Political pundit John Harwood, former CNN White House Correspondent (February 2021-September 2022), is known for criticizing conservative Republicans and the 2024 GOP presumptive presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump.
In February 2020, Harwood described President Trump’s address to the nation after he was acquitted by the U.S. Senate on the two impeachment articles as “dark” and Trump as being in “deep psychological distress.” Harwood added: “He doesn’t recognize abstract concepts like right and wrong, like morality or immorality, like true or false. He recognized what’s good for him in the moment.”
outstanding look back at how one Republican senator with a reputation for seriousness and rectitude – Rob Portman of Ohio – cowered in fear when he had a chance to quash Donald Trump's threat to our democracy
— John Harwood (@JohnJHarwood) April 3, 2024
(so did Mitch McConnell,
among many others) https://t.co/Q0TKQ10LL9
Today, Harwood is amplifying the Jeffrey Goldberg The Atlantic article, ‘A Study in Senate Cowardice,’ which he describes as an “outstanding look back at how one Republican senator with a reputation for seriousness and rectitude – Rob Portman of Ohio – cowered in fear when he had a chance to quash Donald Trump’s threat to our democracy (so did Mitch McConnell, among many others).”
During Trump’s first impeachment proceedings in the Trump–Ukraine scandal, Portman said it was “wrong and inappropriate” for Trump to ask a foreign government to investigate a political rival (Joe Biden), but he didn’t consider it to be an impeachable offense. In the event, Portman voted to acquit Trump on charges of “abuse of power” and “obstruction of Congress.”
When Trump was impeached a second time, for incitement of insurrection, Portman — who had previously stated that Trump “bears some responsibility” for the Capitol insurrection — again voted to acquit Trump.
In May 2021, along with five other Republicans and all present Democrats, Portman (who did not support Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results), voted to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 United States Capitol attack. The other five Republican Senators who broke from the party to vote for the bill were Bill Cassidy (LA), Susan Collins (ME), Lisa Murkowski (AL), Mitt Romney (UT), and Ben Sasse (NE).
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