“They have you on audio”: Democrats bust Republican’s glaring hypocrisy at impeachment hearing

Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., was called out by Democratic colleagues on the House Floor Monday for contradicting himself as he attempted to defend the impeachment resolution against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — with his own words.

The exchange with Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo., came during a Monday House Rules Committee hearing on the Republican resolution, which accuses Mayorkas of knowingly making false statements and obstructing “lawful oversight of the Department of Homeland Security” as it pertains to border security, according to The Daily Beast. It also claims that Mayorkas “willfully and systemically refused to comply with the law” by implementing a “catch and release scheme” for migrants ahead of their court dates. 

Neguse presented a copy of an opinion piece headlined, “Americans are the victims of the impeachment inquiry” that was published in The Tennessean five years ago amid the impeachment process for former President Donald Trump to question the Tennessee Republican about whether he disagrees with its arguments. 

The 2019 impeachment of Trump revolved around his efforts to abuse government power to withhold Ukrainian aid in order to pressure the Ukrainian president to launch a probe into the Biden family. 

“The subtitle is, ‘A lot of bipartisan legislation that enjoys widespread support sits gathering dust while Congress focuses on the impeachment inquiry,'” Neguse said. “I assume you disagree with this?”

Green replied, “I do.”

“You do? It’s interesting. These are your words. This is an editorial that you wrote five years ago, during the debate about the impeachment of former President Trump,” Neguse said, emphasizing the article’s “Mark Green guest columnist” byline and noting it was published in a local newspaper in the representative’s state.

“It’s fascinating to me that you changed your tune,” Neguse added.

Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., similarly caught Green doubling back on his word during the hearing after the Tennessee Republican disputed a quote The New York Times attributed to him, Mediaite reports. 

In the April 2023 article, the publication reported that it had obtained audio of Green declaring that Republicans would try to impeach Mayorkas while speaking at a fundraiser.

“Representative Mark E. Green told an enthusiastic crowd in his home state of Tennessee last week that his committee would expose Mr. Mayorkas’s ‘dereliction of duty and his intentional destruction of our country through the open southern border,'” the outlet wrote in the report. “He said the panel would deliver charges to the House Judiciary Committee, which handles impeachment proceedings, according to an audio recording of a House Freedom Caucus fund-raiser obtained by The New York Times.”

McGovern questioned Green about the article, probing the Republican congressman about when exactly he decided to impeach Mayorkas.

“Was it before or after April 18th, 2023?” McGovern asked.

Green attempted to dodge the question. 

“We have proceeded with a five-phased approach looking at this as fairly as possible,” Green said, before McGovern interjected to repeat the question.

“I can’t tell you when I thought this needed to happen,” Green replied.

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“Well, the reason why I ask you is, I’m looking at a New York Times article on April 18, 2023, entitled, ‘Key Republican Tell Donors That He Will Pursue Impeachment of Mayorkas,'” McGovern explained. “And they have you on audiotape saying that you would, and I quote, ‘deliver charges to the House Judiciary Committee, which handles impeachment proceedings.'”

The Massachusetts congressman then asked Green why he would tell donors his intention of impeaching Mayorkas before opening an investigation. But Green denied doing so, claiming that the article misquoted him.

“I think they have you on audio,” McGovern shot back.

Green doubled down, asserting that he went back and confirmed the misquote himself.

“Well, maybe we can ask them to produce the audio,” McGovern said.