Senator Bill Cassidy is facing criticism after he voted in favor of the Senate being constitutionally allowed to hear the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump.
Cassidy was one of six Republicans who supported moving forward with the trial.
Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Cassidy said the reaction to his vote has been "very mixed, some folks incredibly positive, some folks very negative."
"Those who are negative, I replied that this is a constitutional question. And clearly, it had been established that it is constitutional and the Constitution, obviously becomes...it is constitution and country over party," Cassidy continued. "For some, they get it, and for others, they're not quite so sure. But that's to be expected. This does not predict my vote or anything else. It does predict that I will listen to these arguments as I did to the arguments yesterday, and with an open mind."
The vote Tuesday on the question of whether the Senate has jurisdiction and could proceed with the impeachment trial was 56-44.
The second day of the impeachment trial is underway in Washington, where prosecutors are arguing that Trump was no "innocent bystander" but the "inciter in chief" of last month's deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol. Find the latest updates here.
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