Adam Schiff finds it 'interesting' Republicans 'won't address any of the facts of the president's misconduct'

(Image credit: House Television via AP)

While many Republican members of the House on Wednesday were quick to accuse Democrats of trying to subvert an election and abuse of power, few attempted to defend President Trump against the allegations contained in the articles of impeachment — something Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) pointed out during the tail end of the debate.

"I've heard several of my colleagues in a row now, and it's interesting to see how very few of them want to address any of the facts of the president's misconduct," Schiff said. Immediately, several Republican lawmakers starting calling out their objections, causing Schiff to respond, "Apparently, Madam Speaker, I've struck a nerve."

The House Republicans "don't want to defend that conduct, so instead they say, 'Oh, Democrats really want to impeach the president,' or, 'Democrats don't like the president.' But what they can't say is that this president's conduct was ethical. What they can't say was that this president's conduct was legal. What they can't say was this president's conduct was constitutional." Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) replied, "We've beat the facts back all the time."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.