‘Two wrongs do not make a right’: Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-New Mexico) on Impeaching Donald Trump
Posted: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
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Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-New Mexico), a new member of Congress, addresses the U.S. House of Representatives for the third time on January 13, 2021.

And for the third time, the subject of Herrell's remarks was not legislation, government policy or issues of interest in New Mexico's 2nd congressional district. Instead, the citizen of the Cherokee Nation once again talked about keeping fellow Republican Donald Trump in office even though he lost the presidential election in November and incited his supporters into violence at the U.S. Capitol last week.

"Political violence has no place in our constitutional republic and those who assaulted police officers and forced their way into the Capitol are responsible for their criminal actions," Herrell said of the Trump supporters whose actions contributed to the deaths of five people on January 6.

Herrell, however, did not mention Trump by name of discuss his role in stoking the mob in the nation's capital. According to her analysis, it was Democrats who deserved scrutiny because they had impeached the president once and were about to do so a second time.

"Two wrongs do not make a right," Herrell said of the repeated efforts to hold Trump accountable.

Since taking office on January 3, every significant vote Herrell has cast has been in aid of keeping Trump in office. She was among 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.

Her first floor speech on January 7 and her second on January 12 were made in support of Trump as well.

Despite Herrell's views, the House voted 232 to 197 on January 13 to impeach Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. Ten Republicans joined every Democrat in approving H.Res.24.

But while some Republicans changed their minds about Trump following the Capitol riot, the overwhelming majority did not. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, and Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, also voted against impeaching Trump.

Herrell, who was elected in November 2020, is the third Native woman to serve in Congress. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-New Mexico), who hails from the Pueblo of Laguna, and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas), a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, returned to the House this month after winning second terms in office.

Both Haaland and Davids voted to impeach Trump, both times.