McSally Criticizes Impeachment Process But Mum On Trump Ukraine Call

By Bret Jaspers
Published: Monday, October 7, 2019 - 6:29pm
Updated: Tuesday, October 8, 2019 - 2:37pm
Bret Jaspers/KJZZ
Martha McSally in 2019.

Arizona Republican Sen. Martha McSally continues not to criticize President Trump over his phone call with the president of Ukraine.

Two weeks after the inquiry began — and after the public release of notes from the president’s phone call with the Ukrainian president, the whistleblower complaint, and text messages from U.S. diplomats — she is saying Democrats leading the House of Representatives are partisan in their process. 

“When we’re talking about impeaching the president of the United States, it has got to be a process that is something that the American people trust,” McSally said at a stop in Peoria. She charged the House leadership with acting out of political motives, while “the Senate Intelligence Committee has been authorized by every senator to actually look into this topic.”

She wouldn’t say whether she thought President Trump’s statements on the phone call with the Ukrainian president were appropriate or not. On the July call, Trump talked about military aid and then pivoted to asking Ukraine to open investigations that would help Trump politically. 

“You guys can comment on the day in and the day out,” she said, referring to reporters. “For my part, my job is to be a senator right now, [and] take this very seriously, as my constituents do.”

McSally called the impeachment inquiry a distraction when it first began. 

Few GOP senators have criticized the president over his actions on the call, although on Monday Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) said Trump should not ask Ukraine or China for help investigating political opponents, specifically former Vice President Joe Biden.

Separately, McSally said on Monday she was “deeply concerned” that Trump is pulling American troops out of Syria.

Politics