The Senate impeachment trial isn't about removing President Donald Trump but is about Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer trying to bring about losses for four Republican senators who are seeking re-election in 2020 so he can become the chamber's majority leader, Sen. John Barrasso claimed on Friday.
"He has targeted specific members of the Senate," the Wyoming Republican told CNN's "New Day." "He has attacked the Senate, the process, the senators running commercials against them. That's what this so much of this is about."
Barrasso said he prefers that voters decide Trump's fate, not the Senate.
"Voting is starting next Monday in Iowa, in New Hampshire the week after that," said Barrasso. "People are going to have a chance to vote in November for the president. (Rep.) Adam Schiff said that the 2016 election wasn't legitimate and the 2020 election isn't going to be legitimate. I mean, I don't know who made him the judge and the jury on all of these things. I have much more faith in letting the American voters decide."
But by proceeding with the impeachment, Democrats in the Senate are interfering with the election process not only for Trump but for the Senate as well, said Barrasso.
Meanwhile, he said he is finding the House impeachment managers' presentation this week to be repetitive, but on Thursday, he found it interesting that they chose to talk about former Vice President Joe Biden and the money his son, Hunter, received from Ukraine energy giant Burisma.
Barrasso also said he wants to wait to hear what the White House has to say in its defense and the 16 hours of questions from the Senate before he decides if he wants to hear more from witnesses.
"People can make their own decisions," he said. "If those people say, no, I need even more information, then you can bring in a number of witnesses, and you know there's a list on both sides."
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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