Judiciary Republican asks impeachment witnesses if they voted for Trump

House Judiciary Committee member Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) asked the witnesses during an impeachment inquiry hearing Wednesday whether they voted for President Trump, a line of questioning that at least one of the constitutional law experts objected to publicly. 

“With a show of hands, how many on the panel actually voted for Donald Trump in 2016?” McClintock asked. 

“I don’t think we’re obligated to say anything about how we cast our ballots,” Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan replied. 

“I think you’ve made your positions, Professor Karlan, very, very clear,” McClintock said. 

“I have a right to cast a secret ballot,” Karlan retorted. 

Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) then said that McClintock could ask the question but that the witnesses did not have to answer it. 

The California Republican then asked for a show of hands of how many of the witnesses “supported” Trump in 2016. 

“Not raising our hands is not an indication of an answer, sir,” said Harvard Law School professor Noah Feldman. 

Republican member of Congress asks congressional witnesses to raise their hands if they voted for Donald Trump pic.twitter.com/tI1bHdvwNJ

— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) December 4, 2019 

Four constitutional law scholars testified before the Judiciary Committee as part of the House’s impeachment inquiry into Trump. Three of them were invited by Democrats, and one was invited by Republicans.

The White House declined to participate in Wednesday’s proceeding, and Trump has denied wrongdoing.