Rep. Jim Jordan accused congressional Democrats of using the power of the federal government as a tool to defeat political rivals in the wake of their impeachment push against President Trump.
“They don’t like us,” the Ohio Republican said Wednesday during a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee. “That’s what this is about. They don’t like the president, they don’t like the president’s supporters, and they dislike us so much they’re willing to weaponize the government.”
Jordan has been one of the president’s most loyal defenders against impeachment since the process started this fall. His attacks against witnesses called by Democrats and scolding of House leadership has earned him praise from conservative commentators and even Trump himself.
Dirty cops! https://t.co/CVC1awEjZE
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 12, 2019
Democrats are impeaching Trump on two charges: abuse of power and obstructing Congress.
The impeachment proceedings were launched after an intelligence community whistleblower raised concerns about a July 25 phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine. A transcript of the call, released by the White House, shows Trump pressuring the Ukrainian leader to investigate corruption in his country and specifically 2020 Democratic front-runner Joe Biden.
Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden sat on the board of a corrupt oil and gas company in Ukraine while the elder Biden was vice president.
Democrats have characterized Trump’s concern with ending corruption in Ukraine as a convenient excuse for a president who “got caught” extorting a foreign leader and putting his own interests before that of the public. Trump has described the call as “perfect” and repeatedly said he “did nothing wrong.”
Republicans such as Jordan have highlighted the absence of an explicit quid pro quo that Democrats have accused Trump of engaging in. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who has led the impeachment proceedings, said Trump conditioned official acts as president on the receiving of a personal favor.
Many Democrats have been calling for Trump’s removal since he first got elected, but the impeachment articles are narrowly focused on the two charges stemming from the Ukraine scandal.
Schiff’s dogged pursuit of Trump’s removal from office, Jordan said, is just the latest example of partisan politics gone awry. Citizens who voted for Trump should be personally offended by what the Democrats are doing, he said.
“A few years ago, it was the IRS, more recently, it was the FBI, and now it’s the impeachment power of Congress,” Jordan complained. “Going after 63 million people and the guy we put in the White House.”
The House Judiciary Committee will vote this week on whether to send formal articles of impeachment to the full House of Representatives for a vote, where they are expected to pass. A jury trial would then begin in the Republican-controlled Senate next year.
