NC GOP Moves To Censure Burr Over Surprise Vote To Convict Trump

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) speaks during the confirmation hearing for Marty Walsh, nominee for Labor Secretary, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on February 4, 2021. (Photo by Mandel N... Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) speaks during the confirmation hearing for Marty Walsh, nominee for Labor Secretary, before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on February 4, 2021. (Photo by Mandel Ngan-Pool/Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) finds himself in the firing line back in his home state after he voted to convict ex-President Donald Trump in the Senate impeachment trial on Saturday, with the North Carolina Republican Party now making plans to censure the senator on Monday night.

Kyshia Lineberger, who serves as the national committeewoman for the state’s GOP, told the Raleigh News and Observer on Sunday that Burr had “betrayed the trust of his constituents” with his vote.

“I am going to vote to censure Sen. Richard Burr on behalf of the grassroots across the state and because I do truly feel that his vote was improper,” said Lineberger. “I’m really disheartened by his choice and his vote.”

Burr explained in a statement after the vote on Saturday that though he still stood by his first two votes that the trial was unconstitutional because Trump was no longer in office (many constitutional experts have disputed this argument), he believed there was “compelling” evidence that Trump had incited the deadly insurrection on January 6.

“I do not make this decision lightly, but I believe it is necessary,” the North Carolina Republican said. “By what he did and by what he did not do, President Trump violated his oath of office to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Burr will not run for reelection in 2022.

TPM has reached out to Burr’s office for comment.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who had also unexpectedly voted to convict Trump, similarly finds himself in hot water with his state party, which censured him on Saturday after the vote.

Burr and Cassidy were among the seven Republican senators who sided with all 50 Democrats in the trial. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) also broke from their party in the final vote.

Notable Replies

  1. Keep reaching for the bottom, GQP.

  2. Is it time? Well then: REPUBLICANS IN DISARRAY!!

  3. Eventually they’ll all vote each other off the island.

  4. What does that even mean, to vote to censure him?

    It would seem to say more about the clowns who are putting forward this idea, than about Burr. Even if he were not almost done as a Senator, does this mean they will somehow put a muzzle on him? What about free speech?? What a bunch of clowns.

  5. In the 1960s it was “reach for the moon”
    In the 2020s it is “reach to support the goon”

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

275 more replies

Participants

Avatar for playitagainrowlf Avatar for cervantes Avatar for trnc Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for inversion Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for danny Avatar for bonvivant Avatar for lastroth Avatar for karlsgems Avatar for fiftygigs Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for castor_troy Avatar for coimmigrant Avatar for socalista Avatar for karlwlewis Avatar for zillacop Avatar for rockitttla Avatar for emiliano4 Avatar for dogselfie Avatar for old_guru Avatar for LeeHarveyGriswold Avatar for geographyjones

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: