Chaos erupted Saturday night when constituents confronted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (D-CA) about the partisan push to impeach President Donald Trump.
Schiff was at a town hall meeting at the Glendale Central Library put on by the Armenian National Committee of America — Western Region. The event was designed to thank the California Congressman for voting to recognize the Armenian genocide, the Los Angeles Times reported. The House voted overwhelmingly to approve the measure at the end of October by a vote of 405-11.
Multiple people sat in the front of the audience with signs that read "Don't Impeach."
In a video, audience members in the back of the crowd yelled "liar!" One man said Schiff would be known for "committing treason," a clear reference to Schiff spearheading the impeachment of the president.
Those who were Schiff supporters quickly surrounded those who backed President Trump and chanted "Adam! Adam! Adam!"
As Trump supporters tried exiting the venue, they were pushed and shoved and told to "leave" or "get out." One of the men held up a "re-elect Trump" flag, at which point Schiff supporters attempted to rip the flag out of his hands.
Three local police officers who were at the event helped the Trump supporters exit the venue. According to the Glendale Police Department, the entire scuffle lasted about 15 minutes before the program continued and no one sustained injuries.
Following the event, Schiff's office released a statement about what took place.
“I was grateful for the opportunity to share in the community’s celebration of the historic passage of the Armenian Genocide resolution in both the House and Senate, and thankful for the recognition of the efforts of so many people who made this day possible,” the congressman said in a statement. “Unfortunately, some came to the event with the intent to disrupt, but the Armenian community has had to overcome far greater challenges along the road to recognition than to be deterred by a few angry voices."
As the partisan impeachment shenanigans continue, Schiff and his staff can expect these types of encounters to keep happening. Polling has continually revealed that impeachment is unfavorable across the board. It's why Schiff suddenly went from saying he would definitely vote to impeach Trump to saying he'd have to "talk with his colleagues and constituents" before he made his decision (even though we know how he's going to vote later this week).
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