What your leaders think about hearings

By LIZ HARDAWAY

STAFF WRITER

Our elected leaders, who are Republican, largely believe the hearings to be a waste of time.

They told the Sun Friday they have confidence President Donald Trump will win re-election next November.

Here’s more on what they had to say:

SEE LEADERS, 8A

“The impeachment process is a three-ring circus, where the Democrats’ entire legislative agenda is now impeaching the president over innuendo and rumors, instead of solving real problems for American families — like lowering the cost of prescription drugs, securing the border, and protecting American national security.”

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL)

“I always prefer to let voters decide. I mean, if you talk about elitist, I think the most elitist thing you can possibly do is get 500 — get 100 senators, 400-something members of the House — to sort of substitute their wisdom for that of the voters and say ‘we’re going to decide to overturn the results of an election nine months, or ten months, from a re-election’ ... I don’t think it’s the best way to run foreign policy, what’s been described, but that’s different from saying and therefore someone should be removed from office ... You can’t impeach someone because they make decisions you don’t agree with.”

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

FROM PAGE 8A “Holding impeachment hearings less than a year before the next general election is ill-advised, at best. Democrats are overplaying their hand. It is my prediction that they will suffer the consequences at the ballot box next November ... Donald Trump is not capable of committing the treasonous ‘high crimes’ Democrats in Congress are accusing him of committing.”

U.S. Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL)

“President Trump continues to set and push policies that are creating economic success here at home and peace abroad. It is unfortunate that the Swamp and the Washington DC elitist want to try to take the President down in anyway possible as they know they cannot beat him at the ballot box. “Congressman Al Green said, if we don’t impeach him he will win again. Attacking President Trump has been the goal of the Democrats since they took back the House in 2018. The end goal has always been impeachment, and it was just fill in the reason why after the fact.

“Americans see through this coup attempt and the President will be re-elected in 2020.”

State Sen. Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota)

“I support President Trump fervently! These impeachment hearings are an affront to important work the US Congress should be doing instead of playing political games against a President that has served this country well and will continue to do so. This all reminds me of the smoke and mirrors game most career D.C. politicians play to attempt to influence elections and gain power. I believe the people of Florida and our great country will see through the smoke and see to it that our President is reelected in 2020.”

State Sen. Ben Albritton (R-Bartow)

“Without some bombshell we haven’t seen yet, to overturn an election I think you need definitive evidence of a crime. It should be clear and convincing. I don’t know that we have that which is why even though the president may get impeached, I doubt he’ll be convicted in the Senate. And if the economy is good in the fall (he) could very well win re-election.”

Former U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney (R-17)

“The American people can see one-sided testimony, subpoenas, and leaks and can smell it for what it is. Couple that with bureaucrats who think they are policy makers, a whistleblower who isn’t actually a whistleblower, and a complicit news media, and you get what we saw already. Congressional Democrats have no crime, no treason, and no shame.”

State Rep. Michael Grant (R-Port Charlotte)