The seven House managers claimed during a sit-down interview Friday with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that President Donald Trump has not been acquitted following the Senate impeachment trial because it was not “a fair trial.”
Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment Wednesday after over four months of debate. The House managers sat down in an exclusive interview with “Anderson Cooper 360” Friday to discuss the trial and what comes next, and all appeared to be in agreement that despite the Senate’s vote, the president was still not exonerated.
“I think he’s not been exonerated,” California Rep. Zoe Lofgren began. Colorado Rep. Jason Crow quickly chimed in, adding that “it’s hard to have an acquittal without a fair trial.” (RELATED: All The Times The Media Said Trump’s Presidency Was Toast)
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“And this was the first impeachment trial in American history where we didn’t have witnesses and documents,” Crow said. “And I think the American people realize that, because, as we sit here right now, there are thousands of Americans walking into courthouses across the country, and they’re taking their oath, and they’re going to be sitting as jurors in trials.”
“And they’re going to hear from witnesses and documents. And they’re asking themselves why Washington and Donald Trump should be any different. And, of course, the answer is, it shouldn’t. And they understand that.”
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New York Rep. Jerry Nadler also lamented about the Senate’s vote, backing up the other House managers who told Cooper that Trump was not yet innocent. The House managers appeared to agree that the Senate’s decision to refuse additional witnesses meant the trial was unfair.
The Senate narrowly voted against allowing additional witnesses Jan. 31, with two Republicans voting with the Democrats to allow it. The House manager’s interview with Anderson echoed their co-authored op-ed in the Washington Post Feb. 5. They attacked the Senate for its decision to not allow further witnesses.
“Well, and back to the acquittal part of this, I would consider that fake news, because we did not have a fair trial,” Florida Rep. Val Demings added.
“The president is not exonerated today.”