January 6 hearing: McCarthy points to Raskin, Schiff ties to impeachments as evidence of 'obsession'
Jamie Raskin and Adam Schiff are prior Trump impeachment managers
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told "Jesse Watters Primetime" on Wednesday it is clear that the members of the January 6 Committee are simply continuing a years-long vendetta against former President Donald Trump, saying the panel's behavior would not fit a court of law.
McCarthy pointed to one outspoken Democrat on the panel, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin — recounting how the Silver Spring lawmaker called for Trump's impeachment before he was even inaugurated.
As Salon described it at the time: "Donald Trump won't be sworn into office for another 48 hours, and at least one Democratic congressman has already seen enough."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McCarthy suggested two impeachment proceedings were not enough for Raskin or Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. — both of whom served as lead impeachment managers.
JAN 6 HEARING: GOP LAWMAKER CALLS OUT MARYLAND'S RASKIN OVER ‘MOTIVE’ TO ABOLISH ELECTORAL COLLEGE
Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Maryland ((Senate Television via AP))
"Remember what [Raskin] did between Trump being elected and being sworn in? He held a rally to say Trump needs to be impeached," McCarthy said of a health care rally at Bowie State University.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is just the continuation. They're obsessed with Trump and this is all they want to do. This hearsay would never be allowed in a court of law."
In January 2017, Raskin declared Trump was "on a collision course with the Emoluments Clause," which prohibits certain gifts to politicians from abroad.
"If he goes into office and he refuses to divest himself, the moment that the first conflict comes up that's going to look like an impeachable offense," Raskin said during an interview at Bowie.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}LEVIN CALLS FOR DISBARMENT OF ADAM SCHIFF
Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California (REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
Later that year, he supported an ultimately unsuccessful impeachment motion from Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, who accused the then-president of "high misdemeanors."
McCarthy further called out Schiff for what he called obvious bias, pointing to reported alterations of a text message during the first impeachment investigation and his dismissal of the Hunter Biden laptop scandal as Russian propaganda.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"[R]emember when he said he had proof about the Russia collusion and he put America through [that probe]?" McCarthy asked.
He faulted Schiff for his purported connection to the arrests of several "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" employees roaming the House complexes on Capitol Hill earlier in June.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I'll promise you this: When I'm speaker, he will not be on the Intel Committee anymore," McCarthy said, adding he would also remove fellow Californian Eric Swalwell — pointing to allegations the lawmaker had "relations with Chinese spy" Fang Fang.