GOP lawmakers who joined forces with House Democrats to rush through a second impeachment effort against President Trump are facing intense backlash from fellow Republicans back at home.
Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC) has now been censured by the South Carolina Republican Party for his role in the Democrats' latest impeachment push against President Trump. More troubling for the GOP lawmaker is the fact that his censure push began at the grassroots level in a county within the congressman's district.
"Trying to impeach a president, with a week left in his term, is never legitimate and is nothing more than a political kick on the way out the door," said South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Drew McKissick. "Congressman Rice’s vote unfortunately played right into the Democrats' game, and the people in his district, and ultimately our State Executive Committee, wanted him to know they wholeheartedly disagree with his decision."
Today the SCGOP Executive Committee voted to formally censure Congressman Rice for his impeachment vote. See below for SCGOP Chairman @DrewMcKissick's full statement: pic.twitter.com/lNzDW80ljl
— South Carolina Republican Party (@SCGOP) January 30, 2021
Rice is the latest House Republican defector on impeachment to face backlash from constituents in the state. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), chair of the House Republican Conference and the first member of Republican leadership to support Trump's impeachment, was censured for her impeachment vote by the Republican Party Central Committee in Carbon County, Wyoming. The at-large representative now faces a primary challenge from Wyoming State Sen. Anthony Bouchard.
The state GOP also blasted Cheney for her vote on impeachment. The party called Cheney's vote a "true travesty for Wyoming and the country" and blasted the representative for "aligning herself with leftists." A whopping 70 percent of Wyomians voted to re-elect President Trump.
The Republican Party in Allegan County, Michigan, unanimously voted to censure U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) following his vote for impeachment.
Seven of the 10 House Republican defectors are now facing challenges to their seats.