First-Term GOP Congressman Faces Backlash from Constituents After Voting to Impeach Trump
Michigan Rep. Peter Meijer, one of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach then-President Donald Trump over the Capitol incursion, defended his decision while taking sharp criticism from voters on Wednesday night.
“What we witnessed at the Capitol — the attempted insurrection, the involvement of a sitting American president propagating the falsehoods that led up to that — required a significant response,” he said during his first town hall, a virtual event that over 400 people watched on Zoom or Facebook.
The freshman lawmaker spoke from his office in Washington, D.C.
Two constituents said they were deeply disappointed with Meijer, a 33-year-old Iraq War veteran who represents the 3rd District in western Michigan.
“Why aren’t you doing what your constituents wanted you to do?” Cindy Witke asked. “I went against people who said not to vote for you because I believed in you. I’ve lost that belief.”
Nancy Eardley accused Meijer, the only first-term legislator to back impeachment on Jan. 13, of betraying his constituents within two weeks of taking office.
“I don’t know that there’s really much you can say that will ever change my mind and not work toward primarying you out after two years,” she said.
Meijer said Trump told “two fundamental lies” after the presidential election, claiming that the election had been stolen and that Jan. 6, the day Congress counted Electoral College votes, was a chance to “stop the steal.”
After rioters breached the Capitol, Trump took close to 2 1/2 hours to issue a video urging them to go home, Meijer said.
“This was a moment when we needed leadership and the president, in my view, did not show that,” he said.
One participant, Kim Reeder, thanked Meijer for his vote.
“I didn’t vote for you, but right now I’m sure glad you’re my representative,” she said.
Trump is the first president in American history to be impeached twice. His Senate trial will start next week.
At least one Republican has already vowed to challenge Meijer in the 2022 primary: Tom Norton, who finished third to Meijer in a five-way primary last year.
Meijer in November won the open, longtime GOP-held seat by nearly 6 percentage points, a larger margin than Trump’s 3-point victory there.
Meijer acknowledged that a majority of Republicans in his district, “maybe a strong majority,” are upset with his impeachment decision.
“That weighed on me. That was one of the reasons why I felt ultimately sickened by having to take this vote,” he said.
“How do I balance that immediate feeling with what we need to do as a country, what I feel my party needs to do and where I hope we can go?”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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