Presidential candidate US Rep. Tulsi Gabbard votes ‘present’ on impeachment articles
U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii was the only presidential candidate eligible to vote on the impeachment of President Donald Trump on Wednesday night – and she was the only member of the House to vote neither “yes” nor “no.”
Gabbard voted “present” and later said in a statement: “After doing my due diligence in reviewing the 658-page impeachment report, I came to the conclusion that I could not in good conscience vote either yes or no.
“I am standing in the center and have decided to vote Present,” Gabbard said. “I could not in good conscience vote against impeachment because I believe President Trump is guilty of wrongdoing.
“I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country.”