Mitch McConnell Confronted Over Voting to Acquit Donald Trump [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Apr 28, 2024 at 9:52 AM EDT | Updated Apr 28, 2024 at 11:50 AM EDT


Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, was pressed by NBC News' Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday morning over his vote to acquit former President Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.

When asked by Welker if he ever regrets his vote to acquit Trump for his alleged role in the deadly January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, McConnell replied:

"Look, he wasn't president anymore at that point, and there was a big debate over whether you can even remove somebody from office that they don't hold," he said. "I stick with what I said then. I addressed this issue on January 6 [2021] and February 13 [2021]. I stand by everything I said." Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign on Sunday morning for comment.

Context

A mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 in a failed attempt to stop the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election win. The riot erupted following claims made by then-president Trump that the election was stolen from him via widespread voter fraud. There is no evidence, however, to support such claims.

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