aks . ▁ ▁Ukraine ▁sc andal ▁and ▁im pe achment ▁inqu iry ▁ ▁Stewart ▁has ▁def ended ▁Trump ' s ▁actions ▁with ▁regards ▁to ▁the ▁Trump – U k raine ▁sc andal . ▁In ▁his ▁opening ▁statement ▁during ▁im pe achment ▁proceed ings ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Int elligence ▁Committee , ▁Stewart ▁apparently ▁character ized ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁inqu iry ▁as ▁a ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁when ▁he ▁stated ▁" the ▁coup ▁has ▁started ," ▁but ▁later ▁decl ined ▁to ▁clarify ▁his ▁remark . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁hear ings , ▁Stewart ▁repeatedly ▁def ended ▁Trump ' s ▁behavior , ▁critic ized ▁witness es ▁whose ▁testim ony ▁imp licated ▁Trump ▁in ▁wrong do ing , ▁and ▁critic ized ▁the ▁im pe achment ▁process . ▁Stewart ▁called ▁for ▁Adam ▁Schiff , ▁the ▁chair ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁House ▁P erman ent ▁Select ▁Committee ▁on ▁Int elligence , ▁to ▁rec use ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁investigation ▁of ▁Trump ' s ▁deal ings . ▁ ▁When ▁Trump ▁called ▁for ▁Senator ▁Mitt ▁Rom ney ' s ▁" im pe achment " ▁and ▁Stewart ▁was ▁asked ▁for ▁comment , ▁Stewart ▁decl ined ▁to ▁defend ▁Rom ney . ▁Rom ney ▁had ▁expressed ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁committee ' s ▁inqu iry . ▁( S en ators ▁cannot ▁be ▁im pe ached .) ▁ ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Stewart ▁voted ▁against ▁both ▁articles ▁of ▁im pe achment ▁against ▁Trump . ▁Of ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 ▁Republic ans ▁who