Klobuchar lauds Romney’s ‘courage’ while slamming Buttigieg impeachment remark

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) commended Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for voting to convict President Trump before turning to slam Democratic presidential rival Pete Buttigieg for saying the impeachment trial was exhausting to watch.

“We had a moment these past few weeks, mayor, and that moment was these impeachment hearings,” Klobuchar began at the Democratic presidential debate on Friday night hosted by ABC News.

“There was a lot of courage that you saw from only a few people. There was courage from Doug Jones, our friend of Alabama who took that tough vote. There was courage from Mitt Romney, who took a very, very difficult vote,” she said to applause. 

“But what you said, Pete, when you were campaigning through Iowa as three of us were jurors in that impeachment hearing, you said that it was exhausting to watch and that you wanted to turn the channel and watch cartoons,” she said. “It is easy to go after Washington because that’s a popular thing to do.” 

“It is much harder to lead and much harder take those difficult positions because I think this going after every single thing that people do because it’s popular to say, it makes you look like a cool newcomer. I just don’t think that’s what people want right now,” she added.

Amy Klobuchar praises Mitt Romney’s “courage” for impeachment vote, then turns to Pete Buttigieg: “You said it was exhausting to watch and that you wanted to turn the channel and watch cartoons.” https://t.co/Rhy9aOaDTU #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/Tr7lk4Cyay

— ABC News (@ABC) February 8, 2020

Klobuchar was referring to comments made by Buttigieg last month when the former South Bend, Ind., mayor remarked about the hearings that Klobuchar and fellow Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) attended.

“If you are watching the news right now, if you’re watching what I’m watching right now, and feeling exhausted — I know I am. I live and breathe politics, and I feel exhausted,” Buttigieg said last month. 

The impeachment saga ended on Capitol Hill on Wednesday after the Republican majority in the Senate voted to acquit President Trump. However, Romney broke with his party and garnered praise from Democrats by voting to convict Trump on the first impeachment article, abuse of power.