Democrat Rep. Collin Peterson Confirms He’s Voting Against Trump Impeachment
Chairman the House Committee on Agriculture confirmed position on anti-Trump campaign
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Democrat Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) has confirmed that he is voting against the partisan push for President Donald Trump's impeachment.
Speaking to a reporter from The Globe on Saturday, Peterson, who is the House Committee on Agriculture chairman, says he will vote against impeaching the president.
Peterson said he cannot support the Democratic campaign to impeach Trump over his contacts with Ukraine unless, in the unlikely event that, any actual evidence comes to light.
“Unless they come up with something between now and Wednesday,” Peterson said he will vote against impeachment and expects up to five other Democrats to do the same.
“Maybe something will change. I doubt it,” Minnesota’s most senior member added.
The Democrat lawmaker argues that his anti-Trump colleagues in the House committees have yet to produce any evidence on an impeachable offense.
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Rep. Peterson said he believes that the president has “not committed a crime,” while most of his Seventh District constituents oppose the U.S. providing aid to other counties.
He also noted the so-called “whistleblower” complaint — authored by a partisan CIA analyst — regarding President Trump’s July 25 telephone with the leader of Ukraine includes “second-hand” information.
The complaint alleges the president pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate allegations of corruption against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for aid.
Both world leaders have denied any pressure was applied to launch the probes,and the White House published a transcript of the call as evidence no quid pro quo occurred.
“This is dividing the country for no good reason, because he’s not going to be thrown out of office,” Peterson said of his colleagues’ impeachment effort, before asking: “Why are we doing this?”
“If people don’t like Trump, they can vote against him,” he added.
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Peterson’s comments came amid reports Rep. Jeff Van Drew (NJ), another moderate Democrat who opposes impeachment, is telling staff members that he plans to defect to the Republican Party.
Donald Trump thanked "gutsy" Rep. Jeff Van Drew for his support after the Democrat is believed to be set to switch political parties just before the House votes on impeaching the president.
The Washington Post reported that New Jersey Democrat Rep Van Drew had a Friday meeting with Trump during which the president urged him to join the GOP.
Trump retweeted a post on Sunday which said Van Drew is "believed to be strongly considering" the switch, tweeting: "Wow, that would be big. Always heard Jeff is very smart!"
He also tweeted: "Thank you for your honesty Jeff.
"All of the Democrats know you are right, but unlike you, they don’t have the 'guts' to say so!"
Van Drew - who represents a district that Trump is popular in - is among the Democrats' biggest opponents of impeaching Trump.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee voted to advance two articles of impeachment against the president — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — setting the stage for the full House to vote on them on or around Wednesday.
