Congressman says some GOP lawmakers are 'paralyzed with fear,' and think their families will be attacked if they vote for impeachment

• Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado on Wednesday confirmed anonymous reports that have been bubbling up over recent days on how some Republicans are approaching the impeachment vote.
• Crow said many of his Republican colleagues are ostensibly in favor of impeachment, but fear that voting in favor of it could endanger themselves and their families.
• The congressman said that while some in the GOP are "morally bankrupt" and "too far gone to be redeemed" even after the deadly attempted coup, others are "paralyzed with fear."
• "I had a lot of conversations with my Republican colleagues last night, and a couple of them broke down in tears talking to me and saying that they are afraid for their lives if they vote for their impeachment," Crow said.
• "My response was — not to be unsympathetic, but — welcome to the club. That's leadership."

Some Republicans in Congress are ostensibly in favor of impeaching President Donald Trump, but may vote against it because they are "paralyzed with fear" over threats, Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., said Wednesday.

Crow confirmed what GOP lawmakers have been relaying to reporters under the condition of anonymity in recent days, opening up about his discussions with colleagues in an MSNBC interview.

—Tim Alberta (@TimAlberta) January 13, 2021

"I think we have to be honest about what it is we're actually dealing with here," Crow said."First of all, there's a number of things that are happening on the Republican side," he continued. "A very small handful, I think, are kind of morally bankrupt individuals who have given into these conspiracy theories, and are too far gone to be redeemed."

However, Crow said others are in a bind because of threats they're facing following the deadly Capitol Siege last week.

"But the majority of them are actually paralyzed with fear," Crow said. "I had a lot of conversations with my Republican colleagues last night, and a couple of them broke down in tears talking to me and saying that they are afraid for their lives if they vote for their impeachment."

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Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., also called attention to the threats facing Congressional Republicans on Wednesday.

—Ella Nilsen (@ella_nilsen) January 13, 2021

For Crow, a former US Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, the brush with a potential mass casualty event last week as rioters breached the capitol means all of the lawmakers are in it together."My response was - not to be unsympathetic, but - welcome to the club," Crowe said. "That's leadership."