McConnell: Impeachment trial distracted government from CCP virus threat

Jack Phillips

The Epoch Times

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Tuesday said the attempt to impeach President Donald Trump earlier this year distracted the White House from focusing on the threat posed by the CCP virus.

The Chinese Communist Party virus "came up while we were tied down in the impeachment trial. And I think it diverted the attention of the government because everything every day was all about impeachment," McConnell told "The Hugh Hewitt Show."

He noted that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who has been one of Congress' most vocal opponents of the Chinese regime's response to the viral outbreak, was "right on the mark" in predicting it would become a threat to the United States. Cotton has said the CCP "will pay" for mismanaging and will be held "accountable" for the crisis.

Cotton "figured this out early, and he was absolutely right," McConnell said. The CCP claimed the first person died in early January, and Jan. 23, the central city of Wuhan was placed on lockdown before the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency, Jan. 30.

In that timeframe, Trump was on trial in the Senate on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress impeachment charges before he was acquitted of all charges Feb. 5. Three weeks of January and part of February was spent on the trial, which included arguments presented by House impeachment managers led by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Trump's legal defense team.

Cotton appeared on the "Hugh Hewitt Show" and said he began looking into reports about the virus in late January.

"The first time I recall talking about the China virus in the media was on your show, probably late in January and I had started studying the problem in mid-January," the Arkansas Republican said. "I have to tell you that in mid-January and late-January, unfortunately, Washington, especially the Congress was consumed with another matter – you may recall the partisan impeachment of the president."

The White House has come under fire for what some said was a slow response to the pandemic, including a shortage of test kits early on in the outbreak.

McConnell also Hewitt that he has not heard of any reports of senators being diagnosed with COVID-19, which is caused by the CCP virus. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., confirmed March 22 that he contracted the virus, saying he is asymptomatic.

Reprinted with permission of The Epoch Times.