McSally shrugs off impeachment question, calls reporter ‘liberal hack’
Jan 16, 2020, 11:37 AM | Updated: 4:46 pm
U.S. Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. Martha McSally of Arizona on Thursday shrugged off a question from a CNN reporter on impeachment and called him a “liberal hack.”
Manu Raju, the network’s senior congressional correspondent, approached the Republican and asked her, “Should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial?”
McSally responded, “Manu, you’re a liberal hack. I’m not talking to you.” She later tweeted a video of the same incident, standing by what she said.
Senate impeachment proceedings began Thursday, a day after the House voted to send two articles of impeachment against the president to the Senate.
Q: Senator McSally, should the Senate consider new evidence as part of the impeachment trial?
McSally: You’re a liberal hack I’m not talking to you
Manu- You’re not going to comment about this?
McSally: You're a liberal hack. pic.twitter.com/IW5pCfZ6Oa— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 16, 2020
A) you are.
B) here’s the video. https://t.co/zVgk9pBhdf pic.twitter.com/cfFdotLjFK— Martha McSally (@SenMcSallyAZ) January 16, 2020
McSally’s campaign manager said in December that the senator had not been convinced that the president should be removed from office.
Arizona’s other senator, Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, chimed in on impeachment Thursday.
“The Senate has a job to do that demands our serious, careful consideration of the facts — free from partisanship or political soundbites,” Sinema said in a statement.
“Arizonans deserve no less. I will treat this process with the gravity and impartiality that our oaths demand and will not comment on the proceedings or facts until the trial concludes.”
The House voted Dec. 18 to impeach the president, accusing him of abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate political rivals and obstructing Congress during an investigation of the allegations.
The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to acquit Trump during the resulting trial. Opening arguments are set to begin Tuesday.
A two-thirds vote would be needed to convict Trump and remove him from office.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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