Republicans are demanding a full Senate trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was impeached by the GOP-controlled House earlier this year over charges that some on the right have decried as thin and a waste of time. However, many of the Republicans who are insisting on a trial for Mayorkas supported an effort to dismiss Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Only five GOP senators voted to allow that trial to proceed. At a recent press conference, several conservative GOP senators argued that failing to hold a full trial for Mayorkas could set a precedent and hinder the impeachment process.
Republicans have faced accusations of hypocrisy for their vote to dismiss the case against Trump in 2021, with some arguing that holding the trial would be unconstitutional since Trump was no longer president. Republican senators criticize Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for his expected use of procedural tactics to avoid trying impeached Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Democrats haven’t yet announced how they plan to handle the trial for Mayorkas, but they are expected to move to dismiss the charges quickly after senators are sworn in as jurors.
Democrats, including Sen. Chris Murphy and conservative Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin, have criticized the effort to remove Mayorkas as baseless and politically motivated. Manchin urged the GOP to focus on taking their case to voters in the November election rather than pursuing impeachment. Republicans hope that the effort to oust Mayorkas will draw attention to President Joe Biden’s border policies and put pressure on vulnerable Democrats running for re-election in red states, like Sen. Jon Tester. Some Republican senators, like Mitt Romney, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, may join with Democrats in voting to dismiss the case.
Senator Murkowski expressed frustration with the impeachment process, emphasizing the need to focus on funding the government and authorizing U.S. intelligence programs instead. Romney argued that while Mayorkas may have done a poor job, he should not lose his job for executing Biden’s policies. Ultimately, the impeachment trial for Mayorkas is expected to be contentious, with Democrats seeking a swift dismissal of the charges while Republicans push for a full trial to showcase their criticisms of Biden’s immigration policies. The outcome of the trial remains uncertain, with some senators still undecided on how they will vote.
