Sen. Joni Ernst has proven to be one of President Trump’s leading defenders among the members of the Senate sitting as jury in Trump’s impeachment trial. As the trial has progressed since Tuesday, certain Republican senators have taken on roles as spokespeople, with each focusing on one pro-Trump talking point or set of talking points.
For example, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican, has been repeating baseless attacks on the honesty and character of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the Purple Heart soldier and director of European affairs for the National Security Council, who testified during the House impeachment hearings.
Ernst, on the other hand, is attacking some of the House impeachment managers and Democrats, claiming they don’t really care about foreign aid to Ukraine. That’s not an issue in the impeachment trial, but many of Trump’s defenders are raising ancillary, and even unrelated, issues as a way of distracting from the reasons Trump was impeached.
Speaking live during NPR’s coverage of the Senate trial on Thursday, NPR reporter Kelsey Snow described watching Ernst during the trial’s dinner break, as she moved from one network TV crew to another repeating the same talking point.
Unsurprisingly, Fox News dedicated an entire story to Ernst’s claims.
What I find very interesting now is that the House Managers are very, very centered on the fact that Russia was invading Ukraine. And military funding to Ukraine,” [Ernst] said during a break from President Trump’s impeachment trial earlier Thursday, reminding reporters that Crimea was invaded in 2014 during the Obama administration.
Ernst told reporters the Obama administration reacted to the invasion by “sending blankets.”
Later on Thursday night, Ernst also tweeted her talking point.
The Democratic House Managers’ hypocrisy is on full display: they’ve spent most of their time lecturing the Senate on aid to Ukraine, yet four of them voted AGAINST legislation that provided the very same aid they’re lecturing us on.
— Joni Ernst (@SenJoniErnst) January 24, 2020
She also retweeting a video from the Senate Republican caucus’ official twitter account of her repeating the point.
.@SenJoniErnst:
— Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) January 24, 2020
How did the Obama Administration react to the invasion of Ukraine?
They reacted by sending blankets.
Blankets don't throw lead downrange.@realdonaldtrump provided lethal aid to the Ukrainian people—actually allowed them an opportunity to defend themselves. pic.twitter.com/rXPy5976We
It’s worth noting that both the tweet and retweet were posted to Ernst’s official Senate Twitter account, not the account of her 2020 reelection campaign.
Speaking to Iowa reporters during a conference call last week, Ernst dismissed as unimportant a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office that concluded President Trump broke a federal law when he ordered aid to Ukraine withheld to pressure that country’s government.
“One thing to remember, folks, is that the president did actually provide aid to Ukraine,” Ernst told the reporters. “So, the point is moot, I believe.”
The aid to Ukraine was released after the White House learned a whistleblower had filed a complaint alleging the reason the aid was being withheld was to pressure Ukraine into taking an action that would serve no purpose other than to help Trump in his reelection campaign.
Asked if the report meant the Senate should call witnesses who can speak about the president’s actions, Ernst said, “So, again, I think the point is moot. So, no I don’t believe that we need to hear from additional witnesses based on that information because he got the aid to Ukraine, and in a way that was specified by Congress. So he did actually follow through on congressional intent. So that in itself, I don’t believe is a qualifier for additional witnesses.”
On Tuesday, Ernst voted against allowing the Senate to call witness or subpoena documents during the trial.
Guess who I am not voting for again here in Iowa. Do your job and quit supporting a dishonest President. You work for the people of Iowa not the crook in office. The Witnesses should be heard and all information released to the public. Even the information the President kept from being released and the people he kept from speaking need to be heard. Enjoy your last few months in office I don’t think you will see a second term.
Is Joni attempting to sway stupid people or is she just stupid.
The dots don’t connect, Joni. Seriously, your repetitions make no sense, but if you can’t see that, perhaps you should ponder what the harm would be in bringing forth witnesses to support your President.
In other news; water wet, sand dry, film at 11.