WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) voted today to dismiss the impeachment trial of former President Donald J. Trump because it is unconstitutional under the Constitution’s plain text.
“Spectacles like what we are witnessing this week on the Senate floor are pure political theater,” Senator Hagerty said. “The plain text of the Constitution is clear. It only permits impeachment and conviction of ‘The President’ and requires that the Chief Justice preside when the President is tried. President Trump is no longer ‘The President’ and Chief Justice Roberts is not presiding—underscoring the unconstitutionality of this proceeding—which is why I voted to dismiss the impeachment article today. The Senate is not a court for trying private citizens.”