GOP congressman explains impeachment support: Trump 'shrank from leadership when our country needed it most'
On Wednesday, 10 House Republicans voted in favor of President Trump's impeachment, with several, including Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), and Pete Meijer (R-Mich.), announcing their decisions during the floor debate.
Meijer released a fairly lengthy statement saying he "wrestled" with his choice before reaching the conclusion that Trump's actions during and after the deadly Capitol riot last week warranted impeachment. "The one man who could have restored order, prevented the deaths of five Americans including a Capitol Police officer, and avoided the desecration of our Capitol shrank from leadership when our country needed it most," he said in the statement.
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After Meijer, a freshman, publicly announced his intentions, his predecessor, former Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.), thanked him over Twitter. Amash, a former Republican who left the party in 2019, was the only non-Democrat to vote in favor of the House's previous Trump impeachment resolution, so Meijer's vote naturally prompted some questions about whether there was anything specific about their Michigan district that led to its representatives breaking from Trump. Some analysts think it has to do with demographics. Tim O'Donnell
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