Sen. Chris Coons said he misses the measured voice of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain as he and his colleagues prepare to preside over an impeachment trial in the Senate.
“I really miss the voice of John McCain in these moments,” Coons, a Democrat, said of Republican McCain during Sunday’s Meet the Press. “He was the sort of senator who was able to call his colleagues to put our national security and our country over party.”
McCain presided over and supported the impeachment of former President Bill Clinton in 1999. The House of Representatives is expected to vote next week on articles of impeachment against President Trump, which, if passed, would trigger a jury trial in the Senate.
WATCH: When talking about the impeachment trial, Senator @ChrisCoons says he misses the voice of “John McCain in these moments.” #MTP #IfItsSunday
“He was the sort of senator who was able to call his colleagues to put our national security and our country over party.” pic.twitter.com/sP4wMmVg21
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) December 15, 2019
Democrats are impeaching Trump on two articles: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The process centers on Trump’s relations with Ukraine and a July 25 phone call during which he pressured the president of Ukraine to investigate a political rival. An intelligence community whistleblower reported the incident, sparking the House inquiry.
Impeachment proceedings in the House have been dramatic, including stark testimony from foreign diplomats condemning Trump’s conduct and sharp rebuttals from Republican lawmakers defending him. Coons said the Senate owes it to Trump and the American citizens it serves to hold proceedings with less political theater and give the executive branch an honest chance to make its case.
“What [Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell] should start by doing is trying to show the American people in history that this is a serious trial,” Coons said.
During his decades on Capitol Hill, McCain was seen as a moderate voice in conservative politics who was able to work with Democrats to pass key legislation. After his vote against repealing Obamacare in 2017, Trump leveled verbal attacks the war hero and long-time public servant.
McCain died of cancer the following summer.
