米奇·麦康奈尔抨击民主党人对唐纳德·特朗普总统的弹劾审判，称之为“政治演习”
共和党参议院多数党领袖质疑《福克斯和朋友们》周一，如果弹劾条款被提交给众议院，反对派参议员，如2020年初选领先者伊丽莎白·沃伦和伯尼·桑德斯，在总统审判期间是否公正。
他还将弹劾描述为“政治活动”，并表示民主党拒绝向参议院提交弹劾条款是“荒谬的”。
麦康奈尔发表上述评论之前，众议院议长南希·佩洛西表示，民主党人正在等待“看到参议院提出的程序”，同时不承诺将批准的弹劾条款送交众议院。
2017年9月5日，在华盛顿特区白宫罗斯福厅，唐纳德·特朗普总统与参议院多数党领袖米奇·麦康奈尔一起发表讲话
和...说话《福克斯和朋友们》今天，肯塔基州共和党人说:“[·佩洛西]显然是想告诉我们如何进行审判。我不急于进行这次审判，所以如果她想保住文件，那就请便。”
他后来说，他向参议院少数党领袖查克·舒默“鼓吹”的过程“与20年前我们处理克林顿弹劾案的方式完全一样，他投了赞成票。”
麦康奈尔还表示，决定在克林顿弹劾案中传唤哪些证人是一项“相当有党派色彩的工作”，并补充道:“但我们没有让党派因素阻止我们开始。”
参议院多数党领袖随后形容众议院议长南希·佩洛西拒绝众议院上周批准的弹劾条款的决定是“荒谬的”
舒默指责麦康奈尔说自己不是公正的陪审员，对此，共和党人表示:“在公正问题上:你认为查克·舒默是公正的吗？你认为伊丽莎白·沃伦公正吗？伯尼·桑德斯是公正的？所以让我们停止猜字谜。这是一项政治活动。”
新闻周刊已经联系了佩洛西议长和参议院少数党领袖舒默的办公室进行评论，但在发表之前没有收到回复。
自12月18日众议院弹劾投票以来，民主党参议员多次抨击麦康奈尔和其他共和党同事，马里兰州参议员克里斯·范·霍伦称共和党人是”极度害怕“出庭作证的事实证人。
俄亥俄州参议员谢罗德·布朗上周还声称，越来越多的人认为麦康奈尔应该回避参议院对总统的任何审判，并指责共和党人“不尊重该机构”
麦康奈尔本人告诉记者，他“不是一名公正的陪审员”，并说有”没有司法“关于弹劾程序。
他说:“众议院做出了弹劾的党派政治决定。我预计参议院将会有一个很大程度上党派性的结果。我对此一点也不公正。”
MITCH MCCONNELL URGES DEMOCRATS TO 'QUIT THE CHARADE' OVER IMPEACHMENT IMPARTIALITY FEARS
Mitch McConnell has lashed out at Democrats over the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, calling it a "political exercise."
The GOP Senate Majority Leader questioned on Fox & Friends Monday whether opposition senators such as 2020 primary frontrunners Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders would be impartial during a trial of the president, should articles of impeachment be passed onto the chamber.
He also described impeachment as a "political exercise" and said it was "absurd" for Democrats to withhold articles of impeachment from the Senate.
McConnell's comments came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats were waiting to "see the process that is set forth in the Senate" while not committing to sending the approved articles of impeachment to the chamber.
President Donald Trump speaks alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., September 5, 2017.
Speaking to Fox & Friends today, the Kentucky Republican said: "[Pelosi's] apparently trying to tell us how to run the trial. I'm not anxious to have this trial, so if she wants to hold onto the papers, go right ahead."
He later said the process he was "advocating" to Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer was "exactly the same way we handled the Clinton impeachment 20 years ago, which he voted for."
McConnell also said the decision about which witnesses to call forth in the Clinton impeachment trial was a "pretty partisan exercise," adding: "But we didn't let the partisan part of it keep us from getting started."
The Senate Majority Leader then described House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to withhold articles of impeachment approved by the House last week as "absurd."
Responding to criticism from Schumer, who took aim at McConnell for saying he was not an impartial juror, the Republican said: "On the impartiality issue: Do you think Chuck Schumer is impartial? Do you think Elizabeth Warren is impartial? Bernie Sanders is impartial? So let's quit the charade. This is a political exercise."
Newsweek has contacted the offices of Speaker Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Schumer for comment but did not receive a response by time of publication.
Democratic senators have hit out at McConnell and other Republican colleagues numerous times since the House impeachment vote on December 18, with Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen saying that Republicans were "deathly afraid" of fact witnesses appearing before the chamber.
Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio also claimed last week that there was "increasing talk" that McConnell should recuse himself from any Senate trial of the president, and accused the Republican of having no "respect for the institution."
McConnell himself told reporters he was "not an impartial juror" and said there was "nothing judicial" about the impeachment process.
He said: "The House made a partisan political decision to impeach. I would anticipate we will have a largely partisan outcome in the Senate. I'm not impartial about this at all."
