Washington, D.C. — John Podesta, founder of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for incitement of an insurrection:
One week ago, the U.S. Capitol was sacked by a white supremacist, anti-American mob whipped into a frenzy by the president and his enablers. The criminals behind last week’s disgraceful events were directly motivated by President Trump’s lies about the election and calls for action, and the FBI is now warning of potential nationwide violence. The system is blinking red—and the House has done what is necessary with an historic bipartisan impeachment. It is time for Senate Leader Mitch McConnell to summon his caucus back to Washington and remove the president immediately.
It is unthinkable that the same president who is inciting this ongoing violent threat be left in place as our commander in chief to respond to it. This is especially unconscionable given extensive reporting showing that he delayed the response when members of Congress and their staff were under lethal threat and that Capitol Police risked or sacrificed their lives to prevent a massacre. The same president who told violent extremists that they were “very special” and that he “loves” them has made clear that he feels no regret about his actions, and there is no reason to believe he will not repeat them.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer are doing all they can to remove this dangerous president before he can incite and allow more violence, but they cannot protect the country unless Sen. McConnell and other Republicans in the Senate uphold their oath to the Constitution. This is a national crisis—and the responsibility to act falls squarely in the lap of the current Republican Senate majority.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected].