Trump and conservatives oppose impeachment of Texas AG Ken Paxton.

Former President Donald Trump and conservative heavy-hitters took to social media to defend Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton even as the GOP-led Texas House voted to impeach him.

Republican Speaker Dade Phelan and fellow Republicans joined with Democrats to temporarily remove Paxton, a staunch GOP conservative, from office on accusations of bribery, obstruction of justice, and abuse of public trust.

Texas lawmakers voted 123 to 23 to adopt the 20 articles of impeachment.

“The RINO Speaker of the House of Texas, Dade Phelan, who is barely a Republican at all and failed the test on voter integrity, wants to impeach one of the most hard-working and effective Attorney Generals in the United States, Ken Paxton, who just won reelection with a large number of American Patriots strongly voting for him,” Trump stated.

Trump, who endured impeachment twice during his presidency on questionable allegations, said the move against Paxton was an “unfair process that should not be allowed to happen or proceed.”

The former president vowed to “fight you if it does.”

“Free Ken Paxton, let them wait for the next elections,” Trump wrote.

Other influential GOP leaders such as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and Trump advisor Kimberly Guilfoyle condemned the effort.

• “What is happening to @KenPaxtonTX is a travesty,” Cruz tweeted before the proceedings, blaming the Austin “swamp” for wanting to sideline one of President Joe Biden’s most effective opponents.
• “No attorney general has battled the abuses of the Biden admin more ferociously—and more effectively—than has Paxton,” Cruz said in a Twitter post.
• “This Texas House-led impeachment is a witch hunt,” Greene said on Twitter.

The vote means Paxton will be removed from office immediately to await trial in the Senate, where House members will present their cases as impeachment managers.

Two-thirds of the Senate must agree in order to remove Paxton from office permanently.

Paxton said following the House vote that the impeachment is unfair and politically motivated, adding that he looks forward to resolving the allegations in the Senate.

The impeachment move came 48 hours after articles were presented to the House. The House General Investigating Committee revealed that it was investigating Paxton for wrongdoing earlier this week.

Paxton at the time labeled the House’s impeachment efforts an “unjust attack” and a “political hit job.”