Manchin: ‘So Ill-Advised’ to Impeach Trump Now, House Dems ‘Know the Votes Aren’t There’ and It’ll Divide

On Monday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Special Report,” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) stated that there are not the votes to convict President Donald Trump in the Senate, and an impeachment effort now would be “so ill-advised for Joe Biden to be coming in, trying to heal the country, trying to be the president of all the people when we’re going to be so divided and fighting again.”

Manchin said that until Sens. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) are sworn in, Democrats would need 19 Republicans to support a conviction, and “I don’t see that and I think the House should know that also. We’ve been trying to send that message over. They know the votes aren’t there. … I think this is so ill-advised for Joe Biden to be coming in, trying to heal the country, trying to be the president of all the people when we’re going to be so divided and fighting again. Let the judicial system do its job, Bret. … Let that take its place. Let the investigations go on. Let the evidence come forth, and then we’ll go forth from there. There’s no rush to do this impeachment now. We can do it later if they think it’s necessary.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett