House Agriculture chairman Collin Peterson told Minnesota dairy farmers that he will vote this week against impeachment of President Trump, barring persuasive new evidence; “Maybe something will change, I doubt it.” Meanwhile Rep Jeff Van Drew, also on the Agriculture Committee, met Trump and reportedly told aides he will switch parties, to become a Republican, just before or just after voting against impeachment.
Peterson and Van Drew were the only Democrats to oppose the opening of the House impeachment inquiry in October. Both are fiscally conservative, centrist Democrats. Peterson is serving his 15th term from western Minnesota. Van Drew was selected to his first term in the House last fall from a swing district in southern New Jersey.
“Wow, that would be big. Always heard Jeff is very smart!” said Trump on social media on Sunday, referring to the potential switch.
During remarks at the annual meeting of a dairy cooperative, Peterson said he usually doesn’t make a decide how to vote until a bill is on the floor but “unless they come up with something between now and Wednesday,” he would oppose impeachment, reported the Worthington Globe. Peterson said Trump did not commit a crime and most of his constituents don’t support foreign aid, so they are not angered by Trump withholding security funds from Ukraine. “This is dividing the country for no good reason because he’s not going to be thrown out of office,” he said.
Van Drew would like to change party affiliation at a White House event and use Trump’s support to clear a path to the Republican nomination in his district, said the New York Times. There has been chatter in the district that Van Drew would face a challenger in the Democratic primary if he voted against impeachment.