Tensions were high on the House floor on Wednesday morning as lawmakers debated impeachment charges against President Trump. Democrats have presented an article of impeachment that accuses Trump of "incitement of insurrection" because he told his supporters at last week's rally to keep fighting as Congress was performing the electoral college certification that would confirm Joe Biden's win. After his rally, a group of his supporters stormed the Capitol building and it turned deadly.
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), leading the pro-impeachment argument for the Democrats said, "If this isn't an impeachable offense, I don't know what the hell is."
After McGovern spoke, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) rose to remind the Democrat that in 2017 he objected to the certification of Alabama, a state which Trump won by around 30 points. If Democrats can object to Alabama, Jordan asked, why can't Republicans object to the state of Pennsylvania, which was a considerably closer contest? In fact, Jordan continued, by his tally Democrats objected to more states in 2017 than Republicans did last week.
"Americans are tired of the double standard," Jordan said.
Americans are tired of the double standard. pic.twitter.com/rdlG2EHBCQ
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 13, 2021
McGovern disputed Jordan's comparison. Because, he claimed, Democrats "all admitted Trump was president."
But that wasn't exactly the case was it. Democrats refused to attend Trump's inauguration, and embarked on a years long investigation they hoped would prove that his campaign had colluded with Russia. And his defeated opponent, Hillary Clinton, presented several of her own unfounded theories as to why Trump won.
"You can run the best campaign, you can even become the nominee, and you can have the election stolen from you," Clinton claimed.
She joined other Democrats in referring to him as an "illegitimate" president.