Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio told CNBC why he joined 44 other Republicans to reject the constitutionality of former President Donald Trump’s impeachment.
“I think that the constitutional issue needs to be addressed and not presented and not set aside, so, as a juror, I will be listening to both sides, but we have to address the constitutional issue and the precedent that this would open, so if you look at the Constitution … is about removal, and this is a private citizen now, Donald Trump, not president, “Portman said during a taped interview on Thursday night in” The News with Shepard Smith “.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul led the charge to reject the constitutionality of the procedure. Firstly, based on the fact that Trump is no longer in office, and secondly, due to the fact that Senate pro tempore president Patrick Leahy (D-VT) will preside over the trial, rather than the president of the Supreme Court, John Roberts.
Roberts presided over Trump’s first impeachment trial, but he will not repeat the role a second time. Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer of New York told MSNBC’S Rachel Maddow Show on Monday that the decision to chair was up to Roberts.
“The Constitution says that the Chief Justice presides over an incumbent president,” said Schumer. “So that’s not going to happen – so it was up to John Roberts if he wanted to chair with a president who is no longer sitting, Trump. And he doesn’t want to do that.”
Portman told presenter Shepard Smith that he was concerned about the precedent that this impeachment trial could create.
“Think of the precedent of saying that Republicans can chase President Obama or President Clinton or Democrats can chase George W. Bush as an ordinary citizen,” said Portman.
Portman had previously said that Trump “has some responsibility” for the Capitol insurrection on January 6. He did not support Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 elections and voted to keep the election results certified on January 6 and delayed the count.
Smith pressed Portman on what would be the appropriate punishment for Trump.
“An appropriate consequence is for people to speak, as I said very clearly, before, frankly, and during, and after, and I think it is important, too, that the House acted, so there was a consequence in that way,” said Portman.
Portman announced that he will not seek re-election next year, but will serve his term that ends on January 3, 2023. He said “he will not miss politics and partisanship, and that has become more difficult over time.”