Rand Paul Says If GOP Senators Back Trump Charges 'It'll Destroy the Party'

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has said if his fellow Republican senators back the second impeachment of President Donald Trump, it will "destroy" the GOP.

Ten House Republicans crossed the aisle to join Democrats in impeaching Trump this week for inciting a mob of his supporters to storm and ransack the U.S. Capitol, where lawmakers had convened to affirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory, on January 6.

The support of almost twice as many—17—GOP senators would be needed in order to convict Trump on a charge of "incitement of insurrection" following a trial in the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was reportedly supportive of the House's successful move to impeach Trump for an unprecedented second time this week.

But Paul suggested that GOP support for Trump's impeachment would be devastating for the party in the long-term.

In an appearance on Fox News' The Ingraham Angle on Friday night, Paul called the push to impeach Trump a week after the insurrection at the Capitol as "crazy" and "partisan."

"I don't understand how they can be moving forward with this stuff," he told host Laura Ingraham.

"They will destroy the Republican party... if leadership is complicit with an impeachment, or if leadership votes for an impeachment, they will destroy the party."

Referring to the riot at the Capitol that left five people dead, Paul said: "Look, I didn't agree with the fight that happened last week, and I voted against overturning the election, but at the same time, the impeachment is a wrongheaded, partisan notion.

He continued: "If Republicans go along with it, it'll destroy the party. A third of the Republicans will leave the party. I mean, this isn't about whether it was a right or wrong debate, this isn't about... the Electoral College, this is about the future of the party, and whether you're going to ostracize and excommunicate President Trump from the party. Well, guess what? Millions of his fans will leave as well."

Newsweek reported this week that at least five GOP senators have indicated they are open to convicting Trump, though none have committed to voting either way.

Among them is Lisa Murkowski, who blamed Trump for the violence at the Capitol and said the House's swift move to impeach him was appropriate.