AMASH DEFENDS TRUMP IMPEACHMENT CLAIMS AMID GOP BACKLASH
Republican Michigan Rep. Justin Amash defended his claim Monday on Twitter that President Donald Trump should be impeached.
Amash on Saturday became the first Republican congressman to accuse the president of engaging in impeachable offenses.
“People who say there were no underlying crimes and therefore the president could not have intended to illegally obstruct the investigation—and therefore cannot be impeached—are resting their argument on several falsehoods,” he began his Twitter thread on Monday. (RELATED: Justin Amash Takes It On The Chin From Conservatives After Impeachment Stand)
The Michigan representative, who has a reputation for opposing Trump, offered four arguments for Trump’s impeachment.
“1. They say there were no underlying crimes,” he tweeted, adding, “In fact, there were many crimes revealed by the investigation, some of which were charged, and some of which were not but are nonetheless described in Mueller’s report.”
Justin Amash✔@justinamash · 6hReplying to @justinamash
2. They say obstruction of justice requires an underlying crime.
In fact, obstruction of justice does not require the prosecution of an underlying crime, and there is a logical reason for that. Prosecutors might not charge a crime precisely *because* obstruction of justice denied them timely access to evidence that could lead to a prosecution.15.4K2:00 PM – May 20, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy3,174 people are talking about this
He went on to discuss whether or not obstructing justice is predicated upon a crime actually having been committed, if the president has the right to end an investigation he believes is “frivolous,” and how the framers of the Constitution envisioned “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” playing out.
Justin Amash✔@justinamash · 6hReplying to @justinamash
4. They imply “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” requires charges of a statutory crime or misdemeanor.
In fact, “high Crimes and Misdemeanors” is not defined in the Constitution and does not require corresponding statutory charges. The context implies conduct that violates the public trust—and that view is echoed by the Framers of the Constitution and early American scholars.17.5K2:00 PM – May 20, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy4,623 people are talking about this
The GOP made it clear that Amash was on his own in terms of calling for the president’s removal.
Trump himself, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel, House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, and Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox all criticized Amash for his claims, with Trump calling him a “loser” in a tweet over the weekend.
Michigan Republican state Rep. Jim Lower also announced his plans to primary Amash for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District on Monday.
