Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Francis Rooney publicly wavered over Trump’s impeachment, drawing a partisan wrath that changed their futures
USA TODAYWASHINGTON – In mid-October, as Francis Rooney publicly wavered about opposing the impeachment of President Donald Trump, a local GOP leader in Florida called the Republican congressman to say he should get in line behind Trump – or get out of Congress.
Rooney announced he would not seek a third term. Van Drew decided to leave the Democratic party and run for re-election as a Republican.USA TODAY/Getty “His pitch to me was well, I have a 92% voting record with Pelosi, you should give me a pass with this impeachment stuff. He kept saying this is just one vote," Suleiman recalled."And I said 'Jeff, this isn’t just one vote. This is the most important vote you’re going to cast as a member of Congress ... Your constituents care about this. They elected a Democrat. You’ve gotta vote for impeachment.
Van Drew announced Dec. 19 during an Oval Office meeting with Trump that he was switching parties and becoming a Republican just days after revealing he would vote against impeachment.'You should get out' “I can tell you the grass-roots people down here were very, very disappointed in him. And they were very unhappy with his even considering voting for the impeachment," said Doris Cortese, vice chair of the GOP in Lee County, Florida, which Rooney represents.
Rooney, who has broken with Trump on key issues such as climate change and border wall funding, ultimately concluded the president's conduct did not rise to the level of impeachment because of a lack of"first-hand" evidence. But he remains"pretty amazed" that neither side seemed to want to know more about the facts surrounding the charges.
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