Senator Todd Young 1-5-18U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.) today issued the following statement regarding the impeachment trial and his vote to acquit former President Donald J. Trump:

“I remain troubled and saddened by the events leading up to and on the day of the Capitol riots. However, it is improper under the present circumstances for the former president of the United States to be subject to an impeachment trial.

“Simply put, the U.S. House of Representatives conducted a rushed and incomplete process for this snap impeachment. In its haste to impeach the former president, the House declined to engage in any fact-finding, investigation, hearing, or testimony before adopting the article of impeachment. Therefore, the former president and his counsel were denied the opportunity to review and test the integrity of the evidence offered against him.

“As I warned after the last impeachment, the House majority’s rigged process is creating a dangerous new precedent to weaponize impeachment, a precedent that is increasingly likely to lead to serial impeachments in a polarized America.

“Our nation is facing a crisis. It’s time to put this improper impeachment trial behind us and focus on the issues that matter most to the country — bipartisan efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and restore the health of our economy.”