The seven Republican senators who joined all 50 Democrats in the vote to condemn former President Donald Trump for inciting the January 6 riot on Capitol Hill are now facing criticism from conservatives in their home states.
Party leaders and local Republican officials, many seeking to win the favor of a wide range of conservative voters still loyal to Trump, have condemned the 7 lawmakers for breaking the ranks with the rest of the party.
The criticisms illustrate the strong influence that Trump continues to have on Republicans nationally, despite his defeat in November and his subsequent refusal to admit defeat.
Research conducted after the attack on Congress last month continues to show that Trump has a very high approval rating among Republicans, and that about half of the Republican Party is mostly loyal to the former president himself, rather than the party.
The Senate finally acquitted Trump on Saturday in a 57-43 vote after an unprecedented second impeachment trial.
Although Senator Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the only Republican Party member to vote against Trump after his first trial, he was joined this time by six others: Richard Burr of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins from Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, Ben Sasse from Nebraska and Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania.
Some of the senators, including Cassidy, have already been hit by official reprimands from their state party, while many others are facing a chorus of criticism from local conservatives. Cassidy was censored by the Louisiana Republican Party just hours after his vote.
The reaction against Sasse, who is also expected to face formal censorship, was mentioned directly by one of Trump’s defense lawyers on the Senate floor.
“There seem to be some very smart lawyers in Nebraska, and I can’t believe the United States senator doesn’t know that,” said Bruce Castor Jr. during a sometimes confused speech. Castor said Sasse “faces a hurricane, although he knows what his state judiciary thinks”.
Because of previous critical comments by Trump, local Republican Party chapters in several Nebraska counties passed resolutions calling for censorship of Sasse, according to the Lincoln Journal Star. A state GOP meeting to formally censor the senator was postponed because of the climate, the newspaper reported.
Burr, a Republican whose vote to condemn Trump was a surprise to most observers, also drew fire from conservatives in his home state.
“North Carolina Republicans sent Senator Burr to the United States Senate to defend the Constitution and his vote today to convict in a trial he declared unconstitutional is shocking and disappointing,” said Republican Party state president Michael Whatley, in a statement.
Burr does not seek re-election for a fourth term in the Senate. Mark Walker, a Republican who wants to succeed him in 2022, wrote in a post on Twitter shortly after Saturday’s vote: “Wrong vote, Senator Burr”, attaching a fundraising message.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Toomey may also face “possible reactions at home”. The newspaper reported that Lawrence Tabas, the president of the state’s Republican Party, said in response to Toomey’s vote that he shared “a disappointment for many of our grassroots and volunteer leaders”.
Overall, the reaction is unlikely to inflict electoral damage in the short term. Six of the seven Republicans will not face re-election next year, in the 2022 cycle. Only Murkowski, who has served in the Senate since 2002, faces an imminent battle for re-election.
Some speculated that the Alaska impeachment vote may provide impetus for former governor Sarah Palin to enter the race in a primary. Palin herself has fueled rumors that she would enter the race.
Each of the seven Republicans who voted to condemn Trump defended his decision to do so, in statements and in social media posts. In a video posted online before the vote, Sasse repeated his warnings about Republican loyalty to Trump and said “politics is not about a guy’s weird worship”.
Toomey, in a list of posts on Twitter, acknowledged that Trump’s lawyers “made several precise observations” during their discussions. But, he said, “As a result of President Trump’s actions, for the first time in American history, the transfer of presidential power has not been peaceful.”
“His betrayal of the Constitution and his oath required condemnation,” wrote Toomey, defending his decision.
Cassidy, in an interview with ABC News on Sunday, said she was “trying to hold President Trump accountable” and that Cassidy was “very confident that, over time, people will move into that position”.
“The Republican Party is more than one person. The Republican Party is about ideas,” he said.
CNBC reached each of the seven Republican lawmakers.
The senators’ criticism echoes previous attacks on House Republicans who voted in favor of Trump’s impeachment in the lower house. Congresswoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming was censored by Republicans in her state after her colleagues in the House unsuccessfully pressured her to withdraw from her leadership role.
Some Republicans who did not even vote for Trump’s impeachment were criticized for not being respectful enough to the former president. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., For example, voted for absolution, but still strongly criticized Trump’s January 6 speech, accusing him of being responsible for the violence of the day.
Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., criticized McConnell on Sunday for the address.
“I think Senator McConnell’s speech took a load off his chest, obviously, but unfortunately he put a load on Republicans’ backs,” Graham told Fox News. “You will see this speech in the 2022 campaigns.”
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