Casey concerned that president’s behavior could worsen unless he is convicted, removed
If President Trump is not convicted in the impeachment trial unfolding in the U.S. Senate and then removed from office, Pennsylvania U.S. Sen. Bob Casey is concerned that Trump will be emboldened and commit further misdeeds.
鈥淚 have great fears,鈥� Casey said in a conference call Thursday morning with newspaper and radio reporters across the commonwealth. 鈥淎 lot of questions arise about what would happen if he were not to be removed. This isn鈥檛 a blank record that鈥檚 being filled in by the day. We know a lot about how this president conducts himself. We know a lot about his lack of credibility. The idea that he became so obsessed with one of his opponents that he was willing to rope in a foreign leader is really disturbing.鈥�
Casey is one of 100 U.S. senators who will be deciding the president鈥檚 fate once the trial wraps up. Over the last few days, Democrats from the U.S. House have been laying out the case against Trump, arguing that his attempt to withhold military aid from Ukraine until it announced it was launching investigations into the 2016 election interference and Joe Biden, the former vice president. Trump鈥檚 lawyers and Republican defenders are expected to argue that the president鈥檚 actions don鈥檛 merit booting him from office.
Casey, a Democrat, said he has not talked about the trial with his fellow Pennsylvania senator, Republican Pat Toomey, but anticipated senators would get a sense of what their colleagues are thinking after the trial concludes. At the start of trial, Toomey鈥檚 office released a statement in which he said he took his role in the process 鈥渧ery seriously.鈥�
鈥淭he Senate should conduct a fair trial consistent with past precedent,鈥� Toomey said. 鈥淲e will allow House managers to make their case, the president鈥檚 lawyers to make their defense, and senators to pose questions. At the conclusion of these presentations, the Senate can then decide what, if any, further steps are necessary.鈥�
The conventional wisdom has it that supporters of Trump鈥檚 conviction and removal will not be able to muster the 67 votes necessary for that to happen thanks to solid Republican opposition, and Casey declined to say whether he believed getting one or two votes over 50 would at least represent a symbolic victory for Democrats.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to speculate about the outcome,鈥� he explained. 鈥淚 do think it would be a substantial measure of progress if Senate Republicans said we want to hear from witnesses and see documents.鈥�
In the course of the discussion, Casey repeatedly came back to the idea that witnesses should be heard in the trial, and documents should be brought into evidence. 鈥淚 want the Republicans to be continually challenged by the evidence, and I think they have been. Let the evidence do the talking.鈥�
The senator also acknowledged that many of his constituents are paying little or no attention to the trial, despite its historic nature. Trump is only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached and then tried in the Senate.
鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 have a job that allows them to sit in front of a TV and watch a trial for three or four hours at a time, or even two hours at a time or even one hour,鈥� Casey said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 begrudge anyone doing their job and trying to catch up later.鈥�