Josh Hawley calls impeachment a ‘kangaroo trial’ after being accused of ignoring it

Mr Hawley said trial was 'totally unconstitutional and it is incredibly selfish on the part of Democrats who are pursuing their own personal political vendettas here'

Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley called the impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump a "kangaroo trial" after being accused of ignoring it and doing paperwork.

Speaking to Fox News, Mr Hawley said: "It is totally unconstitutional and it is incredibly selfish on the part of the Democrats who are pursuing their own personal political vendettas here."

One of the leaders of Mr Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the election, Mr Hawley added: "This is a total kangaroo trial."

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Arguing that the proceedings are unconstitutional, Mr Hawley said: "The Constitution does not permit them to do what they are trying to do."

"You’re not going to get anything but condemnation from me for what happened with those criminals at the Capitol on January 6, but that doesn't make the trial any more legitimate than it is, which is totally illegitimate, no basis in the Constitution," Mr Hawley added, going against the opinions of many constitutional scholars, including lead House impeachment manager DemocratJamie Raskin, a former constitutional law professor.

NBC News reporter Garrett Haake tweeted Wednesday that Mr Hawley could be seen "sitting up in the gallery with his feet up on the seat in front of him, reviewing paperwork," adding that Mr Hawley told another NBC reporter that "he likes having the better view from above, and said he was reading the trial briefs".

Read more: Follow live updates on Mr Trump's second impeachment trial

Mr Hawley told NBC News: "Where I sit over in the Senate chamber is kind of in the corner. So, here you can sit head-on. I can also space out a little bit more and it's just not quite as crowded."

Speaking to Fox News, Mr Hawley said: "It's a better viewpoint because I can look right at the impeachment managers and see them in the face. When I'm sitting in the chamber, I kinda look at the back of their head," he said.

The St Louis Dispatch published an editorial in which they said that Missouri's senators Mr Hawley and Roy Blunt "continue bringing additional embarrassment to the state after having flirted with the abolition of democracy in favour of keeping a dictator wannabe in the White House".

Mr Hawley sent out a tweet Tuesday saying that President Biden "cancels thousands of working-class jobs".

The St Louis Dispatch responded in their editorial: "The attempt to divert attention to Biden, who has not cancelled a single job, is pathetic but oh-so-typical of Hawley."