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Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, considered one of the possible swing votes in the Trump impeachment trial, announced on the Senate floor Monday night that she “cannot vote to convict” Trump.
Murkowski, whose comments closed out a day of debate on the floor over the articles of impeachment, said the “I cannot vote to convict. The Constitution provides for impeachment but does not demand it in all instances.” In her floor speech, she said Trump’s “behavior was shameful and wrong” with Ukraine but argued against removing him from office, calling for voters to make a judgment in November’s election.
“The response to the president’s behavior is not to disenfranchise nearly 63 million Americans and remove him from the ballot,” she said. “The House could have pursued censure and not immediately jumped to the remedy of last resort.” The Alaska senator added: “The voters will pronounce a verdict in nine months and we must trust their judgment.”
Murkowski also blasted Trump: “The president’s behavior was shameful and wrong. His personal interests do not take precedent over those of this great nation.” “The president’s behavior was shameful and wrong. His personal interests do not take precedent over those of this great nation. Degrading the office by actions or even name calling weakens it for future presidents and it weakens our country,” she added.
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The original clips contained more than 10 minutes of video, this compressed version is only 8 minutes after removal of silences and pauses.
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Sen. Lisa Murkowski's speech in Senate Trump impeachment trial (Feb 3, 2020) https://t.co/KnsGOaWzSn
— HYGO News (@HygoNews) February 4, 2020