LANSING, Mich. Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James said Wednesday that he opposes the pending impeachment of President Donald Trump.
LANSING, Mich. — Republican U.S. Senate candidate John James said Wednesday that he opposes the pending impeachment of President Donald Trump.
“While this is not a question that I will face in the Senate, I will tell you. This impeachment is not about the rule of law, it is about revenge,” James said in a written statement in response to an inquiry from The Associated Press. “In the Senate, I would demand Congress stop working against each other and start working for the people on issues like trade, health care and immigration. This is a sad day in American history.”
James, a businessman and Iraq War veteran, is challenging Democratic Sen. Gary Peters of Michigan for a seat in the Senate. The GOP has the majority in that chamber and is expected to acquit Trump in a trial next year after the Democratic-led House votes on impeachment later Wednesday.
Peters, a freshman up for re-election in a crucial 2020 battleground, has not said how he will vote on removing Trump from office.
“I swore an oath to defend the Constitution as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and when I became U.S. senator — and I will fulfill my constitutional responsibility in the Senate,” he said in a statement to the AP on Wednesday. “Abuse of office and obstruction of Congress are very serious charges that deserve solemn consideration. We must have a fair and nonpartisan process, and I will thoroughly evaluate the facts that are presented to the Senate.”
Peters said his focus on the people of Michigan will remain “steadfast.” He cited actions such as passing legislation that would lower prescription drug prices, expanding vocational training program, and backing efforts to protect the Great Lakes and drinking water.
Trump was to hold a rally in Battle Creek on Wednesday night. James spoke to the crowd before Trump’s arrival.
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