Pivotal GOP senator takes shot at McConnell for coordinating with Trump White House on impeachment

Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) this week criticized Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) for saying that he was working with the White House to coordinate on President Donald Trump's impeachment trial in the Senate.

In an interview with local news station KTUU, Murkowski said she was "disturbed" when she heard McConnell's remarks about coordinating with the White House during a Fox News interview, and she suggested that was not an appropriate role for the leader of the Senate to play.

"To me it means that we have to take that step back from being hand in glove with the defense, and so I heard what leader McConnell had said, I happened to think that that has further confused the process," she said.

Murkowski also criticized House Democrats for "rushing" to impeach the president and said they should have waited for courts to decide whether key witnesses must be forced to testify before Congress.

Additionally, the senator pledged to remain an impartial juror at the president's trial.

"For me to prejudge and say there’s nothing there or on the other hand, he should be impeached yesterday, that’s wrong, in my view, that’s wrong," she said.