Republican Admits He May Have Committed 'Political Suicide' By Supporting Impeachment
Peter Meijer joined Republicans in voting in favor of impeachment
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Republican Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer admitted that supporting articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump “may very well have” put an end to his career in politics.
During an appearance on ABC’s “This Week,” host George Stephanopoulos asked Meijer if voting for impeaching Trump caused him to commit “political suicide” due to the President still having a "strong hold on the Republican party.”
“Oh, I may very well have, but I think it’s also important that we have elected leaders who are not thinking solely about what’s in their individual self-interest," Meijer said.
"Not what is going to be politically expedient, but what we actually need for the country,” Meijer began.
“I want to make sure that we have leaders in office who are folks saying, you know, the fact that we are a nation of laws, not men, and who are putting the interest of the country first rather than our own political careers.”
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Meijer joined the nine other House Republicans in voting in favor of the articles of impeachment on Jan.13.
The impeachment marks the second time Trump has been impeached.
The impeachment articles accuse Trump of inciting the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, despite the President condemning the violence.
WATCH:
Reflecting on his decision to vote to impeach Pres. Trump, Rep. Meijer says he "wants to make sure that we have leaders in office that are focusing on the fact that we are a nation of laws, not men, and are putting the interests of the country first." https://t.co/qmo0vH7x0d pic.twitter.com/twb6fgVJaY
— ABC News (@ABC) January 17, 2021
Stephanopoulos pressed Meijer about the pressure that Cheney is receiving from Republicans who wish to “remove her from leadership" if he thought it would happen.
“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that those who stood by their principles, like Liz Cheney, that that is not something that is punished,” Meijer answered.
“I know there is a division that has already occurred."
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"We need to address some of the issues that we have within, you know, the congressional Republican conference, but I have been very impressed by the leadership that Liz Cheney has shown.”
Meijer weighed on where the Republican Party is headed and if it should “move on from President Trump.”
“The president brought some necessary energy."
"He brought some necessary ideas. He shook the tree. He was a change agent,” Meijer said.
“The challenge was that he didn’t know when to stop, and he didn’t draw a line, and to me, political violence is the line that we must draw.”
Last week, Republican Sen. Rand Paul warned GOP lawmakers that support of impeachment would lead to a mass exodus of supporters from the party.
Paul said if there are enough Republican senators supporting impeachment to remove Trump from office, the party would be destroyed.
"I don't often get ask my advice from leadership how they should react," Paul said.
"My unsolicited suggestion would be this: they will destroy the Republican Party if leadership is complicit with an impeachment or leadership votes for an impeachment, they will destroy the party," Paul added.
