House Republican Conference chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) believes that former President Donald Trump ought to have some of his reputation restored to him, and she aims to see that he gets it.
On Wednesday, Stefanik, the House’s No. 3 Republican, and more than two dozen GOP colleagues are pushing for a resolution that would expunge the former president’s second impeachment after labeling it the result of a “sham process.”
The Hill reports:
A copy of Mullin’s draft bill obtained by The Hill said that the incitement of insurrection impeachment charge “contains a subjective account of that which transpired at the Capitol on January 6, 2021” and “omits any discussion of the circumstances, unusual voting patterns, and voting anomalies of the 2020 Presidential election itself.”
Mullin, a former mixed martial arts fighter, leaped into action to barricade doors to the House chamber during the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, making his move to erase Trump’s impeachment after the attack particularly notable.
The several paragraph long resolution also focuses a great deal on the 2020 election, pointing out that Trump won 18 of the 19 “bellwether” counties around the country that traditionally have corresponded with the winner of the presidential election, and that Trump garnered more votes the second time around than he did in 2016.
Also, the resolution notes the many changes made in voting rules and procedures in key battleground states ostensibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as recount efforts being “vociferously opposed” by officials in some of those states.
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is heading up the push against Speaker Nancy Pelosi, noting in a statement:
“Democrats used their second impeachment resolution to once again weaponize one of the most grave and consequential powers of the House. This was never about the Constitution; it was rooted in personal politics.”
The Hill noted further: “This is the second resolution from Mullin to expunge a Trump impeachment. He previously introduced a measure in March to expunge the Dec. 18, 2019, impeachment of Trump over his encouraging Ukraine to investigate the business dealings of Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, while discussing military aid to Ukraine.”
The resolution also rips the process after Jan. 6, noting a rush to impeach and a lack of hearings. In addition, because Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts did not preside over the Senate impeachment trial, the resolution states, was “perfecting the entirety of the process as nothing more than an unconstitutional exercise in futility, moot, and fantastical political theater.”
He is expected to introduce the measure on Wednesday.
For her part, GOP leader Stefanik added: “The American people know Democrats weaponized the power of impeachment against President Donald Trump to advance their own extreme political agenda.
“From the beginning of this sham process, I stood up against Nancy Pelosi’s blatant attempt to shred the Constitution as House Democrats ignored precedent and failed to follow the legislative process,” she continued.
“But President Donald Trump was rightfully acquitted, and it is past time to expunge Democrats’ sham smear against not only President Trump’s name, but against millions of patriots across the country,” she added.
The resolution has 28 cosponsors, including Reps. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Brian Mast, R-Fla., and Jody Hice, R-Ga.
