ROANOKE, Va. – As all eyes remain on Washington with the ongoing impeachment trial, Congressman Ben Cline is putting the focus back on his home district.
On Thursday night he hosted a town hall in Roanoke to hear from his constituents, who gave him an earful. There was hardly a free seat inside the VFW at the event. The Republican representative said it was important to hear from all areas of the district, even the ones that are primarily Democrat, like Roanoke.
Recommended Videos
“There’s a lot of topics going on in Washington right now, from health care and the economy, transportation and infrastructure; some people might want to talk about impeachment,” Cline said.
The crowd was ready with lots of questions and Cline let everyone speak. The topics ranged from health care to the environment, but some people in the crowd came out strong immediately asking about President Trump and impeachment.
Cline found himself in a short back and forth exchange with local Democrats when they asked Cline if it was OK for any president to get help in a foreign election. Cline responded by not directly answering the question, instead saying that it’s up to the Senate and nothing has been proven, much to some in the crowd’s dismay.
Cline did reaffirm his belief that he stands behind President Trump and does not support impeachment. He said the entire process has been flawed since the beginning.
“I leave it to the senators to decide whether the evidence, or the lack thereof, warrants removal from office. President Trump is doing a great job with the economy at home and foreign affairs fighting terrorism abroad, so it’s my hope that he is not only exonerated but re-elected in November," Cline said.
10 News asked Cline his thoughts on the Second Amendment situation in Virginia and the recent rally in Richmond. He said he was proud to see people expressing their rights, and although he doesn’t have direct involvement in Richmond, he supports their efforts.
“It was a fantastic display of patriotism by law-abiding Virginians, standing up for their constitutional rights,” Cline said.
Cline hosted a similar town hall in Lynchburg earlier on Thursday.