The Senate swiftly rejected both articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas in a 51-48 vote on Wednesday, effectively ending the trial that the House triggered with its narrow vote to impeach in February.
Republicans swiftly blasted the outcome on X following the news, with Texas Governor Greg Abbott weighing in on the news to ask, “If Sec. Mayorkas will not be held accountable for refusing to follow federal law, why should ANY American be accountable for refusing to follow federal law?”
“The Senate sets a double standard for Americans,” he continued. “You will reap what you sow.”
If Sec. Mayorkas will not be held accountable for refusing to follow federal law, why should ANY American be accountable for refusing to follow federal law?
The Senate sets a double standard for Americans.
You will reap what you sow. https://t.co/FX6B3u6QqC
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) April 17, 2024
Colorado Congresswoman Lauren Boebert dubbed the rejected articles of impeachment as “disgusting partisan behavior.”
I'd like Democrats in the Senate to look Laken Riley's parents in the eyes and tell them Mayorkas shouldn't have had an impeachment trial.
It is simply disgusting partisan behavior.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) April 17, 2024
NPR reported that the articles accused Mayorkas of willfully ignoring the law and breaching the public’s trust.
Democrats labeled the opposition a policy dispute, asserting it did not meet the threshold of “high crimes and misdemeanors” required for impeachment.
Republicans contended that Mayorkas is failing to enforce immigration laws.
“By doing what we just did, we have in effect, ignored the directions of the House, which were to have a trial,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. “No evidence, no procedure. It’s not a proud day in the history of the Senate.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a press conference after the trial that he felt “very strongly that we had to set a precedent that impeachment should never be used to settle policy disagreements.”
Chuck Schumer is single-handedly acting as 'judge, jury and executioner' in the Mayorkas impeachment trial.
He is usurping the Senate's constitutional procedures.
This is more Democrat lawlessness and disrespect for America's institutions.pic.twitter.com/tOID48Mpek
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) April 17, 2024
Other Republicans chimed in on X to blast the trial outcome. “Under Mayorkas, hundreds of thousands of Americans have been poisoned with fentanyl by drug cartels and countless others victimized by illegals. Disgraceful,” wrote Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
Author Brigitte Gabriel said, “The Senate is filled with cowards who do not care about border security. Alejandro Mayorkas is a disgrace to our country.”
Under Mayorkas, hundreds of thousands of Americans have been poisoned with fentanyl by drug cartels and countless others victimized by illegals.
Disgraceful.
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) April 18, 2024
The Senate is filled with cowards who do not care about border security.
Alejandro Mayorkas is a disgrace to our country.
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) April 17, 2024
Utah Senator Mike Lee ripped Schumer over his arguments “the offense Mayorkas is charged with in article II of the impeachment articles — knowingly making false statements to Congress — is not impeachable.”
“I made a motion to allow the Senate to debate this question,” he added. “Dems voted it down.”
Schumer literally just argued that the offense Mayorkas is charged with in article II of the impeachment articles — knowingly making false statements to Congress — is not impeachable.
I made a motion to allow the Senate to debate this question.
Dems voted it down. #Silenced
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) April 17, 2024
Others pointed to a recent bombshell report where flyers encouraging illegal immigrants to vote for Biden are being distributed at an NGO Mayorkas has ties to.
Resist The Mainstream reported earlier this week that the flyers read in Spanish: “Reminder to vote for President Biden when you are in the United States. We need another four years of his term to stay open.”
Oversight Project, a part of the Heritage Foundation, posted the details of the flyers in a lengthy thread on X.
“These flyers were discovered by @realmuckraker throughout the Resource Center Matamoras (RCM) location including on the walls of port-a-potties,” the account explained. “They also appear to be handed out when illegal aliens use the RCM for assistance in coming to the USA,” it added.
Oversight Project stated that RCM bills itself as an operation that “helps illegal aliens enter the United States.” One that has ties to both U.S. Department Of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and leftist billionaire donor George Soros’ Open Society Foundation.
RCM has significant ties to Soros-funded non-profits operating in the United States, including Save the Children, Team Brownsville Texas, and Angry Tias and Abuelas pic.twitter.com/cydCAM4PdE
— Oversight Project (@OversightPR) April 16, 2024
