Rep. Johnson on 'absurd' call for McConnell to recuse himself from impeachment trial
House Democrat calls on Sen. McConnell to recuse himself from trial; Louisiana Rep. Mike Johnson reacts.
House Judiciary Committee member Mike Johnson, R-La., dismissed a claim by a committee Democrat Friday that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is unfit to oversee an impeachment trial of President Trump.
Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., claimed McConnell's recent interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity proved he was not impartial enough to run the proceedings responsibly.
"Senator McConnell has promised to sabotage that trial and he must recuse himself," said Demings, a former Orlando police chief, later adding that "No court in the country would allow a member of the jury to also serve as the accused’s defense attorney."
"I think it's absurd," Johnson said of Demings' claim.
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In the interview with Hannity, McConnell, R-Ky., said he will "take [his] cues" from President Trump's attorneys.
"There will be no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this to the extent that we can," he said, adding that the Senate would "be working through this process, hopefully in a fairly short period of time."
On "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Johnson said some of McConnell's recent comments simply acknowledge an "obvious truth."
"Everybody in the country now has seen the record. They've seen the facts and they've seen what supposedly is backing up these articles of impeachment -- and there's nothing there," Johnson told host Brian Kilmeade.
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Demings also accused McConnell of threatening to violate his own oath of office.
"He has effectively promised to let President Trump manage his own impeachment trial. The Senator must withdraw," she said.
"The Senate rules provide the oath to be sworn by each Senator: 'I solemnly swear ... that in all things appertaining to the trial of the impeachment of President Donald John Trump, now pending, I will do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws, so help me God'," Demings added, according to a statement on her official House website.
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