If there was a bellwether for Republican sentiment on impeachment of President Donald Trump, it would look something like Brian Mast.

The second-term Republican sits on one of three House committees conducting closed-door impeachment hearings — a delicate position for a congressman representing a politically split district on Florida's Treasure Coast.

Mast has spent much of the past week behind heavy metal doors in the basement of the U.S. Capitol, in a room where cellphones and smart watches are banned while members of both parties question impeachment witnesses.

His seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee happens to be right next to that of retiring Rep. Francis Rooney, a Republican from Southwest Florida, who recently said he hasn't ruled out impeaching Trump.

Mast has not gone as far as Rooney, though he told me he's keeping "an open mind" about impeachment.

I caught up with Mast this week for a nearly hour-long interview in which he shared his thoughts on the hearings into Trump's dealings with the president of the Ukraine, which Democrats believe merits removal from office.

These are Mast's reflections on this moment in United States history, edited for length and clarity:

What are are your impressions of the impeachment proceedings from your seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee?

I’ll try to hit it on two sides, process side and content side.

The process side is certainly the most frustrating side for Republicans. This is unnecessarily behind closed doors. Being in the minority, we don’t get a transcript of this testimony until it’s all done. You have all of this selective leaking, which in my opinion does not reflect the testimonies.

(Editor's note: Democrats say this stage of impeachment hearings are private to prevent witnesses from coordinating testimony, and to allow for more effective fact-finding.)

On the content side, try to ask yourself the question: Was there a window of time in order to give this aid? The Ukraine is not entitled to this aid. It’s not owed something. They ultimately got the aid.

Speaking about the whole "quid pro quo" argument, the only two firsthand accounts of the conversation that took place, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and President Trump, both said there is no quid pro quo.

Can you describe the secure impeachment hearing room (known as a SCIF, or Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility)?

It's extremely tight. I generally stand in the same place, which is behind the individuals testifying — literally leaning on the wall, a foot and a half from them. About 30 people fit at the table, sitting very closely in kind of a U-shaped pattern, then about 30-40 people outside it.

(Mast was not among the Republicans who "stormed the SCIF" on Wednesday. He was in another committee meeting at the time, and as a member of Foreign Affairs Committee, he already has access to impeachment proceedings.)

What's your approach in the hearings?

These are depositions that go on sometimes 10 hours with one individual. We have other committees that we’re on, so maybe we’re not there for the ninth hour or the 10th hour.

Most of my questions are being asked then being answered. (Mast said he has not asked any questions directly.)

It’s frustrating that I don’t get a transcript to go back and read and hear and analyze … you’ve got to take good notes on it. You can miss something. You can mishear the question.

Who have been the most interesting witnesses so far?

They've all been interesting. (European Union Ambassador) Gordon Sondland, that was an interesting one. (Acting ambassador to the Ukraine) Bill Taylor.

More: Key takeaways from Ukraine diplomat Bill Taylor's 'explosive' opening statement

What are you hearing from your constituents in District 18 about impeachment?

It seems very 50-50. For every person you have saying this couldn’t have happened soon enough, you have somebody saying this is a travesty.

How do you factor in that feedback?

The same way I weigh constituent input on anything we’re dealing with. The job is not necessarily to do what a majority says.

Most individuals don't get to have the hours and hours of testimony I get to sit in front of. I have access to all that information.That's where it becomes my job to go out there and do what I believe is right, and explain why I did it.

Does representing a split district affect your approach?

Yes. I'm sure having a middle-of-the-road seat forces me to really have to weigh everything that is said to me.

Are you keeping an open mind about impeachment?

Yes, I keep an open mind. It is my duty as somebody that is now involved in this very broken process to do it in the most credible way that I can from my seat.

On behalf of my district, I will do everything I can to make this an honest process.

Do you think President Trump did anything wrong during the call with president of Ukraine?

I think it was above board. If everybody can agree that Ukraine is incredibly corrupt, then absolutely we should take every measure possible to ask why are we sending even $10.

Is one of those oligarchs going to take one of those javelin rockets and sell them … or is it going to go to their next yacht? We should really be questioning what's going on over there, where are these dollars going.

(Editor's note: Democrats' impeachment efforts hinge on Trump's urging of the Ukrainian president to investigate a 2020 political rival, Joe Biden.)

You received campaign money from Igor Fruman, who was indicted last week with a Ukrainian associate and accused of “engaging in a scheme to funnel foreign money to candidates for federal and State office.” Can you address that?

I've never met these people, don't know them. Typically, whenever we have any kind of suspicious dollars, we return it. I think we donated it to charity.

More: Mast to return campaign donations linked to indicted Giuliani associate

Does the incident make you concerned about foreign money in U.S. elections?

There are very bad, unsavory actors out there on both sides of the aisle. If it rears its head, we’ll answer accordingly.

On another note, you voted against rebuking President Trump for pulling troops out of Syria and abandoning the Kurds, even though a majority of your Republican House colleagues supported the rebuke. As a veteran, how did you view this?

I am a huge supporter of the Kurds. I believe the Kurds should have their own country.

My critique is, if you believe that we should be there, then say this is an authorized use of military force. And define how we vacate there, how we know when we’ve reached "mission accomplished."

Weigh all of those things. That should have been what was put on the floor of the House of Representatives.

More: House condemns Trump on Syria, but Mast, Posey vote against rebuke

Do you feel like the pullout of Syria was executed in the best way?

No, I do not think it was done in the most effective way by any means. To see Turkey go in there and slaughter people … Now we have a situation where our allies are under attack by our allies.

This is a fast-moving time in U.S. politics. How are you sleeping these days?

Like a baby. It doesn't keep me up in that way.

Eve Samples is opinion and engagement editor for the USA TODAY Network-Florida, which includes FLORIDA TODAY, the Naples Daily News, The News-Press (Fort Myers), the Pensacola News Journal, the Tallahassee Democrat, and Treasure Coast Newspapers/TCPalm. Contact her at esamples@gannett.com or @EveSamples on Twitter.