Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN-07) said he doesn’t support the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump, but voted twice to table a resolution “disapproving” of the inquiry.
As a result, protesters gathered outside of his Detroit Lakes office Friday afternoon in Minnesota’s Seventh Congressional District, a district President Trump won by 31 points in the 2016 election. It is, according to Rasmussen, the “most Republican seat held by any Democrat.”
When House Speaker Nancy Pelosi first announced the impeachment inquiry, Peterson told the media that the Democrats were “fooling themselves.”
“Without significant bipartisan support, impeachment proceedings will be a lengthy and divisive action with no resolution,” he said. “I believe it will be a failed process that will end up even further dividing our country and weakening our ability to act together on issues like passing the USMCA, containing foreign threats and growing our economy.”
So his pro-Trump constituents were surprised to learn that Peterson voted twice in favor of tabling a resolution introduced by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-23) to “disapprove” of the efforts to “initiate an impeachment inquiry.”
Peterson joined the majority on Wednesday September 25 in voting to table the resolution, and did so again on Friday September 27.
“It’s less a specific policy than it is the fact that he tries to have it two ways. We hear one thing out here in Minnesota, and when he goes back home to Washington, he does something different,” said one protester gathered outside of Peterson’s office Friday for a “Stop the Madness” rally.
“He doesn’t show up here today. He rarely shows up to the district, and when he does, he rarely answers the questions that people have,” the protester told KVRR.
Peterson’s office was closed Friday and the congressman was nowhere to be found, leaving the protesters to ask, “where’s Collin?”
Looks like @collinpeterson shut down his office when he found out #MN07 voters were coming over to talk about his not-so-secret support for the Dems latest witch hunt! So we have to ask… #WheresCollin? 🤷🏽♀️ pic.twitter.com/aeQNIXXTay
— Preya Samsundar (@psamsundar) October 4, 2019
Former Republican Lt. Gov. Michelle Fischbach, who recently announced her candidacy for Peterson’s seat, was in attendance at Friday’s protest.
“Great day to join with fellow citizens in demanding that Democrats end the baseless impeachment inquiry of President Trump now,” Fischbach wrote on Twitter.
Great day to join with fellow citizens in demanding that Democrats end the baseless impeachment inquiry of President Trump now! #MN07 pic.twitter.com/clru2MKb1P
— Michelle Fischbach (@FischbachMN7) October 4, 2019
“We support President Donald Trump and it’s time for Trump-hating Dems in the House to stop the madness,” she added. “Collin Peterson should tell his friend Speaker Pelosi to end the baseless impeachment inquiry now.”
We just wrapped up at the “Stop the Madness“ rally in Detroit Lakes. We support President @realDonaldTrump and it’s time for Trump-hating Dems in the House to #StopTheMadness
Collin Peterson should tell his friend Speaker Pelosi to end the baseless impeachment inquiry now! #MN07 pic.twitter.com/bJ5U6F7Few
— Michelle Fischbach (@FischbachMN7) October 4, 2019
Carly Atchison, a spokesperson for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said she looks “forward to Collin Peterson explaining why he supports removing President Trump from office in a district Trump won by 30 points.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Collin Peterson Protesters” by Michelle Fischbach.
