At the conclusion of the second day of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee called for a statement attributed to him to be removed from the register because of its inaccuracy. After some confusion, the House’s impeachment managers agreed to do so.
The Chamber’s impeachment managers cited a report by Deseret News claiming that Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had mistakenly called Lee on January 6, the day of Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally and the Capitol insurrection that sought to annul the election.
The aforementioned report said Trump and Giuliani intended to call Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville. Additional reports stated that the purpose of the calls was to encourage Tuberville to challenge the Senate’s certification of the then elected President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory, which Congress had met to certify.
However, Lee objected to the statements attributed to him and demanded that they be removed from the register.
“I have been credited with repeated claims that I have personal knowledge because I am the source. They are not true. I have never made these claims. I ask that they be affected,” he said.
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The news in question stated that Lee was ending a prayer with some of his Senate colleagues when Trump called. The article then said that Lee forwarded his cell phone to Tuberville, who was in the Senate chamber with him, and that Tuberville spoke to Trump for five to ten minutes before police ordered the Senate to be evacuated because protesters had breached security.
When Lee later asked Tuberville about the call, reported the article, Tuberville reportedly said that Trump did not seem to realize that the Capitol was under attack.
At the start of the trial, Rhode Island Democratic representative David Cicciline cited the retelling of the article on Lee’s experience. However, Lee quickly opposed it, but was rejected by Vermont Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, who is presiding over the trial. . In response, Lee quickly appealed, and Senate Democratic majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York sought to clarify Leahy’s decision.
After some confusion, the chief impeachment manager, Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin, agreed to remove the comments from the record, stating: “The impeachment manager, Mr. Cicciline, correctly and precisely quoted a newspaper report to which the distinguished senator objected on the grounds that it is not true. “
“We are going to take him out tonight,” added Raskin.
Newsweek contacted Lee’s office for comment.