Florida

Sen. Rick Scott Says Trump Impeachment Trial a ‘Complete Waste of Time'

The Republican Scott spoke with reporters after viewing explicit videos of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot during Wednesday's session of the Senate trial

Senator Rick Scott, a Republican from Florida, listens during a Senate Budget Committee confirmation hearing for Neera Tanden, director of the Office and Management and Budget (OMB) nominee for U.S. President Joe Biden, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021. Tanden apologized for partisan tweets, pledged to distribute stimulus checks quickly, and defended her stance on Wall Street and Silicon Valley’s influence in yesterday’s hearing on her nomination to lead the OMB. Photographer: Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is a "complete waste of time," Florida Sen. Rick Scott told reporters Wednesday.

The Republican Scott spoke with reporters after viewing explicit videos of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot during Wednesday's session of the Senate trial.

"This is a complete waste of time," Scott said, according to NBC News. "It's not doing anything to help American families, it's not helping people get jobs, it's not helping get the vaccine out … it's vindictive."

Scott said he was "disgusted" by the Capitol breach after viewing the new evidence, which included grainy Capitol surveillance video, never seen publicly before, that showed senators running to safety after they exited the chamber and as the police held rioters back down a main hallway on the first floor of the Capitol.

"I'm disgusted that, you know, people think that they can do things like that and get away with it. I hope everybody that came into the Capitol and did the wrong thing gets prosecuted to the full extent of law," he said.

Scott was also asked if he thinks Trump bears any responsibility for the attack.

"Look, I've been clear that that I wish the president had said something faster when they broke into it, but, you know, I've watched what he said. He's never said when somebody should break in — [he] actually said that people should do this peacefully," Scott said.

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