House Democrat Says He ‘Misspoke’ When He Said Pelosi Should Send Impeachment Articles to the Senate

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) speaks in Washington in a file photograph. He said on Jan. 9, 2020, that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should send the impeachment articles to the Senate. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

A Democratic House chairman said he “misspoke” when he called on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to send the impeachment articles to the Senate.

“I misspoke this morning, I do believe we should do everything we can to force the Senate to have a fair trial. If the Speaker believes that holding on to the articles for a longer time will help force a fair trial in the Senate, then I wholeheartedly support that decision,” Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said in a statement on Jan. 9.