Texas Republicans End Impeachment Exactly Where They Started

In Texas, at least, impeachment didn't mean a damn thing. Wednesday, three weeks after Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were sworn in for the trial of President Donald Trump, both Texas representatives voted to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment with which Trump was charged — abuse...

By Stephen Young

February 6, 2020

Sen. Ted Cruz Mike Brooks

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In Texas, at least, impeachment didn't mean a damn thing.

Sen. John Cornyn speaks at CPAC in 2014.

Bobak Ha'Eri / Wikimedia Commons

Wednesday, three weeks after Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz were sworn in for the trial of President Donald Trump, both Texas representatives voted to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment with which Trump was charged — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

As things wound down, they couldn't even muster the minimal courage of colleagues like Marco Rubio and Lamar Alexander, who said Trump's actions were wrong but didn't rise to the level of impeachment. The verdict was not a time for reflection, but for gloating.

Witch hunt over. pic.twitter.com/Opdsxr0qFe
— Texas GOP (@TexasGOP) February 5, 2020

As he did before the trial began, Cruz filmed a selfie video on the Capitol's private subway system, celebrating the end of the "partisan" impeachment process.

VERDICT: Not Guilty.

After more than 4 months, @SpeakerPelosi & @RepAdamSchiff's partisan #impeachment is OVER.

Today on behalf of 28 million Texans & all Americans, I voted to defend the Constitution, reject Democrats’ sham #ArticlesOfImpeachment, and acquit @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/npHCDLORVd
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 5, 2020

Thanks to Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a bipartisan group of senators voted to remove the president from office. Only Republicans voted to let Trump keep his job.

Cruz also took another opportunity to pimp his impeachment podcast "Verdict."

No soundcloud here, but I do have a podcast…

Check it out and get the inside scoop on how the acquittal came to be: https://t.co/FoLU9bzjsh #Verdict
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 5, 2020

Cornyn, the Texas senator who actually has to face voters in November, called the trial "transparent, impartial and fair," despite the fact that he and every other Republican not named Romney decided to acquit the president before hearing any new evidence.

This was a transparent, impartial, and fair trial where Senators heard video testimony from 13 different witnesses, over 190 videos, and more than 28,000 pages of documents and evidence. Now it’s time to get back to work for Texans.
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) February 5, 2020

Dallas state Sen. Royce West, who's running to replace Cornyn, said he would have voted to convict Trump.

"The Constitution is sacred. No matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat, the Constitution is the common ground that binds us together. I won’t trample on the Constitution when I’m in the U.S. Senate. I will respect the Constitution regardless of what party is in charge, or who is president," West said in a statement.

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