Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) broke with the GOP senators who’ve already decided against impeaching President Donald Trump, even before the Senate impeachment trial begins, on Sunday.
When NBC News’ “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd asked Toomey if it was appropriate for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to coordinate an anti-impeachment strategy with White House lawyers, the Republican said it’s “appropriate” to make sure Trump “gets a fair trial.”
“And I think that’s the idea,” Toomey said.
“I think it would be extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately when it comes over,” he added. “I think we ought to hear what the House impeachment managers have to say, give the President’s attorneys an opportunity to make their defense, and then make a decision about whether, and to what extent, it would go forward from there.”
Toomey’s position runs in the exact opposite direction of both McConnell and House Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who said he wants to put an end to the impeachment process “as quick as possible.”
“I am trying to give a pretty clear signal I have made up my mind,” Graham said on Saturday. “I’m not trying to pretend to be a fair juror here.”
Watch Toomey below:
Sen. Pat Toomey on whether it's appropriate for McConnell to work with WH lawyers before the Senate impeachment trial: "I think it would be extremely inappropriate to put a bullet in this thing immediately when it comes over." pic.twitter.com/euL5NNHU1j
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) December 15, 2019
Correction: This post originally referred to Toomey as a Republican from Colorado. He represents Pennsylvania. We regret the error.
