U.S. Rep Guy Reschenthaler Says Vote To Disqualify Pa's Election Results Was 'Symbolic' And Holds Open Option To Run For Senate
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The assault on the U.S. Capitol Building happened four weeks ago. In the weeks since, KDKA has shared reaction from many members of our congressional delegation.
Until Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler has remained silent, only granting TV interviews to conservative cable networks.
In his first local television interview since the assault on the Capitol, Reschenthaler told KDKA political editor Jon Delano that former President Donald Trump bears no responsibility for the event.
Reschenthaler has been one of Donald Trump's most ardent supporters, and his support for the twice-impeached former President remains as strong as ever. Asked whether former President Trump incited his supporters to storm the Capitol, the congressman deflected.
"I think that what happened that day on the 6th was unacceptable. It was un-American. And again, I've condemned it right away," said Reschenthaler.
Delano: Yeah, but I asked you about President Trump. Do you think President Trump bears any responsibility at all for what happened at the Capitol?
Reschenthaler: "The people that are responsible for what happened at the Capitol are the 300-some criminals that broke into the Capitol building that day. They're the ones that broke the law.
WATCH: KDKA's Jon Delano Has More With Rep. Reschenthaler
The Peters Township Republican is consistent. In fact, during the middle of the president's speech to the crowd, before it marched on the Capitol, the congressman tweeted that Trump was "the BEST president since Lincoln."
Delano: Do you really think that Donald Trump is the best president since Lincoln, better than Ronald Reagan?
Reschenthaler: Let's look at what President Trump accomplished. We had the most successful economy, a red-hot economy during his presidency. We had no new foreign engagements.
Citing Trump's work in the Middle East, the congressman insists, "Had President Trump been a Democrat, he would have received at least one Nobel Peace Prize."
"So I stand behind the Trump presidency, and I think he was an incredible president and history will judge him as such."
While 10 House Republicans did vote to impeach Trump for his part in inciting the deadly attack on the Capitol Building, Reschenthaler was adamantly opposed to impeachment.
Delano: Should the President be held accountable in any way, shape, or form for what happened on Jan. 6?
Reschenthaler: Joe Biden talks a lot about unity. The way to unify the country is not to impeach Donald Trump and by extension the 75 million Americans that voted for him.
Reschenthaler says forget the past.
WATCH: KDKA's Jon Delano Has More With Rep. Reschenthaler
"Let's look forward," he said. "Let's work together. Let's accomplish things. Let's not look retroactively at what happened in the past and further divide this country."
But he acknowledges that he did try to disqualify on the House Floor the votes of millions of Pennsylvanians whose ballot re-elected him and elected Joe Biden at the same time. But now he downplays its effect on the election.
"That was a symbolic vote. Everybody knew that vote was not going to overturn the results of the election. That was a symbolic vote to put the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on notice that they cannot usurp the power of the Pennsylvania General Assembly," said Reschenthaler.
Of course, it was the Republican Legislature, not the Pa. Supreme Court, that adopted no-fault mail-in voting that Trump wanted to disqualify to defeat Biden.
Delano: Do you believe (Biden) is the legitimate president of the United States?
Reschenthaler: Joe Biden is the president of the United States. We need to be very concerned about that because Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have declared a war on working-class Americans.
Some analysts think Reschenthaler's loyalty to Trump makes him a strong candidate for U.S. Senate next year. So will he run for the seat U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey is giving up in 2022?
"I'm very happy in the House, but of course I keep all options open," said the congressman.
Delano: And one of those options could be to run for the U.S. Senate?
Reschenthaler: I don't take any options off the table, but I'm very happy in the House.
