Democrat Jeff Van Drew: Bill Taylor's Testimony 'Hearsay'

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) dismissed diplomat Bill Taylor’s testimony Wednesday before the House Intelligence Committee as “hearsay.”

During Taylor’s testimony, he claimed President Trump spoke with Gordon Sondland, the American ambassador to the European Union, about the “investigations” into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.

Taylor’s information came from one of Taylor’s staffers who claimed he overheard the president’s phone call with Sondland.

The New Jersey Democrat chastised Taylor over his assertion.

“It’s hearsay,” Van Drew said after Wednesday’s impeachment inquiry hearing. “It’s really difficult dealing with this because it’s he said-she said.”

Reps. Van Drew and Collin Peterson (D-MN) were the two House Democrats to vote against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) resolution formalizing the rules and proceedings regarding their impeachment inquiry.

Van Drew said he would need to see the stronger evidence such as verifiable documents or audio of President Trump’s conversations to prove the allegations levied against him for him to back impeachment.

“Frankly the aid did flow, so that really isn’t an issue at the end of the day,” Van Drew added. “The aid flowed, and everything resolved.”

Van Drew’s district represents one of the many districts that Democrats flipped during the 2018 midterm elections. President Trump and Republicans hope to flip red during the 2020 congressional elections. President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election in New Jersey’s second congressional district.

Other Democrats have continued to criticize the impeachment inquiry into President Trump as “hopelessly partisan.”

Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) said in October his constituents said this move to impeach the president has fractured the nation.

“I have been hearing from my constituents on both sides of this matter for months, and the escalation of calls this past week just shows me how divided our country really is right now,” he said.

“Without support from Senate Republicans, going down this path is a mistake. Today’s vote is both unnecessary, and widely misrepresented in the media and by Republicans as a vote on impeachment. I will not make a decision on impeachment until all the facts have been presented,” Van Drew added.

In contrast to Peterson, Rep. Jarden Golden (D-ME), another freshman Democrat, claimed recently Democrats’ impeachment inquiry will not pull “the country apart.”