Washington – The GOP senators who, along with Democrats, found former President Donald Trump guilty of the charge of inciting insurgency, are now facing backlash home for their votes as Republicans in their states consider formal convictions of the senators.
Two of the seven Republicans who broke with the former president – Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana – have already been formally reprimanded by their respective state GOPs. The North Carolina Republican Party voted unanimously on Monday to disapprove of Burr for his vote to condemn Trump, while the Louisiana GOP approved a vote of disapproval of Cassidy on Saturday, acting quickly after the Senate trial ended.
In Pennsylvania, the head of the Republican State Party, Lawrence Tabas, informed members of the Republican State Commission in an email Saturday that he would call a meeting to “raise issues and consider action” in relation to until the impeachment vote of the Senate, said two GOP county seats. While the email did not state a date for the meeting, nor did it name Senator Pat Toomey, several members of the state commission said they felt it referred to him.
Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse has also found himself a target of the state GOP for denouncing Mr. Trump after the January 6 attack on the Capitol. A censure resolution drafted before the senate began its trial admonishes Sasse for repeatedly criticizing the former president, according to a copy posted by News Channel Nebraska.
The Nebraska Republican Party was scheduled to hold its vote Saturday to disapprove of Sasse, but it was postponed due to weather.
The Maine Republican Party is also considering whether to condemn Senator Susan Collins for her vote to condemn Mr. Trump, according to the Bangor Daily News.
It is unclear whether the Alaska GOP will decide to punish Senator Lisa Murkowski for opposing the former president. The Utah Republican Party, meanwhile, noted that its two senators, Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, voted differently in the impeachment trial, but said, “As 2021 begins, we are neither looking to the past nor to be punitive.” Romney voted to convict Mr. Trump, while Lee voted for acquittal.
“The differences between our own Utah Republicans show a diversity of thought, as opposed to the danger of a party fixated on ‘unanimity of thought,'” the Utah GOP said in a statement. “There is power in our disagreements as a political party, and we look forward to every senator explaining his vote to the people of Utah.”
The seven Republicans joined all 50 Democrats in the Senate to condemn Mr. Trump of the House’s charge of inciting insurgency for his role in the assassination attempt on the Capitol. However, the former president was acquitted, as the 57-43 vote failed to pass the two-thirds threshold for conviction.
Aaron Navarro contributed to this article