Following First Week Of Hearings, Senator Toomey Not Convinced President Donald Trump Should Be Removed From Office
WASHINGTON D.C. (KDKA) -- Following the second impeachment hearing of the week, U.S. Senator Pat Toomey said he is not convinced President Donald Trump should be removed from office.
The second hearing wrapped up Friday afternoon with just one witness testifying.
And it came on the day that Toomey said he expected a trial in the Senate.
Former U.S. Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch testified she was smeared by President Trump's attorney Rudy Giuliani, leading to her removal as ambassador by President Trump.
"I was shocked and devastated," Yovanovitch said.
When she heard that President Trump told Ukraine's president that she was "bad news" and would "go through some things" she responded by saying, "It didn't sound good, sounded like a threat."
The President tweeted during the Ambassador's testimony that "everywhere she went turned bad."
The career diplomat appointed by both Republican and Democratic presidents responded.
"Where I've served over the years, I and others have demonstrably made things better," Yovanovitch said.
In Pittsburgh, Toomey — Pennsylvania's Republican who has criticized the President for errors in judgment — repeated he's not convinced Trump should be removed from office.
"There's things I've disagreed with this President on. I've yet to see anything that rises to the level that warrants impeachment," said Toomey.
But as a juror in a likely trial in the Senate, Toomey says he'll keep an open mind.
"I intend to sit through a trial if the House pursues that. And at that point, I will examine all the evidence they present," Toomey said. "I am not following every transcript that was leaked and every story that's been told. I'll wait to see what if anything the House produces. I think it's likely the House will produce articles of impeachment and then I think we need to conduct a trial and come to the conclusion we come to at that point."
Eight more witnesses are expected to testify next week before the House Intelligence Committee.