Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is not a fan of the idea of impeaching President Joe Biden — or, it would seem, other top officials in the current administration, where a variety of such figures have been targets of Republicans’ frustration.
Some of the investigative hearings that the GOP majority in the House has already held were considered to be part of the lead-up to a potential impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. Another official facing impeachment demands has been Attorney General Merrick Garland, who continues to be plagued by allegations from former President Donald Trump and others that the multiple criminal cases faced by the ex-commander-in-chief have been essentially political in nature. As for Biden, the complaints have ranged from allegations he’s mishandled the southern border to claims he’s been meaningfully involved in ostensibly corrupt business arrangements involving his son, Hunter Biden — claims that remain effectively unsubstantiated.
“I said two years ago, when we had not one but two impeachments, that once we go down this path it incentivizes the other side to do the same thing,” McConnell said. He was referring to the multiple impeachments of then-President Donald Trump, who faced accusations first related to alleged pressure on Ukraine and then over his role in inciting the Capitol riot, a connection made by many of the rioters themselves, who pointed to claims from the ex-White House occupant that he’d actually rightfully won the 2020 election. “Impeachment ought to be rare,” McConnell added. “This is not good for the country.”
McConnell, as the continuing leader of Senate Republicans, is likely to help dictate any response from the chamber’s GOP members to any impeachment the House approves, though continuing Democratic control in the Senate already meant that such an impeachment faced nearly impossible odds in any push for conviction. Democrats have continued to allege that Republicans’ investigative focus in the House, persisting in the absence of much meaningfully substantiating evidence, is meant to help distract from the charges that Trump faces as he seeks another term.
