Passionate Protests For And Against Impeachment Also Find Common Ground
Mt. LEBANON, Pa. (KDKA) - Perhaps the good weather and Thanksgiving spiked the crowd, but more than a hundred protesters -- for and against impeachment -- targeted Democratic U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb at his Mt. Lebanon office.
It seems everyone has a view on impeachment.
"Drain the swamp," shouted the pro-Trump crowd.
"Quid pro go," exclaimed the anti-Trump protesters.
More protesters seem to be showing up. @KDKA https://t.co/88YhFZBy7F pic.twitter.com/qGvIBya1if
— Jon Delano KDKA (@JonDelano) November 25, 2019
Supporters of impeachment were first outside the doors of Lamb, who has not yet said if he will vote to impeach the president.
"I just don't think we can continue to allow our laws to be trampled on and our Constitution that our representatives and our president were elected to stand by," Cindy Guenther of Whitehall told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.
Organizers said their rally was quickly planned when they heard the Trump team would protest Lamb.
"We wanted to make sure that we were here to defend him," said Kristin Wessell of Mt. Lebanon.
But for every supporter of impeachment, there was an opponent who backed Trump.
KDKA'S Jon Delano reports:
"I've never been to a protest or rally in my life. But I am so, so sick of what's going on with Trump and how they have misrepresented him for three years," said Suellen Fitzsimmons of Bethel Park. "They have lied."
"I am totally against the impeachment sham. It is all made up, and I'm tired of them wasting our valuable taxpayer dollars," added Linda Ricketts of Robinson.
Now this is just the first of many protests that we expect at the offices of local congressmen until that impeachment vote is taken sometime in December.
And then the focus will turn to the U.S. Senators with U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey having their offices downtown on Grant Street.
In the meantime, watch for more of this, chants of "God bless Trump" and "Impeach Trump."
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Passions on both sides are strong.
"I love Trump. He's doing everything for America. He puts Americans first. Everything is better. I don't know what people want from him," said Judy Garofolo of Jefferson Hills.
Those favoring impeachment want Lamb to "follow the evidence."
"I think he knows what we want him to do," said Cindy Guenther of Whitehall.
Delano: "Which is to impeach the president?"
Guenther: "I believe that. In my heart that's what I think. I just don't think we can continue to allow our laws to be trampled on."
Although police were there to keep folks off the street, Trump and anti-Trump protesters chatted politely with each other.
"We're Americans," said Bill Bresselsmith of Bethel Park, an anti-Trumper.
"Yeah, yeah. True," responded Trina Brandy of Pine Township, who supports Trump.
"These are lovely people. We live in the same area. We just have different views on what we think is best for the country," said Bresselsmith.
And the two did find common ground.
Brandy: "We both decided that we are not happy with the ownership of the Pirates."
Bresselsmith: "Right, I agree."
The local Mt. Lebanon Republican Party chair found it all refreshing.
"It's peaceful. People out here are expressing their opinions like we always do in America," said Matt Kluck, the GOP chair.
"I think it's a wonderful thing to see -- this kind of turnout -- regardless of whether you are in favor or not."
This is really democracy in action with both sides sharing their views with their congressman.
And maybe that's another reason to give thanks during this Thanksgiving week!
