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Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) arrives at the U.S. Capitol as the Senate impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump continues on January 31, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Admitting Trump's Actions Are Worthy of Impeachment, Rubio Nonetheless Declines to Support Removing President From Office
"In which Marco Rubio openly acknowledges he is abrogating his oath to uphold the Constitution."
Jan 30, 2020
Pro-democracy groups and other progressives slammed Sen. Marco Rubio Friday after he admitted President Donald Trump took actions that are impeachable--but said he nevertheless plans to oppose removing him from office.
The Florida Republican released a statement on Trump's impeachment trial mid-day Friday, shortly after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated she would vote against calling witnesses to testify, paving the way for Republicans to potentially end the trial with an acquittal of the president.
"Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a president from office," Rubio said.
Rubio wrote that even assuming the allegations that Trump attempted to bribe the Ukrainian government by withholding military aid and demanding officials launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden are true, the impact of removing the president would harm the nation because removal is not supported by most Americans.
In fact, a poll released late last month by Microsoft News showed that 55% of Americans backed removing Trump from office. Last week, a Politico/Morning Consult survey showed that 47% of the public supported removal while only 45% opposed.
Rubio's statement amounted to an open acknowledgment that "he is abrogating his oath to uphold the Constitution," tweeted CNN analyst Sam Vinograd.
Other political observers accused Rubio of cowardice and of twisting himself into "the world's biggest political pretzel" to justify allowing Trump to continue serving as president.
Rubio's statement came hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced he would not support calling witnesses to testify, saying that while Trump's actions were "inappropriate" and undermined "the principle of equal justice under the law," he should remain in office.
Rubio's comments came a week after Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is leading the Democrats' case against Trump, gave a closing argument last weekexplaining why removing the president from office is crucial, considering, as Schiff believes, "we all know he did" what he's been charged with.
"If the truth doesn't matter" to Republican senators, Schiff said at the time, "we're lost."
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This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Pro-democracy groups and other progressives slammed Sen. Marco Rubio Friday after he admitted President Donald Trump took actions that are impeachable--but said he nevertheless plans to oppose removing him from office.
The Florida Republican released a statement on Trump's impeachment trial mid-day Friday, shortly after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated she would vote against calling witnesses to testify, paving the way for Republicans to potentially end the trial with an acquittal of the president.
"Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a president from office," Rubio said.
Rubio wrote that even assuming the allegations that Trump attempted to bribe the Ukrainian government by withholding military aid and demanding officials launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden are true, the impact of removing the president would harm the nation because removal is not supported by most Americans.
In fact, a poll released late last month by Microsoft News showed that 55% of Americans backed removing Trump from office. Last week, a Politico/Morning Consult survey showed that 47% of the public supported removal while only 45% opposed.
Rubio's statement amounted to an open acknowledgment that "he is abrogating his oath to uphold the Constitution," tweeted CNN analyst Sam Vinograd.
Other political observers accused Rubio of cowardice and of twisting himself into "the world's biggest political pretzel" to justify allowing Trump to continue serving as president.
Rubio's statement came hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced he would not support calling witnesses to testify, saying that while Trump's actions were "inappropriate" and undermined "the principle of equal justice under the law," he should remain in office.
Rubio's comments came a week after Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is leading the Democrats' case against Trump, gave a closing argument last weekexplaining why removing the president from office is crucial, considering, as Schiff believes, "we all know he did" what he's been charged with.
"If the truth doesn't matter" to Republican senators, Schiff said at the time, "we're lost."
Pro-democracy groups and other progressives slammed Sen. Marco Rubio Friday after he admitted President Donald Trump took actions that are impeachable--but said he nevertheless plans to oppose removing him from office.
The Florida Republican released a statement on Trump's impeachment trial mid-day Friday, shortly after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) indicated she would vote against calling witnesses to testify, paving the way for Republicans to potentially end the trial with an acquittal of the president.
"Just because actions meet a standard of impeachment does not mean it is in the best interest of the country to remove a president from office," Rubio said.
Rubio wrote that even assuming the allegations that Trump attempted to bribe the Ukrainian government by withholding military aid and demanding officials launch an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden are true, the impact of removing the president would harm the nation because removal is not supported by most Americans.
In fact, a poll released late last month by Microsoft News showed that 55% of Americans backed removing Trump from office. Last week, a Politico/Morning Consult survey showed that 47% of the public supported removal while only 45% opposed.
Rubio's statement amounted to an open acknowledgment that "he is abrogating his oath to uphold the Constitution," tweeted CNN analyst Sam Vinograd.
Other political observers accused Rubio of cowardice and of twisting himself into "the world's biggest political pretzel" to justify allowing Trump to continue serving as president.
Rubio's statement came hours after Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) announced he would not support calling witnesses to testify, saying that while Trump's actions were "inappropriate" and undermined "the principle of equal justice under the law," he should remain in office.
Rubio's comments came a week after Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who is leading the Democrats' case against Trump, gave a closing argument last weekexplaining why removing the president from office is crucial, considering, as Schiff believes, "we all know he did" what he's been charged with.
"If the truth doesn't matter" to Republican senators, Schiff said at the time, "we're lost."
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