CNN host John Berman on Tuesday accused the president of the North Carolina Republican Party of canceling the senator. Richard Burr
Richard Mauze Burr The Republican Party of North Carolina votes to censor Burr for the vote to condemn Trump Maine The GOP considers Collins’ censorship for the vote to condemn Trump Iowa Republican announces Senate candidacy with Grassley’s 2022 plans unclear MORE (RN.C.) about his vote to convict ex President Trump
Donald TrumpMichigan Democrat Dingell on violent rhetoric: ‘I had men in front of my house with assault weapons’ McConnell does not rule out getting involved in the Republican primaries 75 percent of Republicans want Trump to play a prominent role in the Republican Party: poll MORE for inciting a crowd to attack the Capitol.
“We heard a lot from the Republican Party about the culture of cancellation,” Berman told North Carolina Republican President Michael Whatley during an interview on New Day on Tuesday. “You know, you’re canceling Richard Burr for his impeachment vote, which he says is a vote of conscience.”
The North Carolina state GOP censored Burr for his vote. Burr was one of seven Senate Republicans who voted to condemn Trump.
Whatley rejected Berman’s claim, saying that the “culture of cancellation” that conservatives often criticize regarding their perception of Trump’s censorship and another controversial Republican ideology is “totally different” from the party’s decision to censor Burr.
Cancel culture? CNN’s @JohnBerman NC GOP President Michael Whatley on the party’s censorship of Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) for his vote to condemn Trump:
“You are canceling it because of that vote.” pic.twitter.com/dxdvaOu2ky
– The recount (@therecount) February 16, 2021
Burr is retiring at the end of this election cycle.
His vote to condemn Trump was somewhat surprising, as he voted twice with other Republicans to declare the former president’s impeachment trial unconstitutional.
Burr said he believed that the Senate, by voting that it was constitutional, had set a precedent for the trial, and that the evidence presented strongly defended Trump’s condemnation.
“The evidence is convincing that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection against a co-equal branch of the government and that the prosecution is at the level of crimes and misdemeanors,” said Burr of his vote.
The state Republican party voted hours later to censor Burr, issuing a formal condemnation of his decision.
“Tonight, the Central Committee of the Republican Party of North Carolina (NCGOP) voted unanimously to censor Senator Richard Burr for his vote to condemn former President Trump in the impeachment trial that he declared unconstitutional,” he said.
Burr called the vote a “sad day for North Carolina Republicans.”
In the CNN interview, Berman told Whatley, “You are canceling it because of that vote.”
“We are not canceling anything,” replied Whatley. “We are saying that we disagree with a specific vote.”
Several other state Republican parties voted to censor other Republican senators who voted with Democrats and against Trump.
The former president narrowly won the state of Tar Heel in the 2020 elections and the other republican senator from the state, Thom Tillis, was reelected. Tillis voted to absolve Trump.