East Bay Republicans turn skeptical eye to impeachment hearings, vote
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- Bay Area Republicans are taking a more skeptical look at today's hearing and impeachment vote.
The head of the Contra Costa Republican party tells ABC7 News that whatever the President is accused of, doesn't rise to the level of impeachment.
RELATED: Trump impeached by House for abuse of power, obstruction of Congress
No surprise that the impeachment hearing was on the television in the Walnut Creek office of County GOP chairman Matt Shupe, or that he was watching it on the Fox News Channel.
His view of the impeachment proceedings tracks what Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and national party officials have been saying.
"They haven't come up with substantive, smoking gun, high crimes and misdemeanors that they should impeach," Shupe said.
RELATED: What's next for President Trump, Congress, US?
Another example of how Democrats and Republicans can look at the same act, and see something completely different.
Democrats on two different house committees allege that President Trump solicited political help from Ukraine, and withheld U.S. military aid and a meeting with that country's president until he got it.
Republicans say what Trump did was permitted, but may not have been elegantly expressed.
"I think people like that he's authentic and speaks in a way they understand," Shupe said. "He's different than a lot of these career politicians and that's what makes him good."
Contra Costa County switched from red to blue over the last two decades. That means from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on down, democrats dominate the Bay Area's congressional delegation and they in all likelihood will join the majority in voting to impeach.
RELATED: No Republicans vote to impeach Trump; Tulsi Gabbard votes 'present'
Shupe, like most Republicans, believes it will die there, "I don't think the Senate will convict and remove," he said.
Shupe as well as members of both parties say impeachment is such a monumental step that it needs to be bipartisan. But, expecting that in this hyper-partisan age, is like the Bay Area expecting a white Christmas.
