House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy Tuesday complained that Democrats participating in the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump and Ukraine are more worried about what their focus groups want than the facts in the case.
“We are not sure what word they will use today, because they change it from quid pro quo to bribery,” the California Democrat told Fox News’ “Fox and Friends.” “Whatever the focus group tells them is where they will want to continue to move.”
McCarthy’s focus group comments come after The Washington Post reported earlier this week that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee conducted focus group surveys in key House battleground states in recent weeks and tested messages about impeachment.
Among their questions, they asked participants about which of the terms, “quid pro quo,” “extortion” or “bribery” was more compelling when describing Trump’s conduct with Ukraine. According to people familiar with the results, which had been circulated among Democrats this week but not released publicly, the groups found the term “bribery” to be the most serious.
Republicans have always wanted to “just stick to the facts,” McCarthy also said, but the witnesses who are testifying in public hearings are the ones who “passed the audition for (Intelligence Committee Chairman) Adam Schiff. Remember (there is) no due process. The president does not get an attorney in the room. The president does not get to request any witnesses.”
McCarthy also insisted that the hearings are showing that Trump did nothing wrong and that he ended up releasing Ukraine’s military aid.
“Now they are talking about impeaching a president over this phone call?” he said. “This president is carrying out exactly what he said he would do when he campaigned.”
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