Former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday for refusing to follow precedent in the way the Senate’s impeachment process was conducted for President Bill Clinton in 1998.
“The fact that he won’t go along with precedent tells you, again, this is nothing of a serious nature. It is all about maneuvering," Fleischer told “America’s Newsroom.” It’s the Democrats, frankly, interfering in the 2020 election. That’s all impeachment has become and they made a mockery out of what should have been a solemn process."
PELOSI STANDS BY DELAY IN SENDING IMPEACHMENT ARTICLES TO SENATE, CALLS MCCONNELL A ‘ROGUE LEADER’
On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told Fox News that he wants to stay consistent with the Clinton impeachment process.
Pelosi surprised many in Washington last month with her decision to withhold articles -- which accused President Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress over his dealings with Ukraine -- as she sought to pressure the Senate to agree to certain terms for a trial. In an unusual news conference, Pelosi, D-Calif., defended her decision while calling McConnell, R-Ky., a “rogue leader.”
McConnell last month said Pelosi’s delay in sending articles of impeachment was an “absurd” position to take, saying the speaker “apparently believes she can tell us how to run the trial.”
“What I’ve been advocating to Senator [Chuck] Schumer is exactly the same way we handled the Clinton impeachment 20 years ago, which he [Schumer] voted for,” McConnell said.
Fleischer said that he previously argued that the Senate should conduct a “fair” trial that wouldn’t immediately result in dismissal, but rather a process that entails hearing the charges and then voting, leading to dismissal at that point.
Fleischer indicated that he has reversed his position.
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“Therefore, if the Senate decides that they’re never going to receive the articles of impeachment, and they want to pre-dismiss, let them -- because this is no longer about anything anybody can pretend has to do with the urgency of removing the president,” he said.
“[Impeachment is] just a naked hollow waste of time,” Fleischer added.
Fox News’ Talia Kaplan and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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