Both Texas Republican Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn have vehemently spoken out against Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial. While neither Cruz nor Cornyn have explicitly expressed how they will vote in the upcoming trial, it seems unlikely that they will be in favor of the motion.
On Monday evening, a group of U.S. House members including Texas Democrat Joaquin Castro, sent its article of impeachment to the U.S. Senate. The action formally started the trial over the former president’s role in the Capitol attack on Jan. 6. Earlier this month, Trump was impeached for a second time after every House Democrat along with 10 Republicans voted in favor of the motion. Arguments in the Senate trial will begin the week of Feb. 8.
Cruz has called the impeachment trial “vindictive and punitive” and described congressional Democrats as “obsessed with their hatred for Donald Trump.” Cornyn admonished Democrats for their “shockingly bad judgement” and warned that the trial would entice Republicans to former Democratic presidents in the future. He also retweeted an opinion article by Alan Dershowitz that argued against the legality of Trump’s trial.
Cornyn, however, echoed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (KY-R) call for a “vote of conscience.”
The chances of conviction in the Senate are slim. A two-thirds majority is needed in a Senate that is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris as the deciding vote in the event of a tie. Democrats would need the support of 17 Republicans to convict him.
At this point, few GOP senators have publicly denounced Trump for his role in inciting the U.S. Capitol riot and none have indicated they would vote to impeach. Moreover, the political backlash against House Republicans who helped impeachment, such as Liz Cheney (WY-R), may further discourage a positive vote.
