Michigan's longest-serving GOP House member censured by local party for Trump impeachment vote: report

Michigan's longest-serving Republican congressman is receiving harsh criticism from his own party after voting to impeach Donald Trump for inciting the fatal insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

"The Allegan County Republican Party has censured longtime U.S. Rep. Fred Upton and 'condemned' his vote to impeach former President Donald Trump," the Holland Sentinel reported Saturday. "Upton, R-St. Joseph, was among the Republicans to vote with Democrats to impeach Trump on Jan. 13."

Upton was one of two Michigan Republicans to back impeachment, he was joined by first-term Rep. Peter Meijer.

"We believe Congressman Upton's vote is a betrayal of his oath of office and the core values of the Allegan County Republican Party," the censure resolution argued. "We believe this vote ignored the voice of the voters in Allegan County and was against their interest."

Upton explained his vote in a statement.

"Today the President characterized his inflammatory rhetoric at last Wednesday's rally as "totally appropriate," and he expressed no regrets for last week's violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. This sends exactly the wrong signal to those of us who support the very core of our democratic principles and took a solemn oath to the Constitution. I would have preferred a bipartisan, formal censure rather than a drawn-out impeachment process. I fear this will now interfere with important legislative business and a new Biden Administration. But it is time to say: Enough is enough," Upton explained.

The House of Representatives is expected to transmit the Article of Impeachment to the U.S. Senate on Monday, with the trial phase starting on February 8th.