Topline
The North Carolina Republican Party on Monday censured Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) for voting to convict former President Donald Trump for inciting the Capitol attack, making the senator the latest member of a growing club of GOP politicians rebuked by their own party for breaking with the ex-president.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 03: Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC) attends the confirmation hearing for ... [+]
Key Facts
A censure motion passed “unanimously” during a meeting of the North Carolina GOP’s central committee, the party said in a press release, which noted that Burr had initially voted along with most GOP senators that the trial was unconstitutional.
The state party slammed Burr for supporting a “Democrat-led attempt to impeach a former President” which it claimed “lies outside the United States Constitution,” while also calling for Democrats to “set aside their divisive partisan agenda.”
Burr said in a statement following his impeachment vote that the constitutionality of the trial became “established precedent” when it passed by a majority vote and that “the evidence is compelling that President Trump is guilty of inciting an insurrection."
In a statement on Monday following the censure vote, Burr said it is a “truly sad day for North Carolina Republicans,” accusing the party of choosing “loyalty to one man over the core principles of the Republican Party and the founders of our great nation.”
The censure does not appear to include any concrete punitive measures, but it is nonetheless a stinging rebuke of Burr, who has represented the state in the Senate since 2005, but has announced his plans to retire in 2022.
Burr is the second GOP senator to be rebuked by their state party for voting to convict Trump on Saturday: Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) was censured by the Louisiana GOP the very same night of the impeachment vote.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) may face censure from her state party as well, as might Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who was already condemned by his state party chair – Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is up for reelection in just two years, may face her reckoning at the ballot box.
Key Background
Republicans who have broken with Trump have faced wrath from their party. House Republican conference chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Rep. Tom Rice (R-S.C.) were both censured by their state parties for voting to impeach Trump, while the Arizona GOP censured Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for refusing to help Trump overturn the election and former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Cindy McCain for endorsing President Joe Biden over Trump.
Surprising Fact
The Utah GOP took a sharply different approach than other state Republican parties to Sen. Mitt Romney’s (R-Utah) vote to convict Trump. In a statement on Monday, it expressed support for both Romney and Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who voted to acquit Trump, arguing the divergent votes “showcase a diversity of thought” within the party.
What To Watch For
Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), who is running to replace Burr, has positioned himself as a staunch Trump ally, tweeting that Burr made the “wrong vote” and vowing to be a “conservative champion.”
