Two Republican senators, Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Mitt Romney (R-Utah) had a heated argument on the Senate floor after Romney voted with Democrats to call witnesses in Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
Cameras in the room did not capture the exchange.
Reporters in the Senate chamber said a “visibly upset” Johnson got into a back and forth with Romney and could be overheard at one point telling the Utah senator that he blamed him.
Later, Johnson told reporters that it was “grotesque that they were recording the confrontation.
“Those are private. Those are private conversations,” Johnson said.
“Reporters heard it. just want to make sure we’re getting it right,” a reporter replied just off the Senate chamber.
“That’s grotesque you guys are recording us,” the senator retorted.
“They were allowed to witness your proceedings” on the Senate floor, the reporter said.
“We never should have this impeachment trial. It’s not healing, it’s not unifying, it’s like opening up a wound and just rubbing salt in it,” Johnson said. “I thought we were going come to a conclusion here today and [then] let’s rip the wound back open, let’s rub more salt in it.”
Though the Senate voted to allow witnesses to be called in the trial, namely Republican Rep. Jaime Herrera Buetler, House impeachment managers and attorneys for Trump reached a deal to submit a report of her statement into the record instead.
