Politics

Mitch McConnell: Adam Schiff’s Impeachment Timeline Is ‘Antithetical To American Justice’

Mitch McConnell (Fox News)

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell chastised House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff during a speech on the floor Thursday morning.

The Kentucky Republican challenged Schiff’s previous explanations for the rushed impeachment inquiry, namely that Democrats “might not have gotten to impeach the president in time for the election.”

“The following is something that Adam Schiff literally said in early October,” McConnell continued. “Any action that forces us to litigate or to have to consider litigation will be considered further evidence of obstruction of justice. That’s Adam Schiff.”

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to the media after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon on Capitol Hill, on December 17, 2019m in Washington, DC. Leader McConnell spoke about the Democrats request to have witnesses at the Senate Impeachment trial of U.S. President Donald Trump. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

“Here is what the chairman effectively said and what one of his committee members restated just this week. ‘If the president asserts his constitutional rights there is that much more evidence he is guilty.'”

McConnell claimed “that kind of bullying is antithetical to American justice.” (RELATED: Pelosi Won’t Rule Out Withholding Articles Of Impeachment Until Democrats Get A ‘Fair’ Trial In The Senate)

He closed by calling the inquiry the “thinnest basis for any house-passed presidential impeachment in American history. The thinnest and the weakest, and nothing else even comes close.”

The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment Wednesday night, but several members of the Democratic caucus broke from the yay votes.

Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted ‘present,’ while Minnesota Democratic Rep. Collin Peterson and New Jersey Democratic Rep. Jeff Van Drew, who recently announced plans to switch his party affiliation, both voted no.

Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden split his decision, voting yay on abuse of power and nay on obstruction of Congress.