Page 34 - AHATA

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 27 September 2019

Located in the Riu Antilles Resort (Formerly the Westin Resort)
A first: Vermont GOP governor backs Trump impeachment probe

By WILSON RING Senate to delay a confir-
Associated Press mation vote on then-Su-
ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (AP) preme Court nominee Brett
— Vermont's governor be- Kavanaugh to allow time
came the first Republican for an investigation into
chief executive to support sexual misconduct allega-
an impeachment inquiry tions. Scott has also op-
against President Donald posed plans by the Trump
Trump but cautioned that administration to scale
he wants to know more be- back climate change
fore any further actions are emissions, worked against
taken. a now-resolved trade dis-
Gov. Phil Scott said at a pute with Canada and has
news conference Thursday criticized Trump's immigra-
that he wasn't surprised by tion policy. Other moder-
the news that Trump re- ate Republican governors
peatedly urged Ukraine's have yet to weigh in on an
president to "look into" impeachment inquiry.
Democratic presidential Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine
candidate Joe Biden be- was a U.S. senator during
cause he's "watched him impeachment proceed-
over the years." ings against former Demo-
He wants Congress to see cratic President Bill Clinton
the complete whistleblow- Vermont Gov. Phil Scott speaks at a news conference on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2019, in Essex in 1999 and he presided
er allegations. Junction, Vt., where he said he supported an impeachment inquiry into the actions of President over the deposition of
"I think the inquiry is im- Donald Trump. Monica Lewinsky. When
Associated Press asked by reporters what
portant, yes, and where it his stance on an impeach-
leads from here is going to ment inquiry is, he said he
be driven by the facts that withheld judgment then,
are established," Scott said. and he's withholding judg-
Scott's remarks are one of ment now.
the few signs of Republican "We have to wait until all
discomfort with the rev- the evidence is in," said
elations. Most Republicans DeWine, who is among
elected officials have de- statewide officials now co-
fended Trump, casting the chairing Trump's re-election
controversy as ginned-up campaign.
by Democrats — although He ultimately voted guilty
the initial concerns were on both charges against
raised by an anonymous Clinton. Massachusetts
whistleblower — or describ- Gov. Charlie Baker and
ing it as much ado about Maryland Gov. Larry Ho-
nothing. Scott, a popular gan, both moderate GOP
moderate Republican in governors, have yet to
his second term in a deeply comment. Several gover-
blue state, has broken from nors have appeared mind-
his party before. He has ful of the unpredictable
been a frequent Trump crit- politics of impeachment
ic and repeatedly called as they weighed in from a
for an end to the divisive- distance this week. Demo-
ness in American politics. crats in swing states issued
In July, Scott he said felt cautious endorsements of
Trump's comments about the Democrats' decision to
four Democratic congress- launch the investigation.
women of color were rac- Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz,
ist and not befitting for a a former congressman in a
world leader. state Trump is trying to win,
A year ago, Scott was one said he's worried about
of a handful of GOP gov- the wisdom of Democrats'
ernors who urged the U.S. move.q