Rep. Doug Collins, one of eight House Republicans added to a team defending President Donald Trump, Tuesday rejected Democrats' arguments that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is engaging in a "cover-up" by scheduling impeachment arguments in the afternoon and at night.
"How can it be a cover-up when the sham has been played out in the process the last four months," the Georgia Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends."
"It can't be a cover-up when you are blaming the Senate for your own bad work. Put this honestly, the House Democrat majority wanted to impeach the president because they don't like him. They don't like what he stands for."
But instead of talking about "how weak" the articles of impeachment against Trump are, "they say 'it's a cover-up if you don't let us get our way.'" said Collins. "That's the height of a temper tantrum."
Collins, along with Reps. Mike Johnson of Louisiana, Jim Jordan of Ohio, Debbie Lesko of Arizona, Mark Meadows of North Carolina, John Ratcliffe of Texas, Elise Stefanik of New York and Lee Zeldin of New York, was named to the team of lawmakers who will defend Trump.
He said the team has been working with Trump's attorneys and teams "since we have been in the House," and "we have been helping get the facts out."
In the 78 days since the impeachment began, 71 of them never allowed Trump or his team to have "any opportunities" to participate.
"(We are) providing the insight into the sham that was the House process and how bad these two articles of impeachment and flimsy these articles of impeachment are," said Collins.
Collins on Tuesday said he does not expect to see both sides use all their time while laying out their cases before the Senate this week.
"(Rep.) Adam Schiff and the other House impeachment managers will get up to lay out a very flimsy case in which they are going to try to distract," said Collins. "They will talk about innuendo, they're going to talk about hearsay and everything except the true fact that they don't like this president. You will hear the White House counsel get up and lay out the case in a format...it couldn't be a better contrast."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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