'I Think It Was Wrong': Democrat Voters Sound Off About Impeachment Efforts

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Throughout the impeachment proceedings, Democrats made clear they wanted to target vulnerable Republicans by getting them on the record with tough votes. But now that President Trump's acquittal has led to record approval ratings, that strategy might be backfiring. 

"I can tell you in all of our competitive Senate races they're in better shape today than they were a month ago," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters recently.

Not one of the GOP senators facing a tough re-election in 2020 voted to impeach Trump. Republicans are counting on impeachment fatigue to help them hang on to those Senate seats and possibly gain enough votes to flip the majority in the House of Representatives.  

"I don't like Trump but I didn't like the impeachment," Neal Jefferis of Virginia Beach, Va., told CBN News. "I think it was wrong. I think Trump is an arrogant fool the way he conducts himself, but I don't think he did anything that should've been impeached."

Republicans are specifically targeting districts like Virginia's 2nd District. Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA), where Jefferis lives, who was one of seven freshman Democrats who wrote The Washington Post op-ed about impeachment almost guaranteeing hearings would get a green light.

"I don't think we should've wasted the time doing the impeachment, we have more important business like passing budgets which is the job of Congress," continued Jefferis.

Other non-Trump voters in Luria's district questioned her vote to impeach Trump on both articles.

"A lot of us didn't think that was appropriate," Emily Haulenbeek told CBN News. "I don't know that I necessarily voted for Trump but I also don't know that what was going on was something that a lot of other politicians aren't involved in as well."

Aaron Baldwin agreed.

"As far as his impeachment goes, I feel like every candidate has something that they did that was not legal to get to where they're at," said Baldwin. "I feel like all either side cares about is ensuring the other side loses, they don't really push their values they just push beating the other side."

"When mom and dad fight the kids lose, which is kind of how I feel like things are," he continued.  

But other VA-2 voters like Robert Ryner support Luria's vote. "Personally I think impeachment should have went through," said Ryner.

Meanwhile, the Democratic leadership stands by the impeachment.

"We have no regrets for standing up for truth and the Constitution and impeachment, but that has never slowed us down from our work," Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), vice-chair of the House Democratic Caucus, told CBN News.

The big question is this: Will the impeachment still be top of mind for voters eight months from now?