Senator John Thune, who serves as the Senate GOP whip and is a deputy of Mitch McConnell, decried punishing Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump as a form of “cancel culture.”
Thune (R-SD), in an interview with the Associated Press, defended colleagues such as Liz Cheney (R-WY) and Ben Sasse (R-NE) who have been censured by county Republican parties for joining Democrats and voting to impeach or convict the former president.
“There was a strong case made,” he said referencing the presentation made by House impeachment managers, apparently unaware of charges they used doctored evidence.
“People could come to different conclusions,” added Thune. “If we’re going to criticize the media and the left for cancel culture, we can’t be doing that ourselves.”
Thune and McConnell both voted to acquit Trump.
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — U.S. Sen. John Thune is criticizing Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in “cancel culture” by rushing to censure GOP senators who found former President Donald Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection. https://t.co/ypuINjXW28
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) February 19, 2021
RELATED: Sen. Ben Sasse Joins List Of Anti-Trump Republicans Censured By Their Own Party
John Thune Thinks Censure Is The Same As Cancel Culture
As The Political Insider’s Becky Noble reported earlier this week, “nearly every Republican Senator who voted to convict” Trump “has either been censured by their Republican voters or faces censure in the near future.”
Thune went on to express his preference for those candidates who opposed Trump.
“At the grassroots level, there’s a lot of people who want to see Trump-like candidates,” he said. “But I think we’re going to be looking for candidates that are electable.”
That’s an odd thing to say considering one recent poll shows a vast majority of Republican voters want to see Trump play a big role in the future of the party and another shows Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA) more exemplifies the party than Cheney.
Sen. Thune is criticizing Republican activists and party leaders for engaging in “cancel culture” by rushing to censure GOP senators who found fmr. President Trump guilty of inciting an insurrection. https://t.co/oeOvB2cP8z
— NBC News (@NBCNews) February 19, 2021
Speaking of Greene – Why did Thune support ‘cancel culture’ when it came to her?
In response to the House GOP choosing not to punish Greene for her controversial comments, Thune said, “I think we’ve got to be a party of ideas and policies and principles and get away from members dabbling in conspiracy theories.”
Doesn’t that seem to indicate he wanted Greene censured or stripped of her committee assignments – canceled – as Democrats eventually did?
John Thune, No. 2 Senate Republican, to me on House GOP not punishing Marjorie Taylor Greene: “I think we’ve got to be a party of ideas and policies and principles and get away from members dabbling in conspiracy theories.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 4, 2021
Trump Hammers Mitch McConnell
Thune’s comments are the first made by a high-profile Republican after Trump ravaged Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell as “a dour, sullen and unsmiling political hack.”
“The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm,” Trump said in a statement.
BREAKING: President Trump Releases Statement Slamming Mitch McConnell
Vows to back America First primary candidates pic.twitter.com/sBNsio5Xwz
— Jack Posobiec
(@JackPosobiec) February 16, 2021
Thune’s response is incredibly hypocritical, considering he indicated just last week that he was open to censuring Trump should the impeachment conviction fail.
“I know there are a couple of resolutions out there … I’ve seen a couple of resolutions at least that I think could attract some support,” he said.
It’s okay to cancel Trump but not Liz Cheney? What a rube.
Engaging in a civil war with the former President is not going to end well for establishment Republicans. They’re practically canceling themselves right before our eyes.
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