Gaetz: We didn’t impeach Obama even though ‘a lot of constituents’ think he abused his power

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on Wednesday accused House Democrats of failing to abide by their own standards for impeachment, invoking Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) statements before the inquiry was launched that impeachment must be bipartisan.

Gaetz, a vocal ally of President Trump, read passages from an interview with Anton Yermak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he denied being pressured by U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland.

“To accept the Democrats’ theory of the case, you’ve got to believe the Ukrainians are lying to us,” Gaetz said during a hearing to mark up articles of impeachment against Trump.

“That they’re so weak and they’re so dependent on the United States that we can’t believe a word they say. Well, again, where were you during the Obama administration when this weak ally didn’t get Javelins [missiles] that were then withheld?”

Gaetz went on to call the abuse of power article of impeachment against Trump a “total joke,” saying it was only written because no specific crimes could be proven.

“I’ve got a lot of constituents who think Barack Obama abused his power, but you know what? We didn’t do this to the country,” added Gaetz, who entered office in early 2017, shortly before Obama finished his term.

“We didn’t put him through this nonsense in this impeachment. You all set the standard. We didn’t set it. You said this would have to be bipartisan, compelling and overwhelming. It ain’t that, and this looks pretty bad,” he said.