Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown reveals Republican senators privately admit Trump is 'reckless and unfit'

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) had some harsh words for his Republican colleagues following the acquittal of President Trump.

Brown, like his fellow Democrats, voted to remove Trump from office on both articles of impeachment, abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. But he still wanted to get his point across. So in an op-ed in The New York Times he offered a scathing rebuke of the GOP for, as he sees it, cowering before the Trump administration.

The senator noted many Republicans in the upper chamber were especially offended by the suggestion from lead House prosecutor Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) that they were warned by the White House to vote in favor of Trump or their heads "will be on a pike."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Brown wasn't able to specifically back that claim up, but he did write that Republicans have privately agreed Trump is "reckless and unfit," while acknowledging his "lies" and admitting "what he did was wrong." (It's worth noting several Republican senators did publicly attest to the last point.) Brown said he's asked Republicans what they'll do to keep Trump in check after voting for his acquittal, but he only gets "shrugs and sheepish looks" in response. Read more at The New York Times.