Sen. Hawley: Impeachment trial is a ‘terrible waste of time’

Sen. Josh Hawley questioned Neera Tanden as she testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs committee on her nomination to become the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, during a hearing Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Leigh Vogel/Pool via AP)

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said the impeachment trial for President Trump is a waste of time. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Hawley suggested the Senate has absolutely no grounds to impeach a private citizen.

Sen. Josh Hawley arrived for the second impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in the Senate, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool)

He added, according to the Constitution, a president must first be removed from office before impeachment.

“I think this thing is not going anywhere and I think our Democratic colleagues know that,” Hawley stated, “Frankly, I think it is a terrible, terrible waste of time in the midst of this pandemic with the crisis we have currently of getting vaccines to people and getting people back to work. We are going to shut down the entire Senate for at least a week, probably two weeks, maybe more if they call witnesses. I mean who knows how long it can go. I just think it’s a terrible waste of time and we don’t have the power to do it.”

Things the Senate should be focusing on instead of Democrats’ impeachment:
-Passing #COVID relief
-Reopening our economy
-Getting our kids back at schools

— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 1, 2021

Hawley also asserted that he will be voting “no” to convict President Trump.