House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has used the impeachment process to settle political scores, utilizing his powers as a partisan leader to criticize Democrats and rally up his base. McCarthy has repeatedly attacked Democrats for their role in the impeachment process, accusing them of denying due process to President Trump in the House investigation and calling it a “partisan witch hunt” and “coup d’état.” McCarthy has taken his criticism a step further, attacking the manner in which Democrats are conducting the trial in the Senate—which began this week—claiming that it is unfair and partisan. McCarthy has also used the impeachment process as a political fundraising tool, sending out emails to his supporters asking them to “help fight this coup attempt” by donating to his campaign. This line of attack, while popular among some segments of his base, has been criticized by Democrats and other political observers as partisan obstructionism and an effort to distract and deflect from the facts of the case.
