Why Democrat Josh Harder attended White House Christmas party during impeachment
California Rep. Josh Harder was one of six Democrats who went to the White House Christmas party Thursday night, just as their fellow House Democrats were taking a huge step to advance impeachment of President Donald Trump.
The White House throws an annual Christmas party, and Trump this year invited all members of Congress, including all Democrats.
Six Democrats showed up, including Californians Harder of Turlock and Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, according to reporting by Axios.
In a statement to McClatchy, Harder spokesman Ian Lee said Harder believes “the White House belongs to the American people — not any specific president.”
“He went to celebrate Christmas with other public officials as he would have regardless of who’s running the show over there,” Lee said. “Washington melodrama aside, Josh has always said he’ll work with the president if he’s helping the Valley with good trade deals — and hold him accountable if he’s violating the Constitution, harming our veterans, or standing in the way of help for our Dreamers.”
All six Democrats have supported impeachment. Harder plans to vote to impeach Trump, according to Lee, and Harder first said he supported “impeachment proceedings” in September.
“Anyone willing to sacrifice the national security interests of the United States for their own benefit is unfit to be president,” Harder said in a statement at the time.
He has also sent fundraising emails about supporting impeachment and being attacked over it by Republicans and dark money groups.
Costa said impeachment evidence “grows more alarming by the day. We cannot turn a blind eye to abuse of power,” in a statement in late October.
The House Judiciary Committee was debating the two articles of impeachment against Trump late into Thursday night, eventually adjourning to formally vote the articles through to the full House floor Friday morning. The House is expected to vote on the articles of impeachment next week, which are widely expected to pass on a mostly party-line vote before being sent to the Senate.
None of the Democrats who went to the White House Christmas party are on the Judiciary Committee.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy, but a senior White House official reportedly told Axios, “It’s kind of odd to be voting to say the guy is a clear and present danger to the globe but I’m going to come and hang out at the White House for a black tie affair.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 5:25 PM with the headline "Why Democrat Josh Harder attended White House Christmas party during impeachment."
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