WASHINGTON (AP) – Donald Trump’s impeachment process against the Senate ran into a problem when Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah objected to the Democrats’ typing a phone call from the president when the Capitol uprising was raging.
After exchanges on the issue that seemed to confuse everyone, the Democratic House impeachment managers agreed to strike their words from the state and move on. They said the episode was not vital to their cause that Trump turned on the crowd on Jan. 6. But their report Wednesday night was correct to begin with.
Rep. DAVID CICILLINE of Rhode Island, a prosecutor for charges: “Sen. Lee describes it. He had just finished a prayer with his colleagues here in the Senate Chamber and the phone rang. It was Donald Trump. And how Senator Lee explains it is that the call goes something like this. “Hey, Tommy,” Trump asks. And Senator Lee says, “This isn’t Tommy.” And he gives the phone to Senator Tuberville. Sen. Lee then confirmed that he was standing by while Senator Tuberville and President Trump spoke on the phone. And on that call, Donald Trump reportedly asked Senator Tuberville to raise additional objections to the certification process. That’s why he called. “
LEE, asking to remove comments about the phone call from the police report: “Statements attributed to me recently by the House impeachment managers (which) were not made by me, they are not accurate.” He added, “They are not true. I have never made those statements. “
THE FACTS: Lee himself admitted to making the statements directly attributed to him. He did not publicly characterize what was said on the phone – but the Democrats did not claim he did.
Cicilline said Trump “allegedly” asked during the call that Senate Republicans delay certification of Joe Biden as the next president. Indeed, new reports published said just that, citing anonymous sources. The Associated Press has not confirmed those reports.
But there’s no doubt, as the Democrat said, that Lee took a call from Trump, realized the president was planning to call Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, and handed his phone over to his colleague, who was standing nearby while Trump and Tuberville were on the phone. were talking. We know this because Lee himself described that scene.
He told Bryan Schott in text messages, a reporter for The Salt Lake Tribune.
“I went to find Senator Tuberville, gave him my phone, and explained that the president would like to see him,” Lee texted. ‘I stood close by for the next five or ten minutes while they spoke because I didn’t want to lose my phone in the middle of a crisis.
Then the Capitol Police got very nervous and ordered us to evacuate the room immediately. As they forced everyone out of the room, I found myself awkwardly interrupting the same phone call I had just made.
“Excuse me, Tommy, we have to evacuate. Can I have my phone? ‘
Senator Tuberville immediately ended the call and returned my phone to its rightful owner.
House prosecutors made a number of public statements from Trump, as he openly angered his supporters over Congress’ move to confirm Biden’s election victory. They said this phone call was not central to their argument. But they said they might get back to it.
After the insurgents were evicted from the Capitol, lawmakers declared the victory of Biden’s Electoral College. Lee did not vote to object to the certification. Tuberville was one of six Republican senators to vote in favor of an objection to Arizona’s electoral votes.
EDITOR’S NOTE – A look at the veracity of claims made by political figures.
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