‘Asking the Senate to go be special counsel’: GOP senator rips Democrats over demand for more witnesses

During a Sunday interview on ABC’s This Week, Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, criticized House Democrats for placing the burden of investigation on the Senate, saying it is supposed to just rule the trial based on the articles of impeachment.

“It’s the same reason [the House] didn’t want to hear from the witnesses, apparently. They made an initial push to be able to say, ‘Would you come?’ [Potential witnesses] said, ‘Yes, if you’ll subpoena us, if you’ll go through the courts like as a normal process.’ And the House said, ‘No, we’re not going to do that,’” Lankford said.

He added: “The House’s argument now is a very interesting argument. They’re saying the president not only can be impeached in 78 days in the House, the fastest ever in history, but they’re now saying the president should not have access to the courts at all, at any point through the trial.”

Lankford ripped Democrats for moving “as fast as possible” in the House and then demanding a different standard from the Senate. “It looks like they’re asking the Senate to go be special counsel, go search, go seek out,” he said. “That’s not really the task of the Senate.”

The senator continued: “They task of the Senate is to hear the trial. The House is the one that’s actually gathering the information for impeachment. So we’re acting on what they’re sending us.”