LANSING, Michigan – Representative Peter Meijer of Michigan, one of only 10 Republicans who voted for the impeachment of then President Donald Trump for the deadly attack on Capitol Hill, defended his decision while receiving incisive criticism from voters on Wednesday night.
“What we witnessed on Capitol Hill – the attempted insurrection, the involvement of an incumbent American president propagating the falsehoods that led to it – demanded a significant response,” he said during his first city hall, a virtual event that more than 400 people attended on Zoom or Facebook. The freshman legislator spoke from his Washington, DC office
Two constituents who asked questions said they were deeply disappointed with Meijer, a 33-year-old Iraq War veteran who represents the 3rd District in western Michigan.
“Why are you not doing what your constituents wanted you to do?” said Cindy Witke. “I was against people who said not to vote for you because I believed in you. I lost that belief.”
“Why aren’t you doing what your constituents wanted you to do?”
Nancy Eardley accused Meijer, the only first-term legislator to support the impeachment on January 13, of betraying the district two weeks after taking office.
The then US House candidate Peter Meijer, a Michigan Republican, speaks in Grand Rapids, Mich., October 14, 2020. (Associated Press)
“I don’t know if there is really much you can say that will change my mind and not work to eliminate it after two years,” she said, claiming that no court has examined evidence of electoral fraud.
There was no widespread fraud, as confirmed by a number of voter officials and former Trump attorney-general William Barr.
‘We needed leadership’
Meijer said that Trump told “two fundamental lies” after losing to Democrat Joe Biden – falsely claiming that the election had been stolen and that January 6, the day when Congress counted electoral votes, was a chance to “stop theft “. Trump, who had urged his supporters to “fight like hell” just before they invaded the Capitol, took about 2 and a half hours to release a video urging them to return home, despite the tumult becoming deadly, Meijer said .
“This was a time when we needed leadership and the president, in my view, did not show that,” he said.
One participant, Kim Reeder, thanked Meijer for his vote.
“I did not vote for you, but now I am happy that you are my representative,” she said.
Trump is the first president in American history to face two charges. His Senate trial will begin next week.
The impeachment took up half of the hour-long forum. Other questioners asked about the upcoming federal relief plan COVID-19, student debt forgiveness, gun rights and the role of pharmacy benefit managers in drug costs.
Main challenger
At least one Republican has already promised to challenge Meijer in the 2022 primaries: Tom Norton, who finished third for Meijer in five primaries last year.
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In November, Meijer won the Republican Party’s long-standing open seat by almost 6 percentage points over a Democrat, a margin greater than Trump’s 3-point victory there.
Meijer acknowledged that the majority of Republicans in his district, “perhaps a large majority”, are upset about his impeachment decision.
“It weighed on me. That was one of the reasons why I felt disgusted at having to take this vote,” he said. “How do I balance this immediate feeling with what we need to do as a country, what do I feel my party needs to do and where do I hope we can go?”