They had their show, their circus for weeks and weeks and months and months. ... I can tell you, there's no way I’m voting for impeachment for someone who has not committed any impeachable offenses," said Hawley
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Hawley said the president deserves to present a "full defense" to the Senate, claiming he was denied that right by House Democrats who "departed from all precedents and procedures of the past." He said if witnesses are going to be called in the Senate trial, he wants to hear from the whistleblower and Hunter Biden.
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