Herrera Beutler votes to impeach Trump

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U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s decision to vote for the impeachment of President Donald Trump has caught the ire of local Republicans, as the Congresswoman joined several other Republicans in the House of Representatives to bring the president to trial.

On Jan. 12 Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, announced her intent to vote for Trump’s impeachment which was brought forth following the storming of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Jan. 6 by supporters of the president. Trump was impeached by a 232-197 vote, with 10 Republicans, including Herrera Beutler, voting for the measure.

“The President of the United States incited a riot aiming to halt the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next,” Herrera Beutler wrote in a social media post explaining her decision, noting five had died during the Capitol unrest. “People everywhere watched in disbelief as the center of American democracy was assaulted.”

The day of the storming of the Capitol, Herrera Beutler wrote that “(t)he reports you are hearing about the chaos, panic and dangerous actions by protestors are not exaggerations. I witnessed them.”

“Is this the America we want to give to our children? A country of lawlessness and mob rule?” Herrera Beutler asked in the Jan. 6 post. “Previous generations of Americans have laid down their lives to answer ‘no’ to that question.”

In her explanation of the decision to vote for Trump’s impeachment, Herrera Beutler called the president’s response to the Capitol violence a “pathetic denouncement” which “also served as a wink and a nod to those to perpetrated it,” recounting Trump’s remarks where he said to those taking part in the violence, “I love you” and “you are special.”

“The President's offenses, in my reading of the Constitution, were impeachable based on the indisputable evidence we already have,” Herrera Beutler wrote.

Following the impeachment vote, Republican representation in Clark County came out against Herrera Beutler for her decision against the president.



The Clark County Republican Party voted Jan. 14 to approve an official declaration that congratulated Trump on accomplishments made during his presidential term and denounced the violence at the Capitol Jan. 6. The declaration condemned “all political violence, in all situations, no matter party affiliation or political identity,” and stated the local party’s belief in peaceable assembly was “evidenced by the thousands and thousands of peaceful protestors who did not riot in D.C.”

The declaration also denounced the “frivolous impeachment of President Trump based on false pretenses and without due process, solely to further political agendas.” It stated that Herrera Beutler’s vote “directly violates our values of standing for truth and justice,” adding her vote pushed “fear-based narratives” that were not representative of the Clark County Republican Party.

“This shameful behavior will only further divide our country,” the declaration read. “President Trump’s actual words clearly did not incite violence.”

Clark County Republican Women’s statement was more pointed, as the organization stated “(i)n the strongest of terms” their condemnation of Herrera Beutler’s vote.

“If you cast this vote to impeach, you will never receive our support or votes again at any time in the future,” the statement read. “Additionally, we will do everything in our power as the largest Republican Women's organization in Washington State to recruit and elect a conservative candidate who will represent our values.”

“This vote will never be forgotten, as your action is a personal affront to the 70 million plus Americans who voted for our President,” the statement read.