GOP Rep. Mike Johnson Tries to Strike Testimony on Trump’s Misconduct Because It ‘Impugns’ the President

Republican Congressman Mike Johnson claimed during Monday’s impeachment hearing that a witness describing President Donald Trump’s misconduct had impugned him. The House Judiciary Committee heard from the counsel for the majority, Barry Berke.

Berke testified that Trump had committed impeachable offenses and went through each of them in a methodical fashion, peppering his remarks with videos from earlier impeachment hearings and clips of Trump himself. When Berke finished, Congressman Johnson asked for his comments to be ‘taken down’ because they ‘impugns the motives’ of the President.

GOP Rep. Johnson asks for Berke’s comments to be “taken down” because they “impugn the integrity” of the president. Nadler says this hearing is about Trump’s misconduct so it shouldn’t be a surprise. Committee votes 24-17 along party lines to say his comments are in order

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 9, 2019

“The witness has used language which impugns the motives of the President and suggests he’s disloyal to his country,” Johnson said, though he did not make reference to specific comments. He apparently meant the whole testimony.

After Johnson and others made a fuss, the committee held a voice vote and the Republican motion to excise Berke’s comments was defeated 24 to 17. Johnson’s stunt appears to have been planned in advance. It was entirely predictable that Berke would say things highly critical of Trump that called his character into question.

Watch Johnson’s attempt to strike out Berke’s comments above, via C-SPAN.