Rep. David Cicilline, DR.I., who is one of the representatives taking the lead on an indictment against President Trump after the riot at the US Capitol last week, argued on Sunday that Congress was “obliged” to to accuse president.
“What we saw on Wednesday was an attack on our democracy, an uprising against the United States government during the sacred ritual of the Electoral College,” Cicilline told America’s News HQ on Sunday.
“We cannot allow this kind of attack on our democracy, an attempt at coup d’etat, to take place without result,” he added.
House Democrats, including Cicilline, drafted a new indictment against Trump on Friday. The deadly riot at the Capitol two days earlier was a failed attempt to stop Congress from ratifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory and a major security breach that forced lawmakers to evacuate to safe places.
Cicilline said Sunday he plans to launch the indictment along with about 200 original cosponsors, adding that he expects “the number will grow.”
He acknowledged that “there are people who think, ‘Oh, well, the president’s leaving in ten days, let’s just ignore it.’
“We have taken an oath to defend and protect the Constitution and our democracy. The responsibility falls on us. We have no other choice,” Cicilline said.
“Resignation would be preferable, and calling for the 25th Amendment would be preferable, but those two things are not going to happen, so Congress is obliged under our oath of office to move forward and accuse this president.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York have called for Trump to be removed from office by the 25th Amendment, arguing that it is too risky to keep Trump in power until January 20, when Biden be inaugurated.
But if Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet do not remove Trump, as the amendment would require, Democrats appear to have broad support for a second round of accusations.
The indictment is expected to be introduced in the House on Monday as a privileged resolution, Fox News confirmed. The indictment article is for “incitement to insurrection” and states that Trump kept himself busy with major crimes and transgressions by “intentionally inciting violence against the United States government.”
The resolution also calls for Trump for his January 2 call with Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he urges the election official to “find” enough votes to stop Biden’s victory in the state – and he appears to be subtle issue threats if Raffensperger fails. to do so.
Trump’s actions justify the removal of the office and the “disqualification” to get back on track, the indictment reads.
In Sunday Morning Futures spokesman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, he stressed that ‘accusation’ is a sitting president and that the president, if the Democrats continue, cannot have a trial before leaving office. has not, so I think it’s right real constitutional problems, but the most important thing is that it is not healthy for the country. ‘
In response to Jordan’s comments, Cicilline said: “The indictment by the House will take place before the president leaves office.”
He pointed to a legal opinion “which says that the removal of charge, that is, the trial, can take place after his departure.”
Cicilline further noted that there is a precedent for this “so this is not a problem.”
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He stressed that “our responsibility in the House is that we will see the unpredictable behavior of the president, and that we must accuse him of it, and I expect that it will be this week.”
French Hill, R-Ark., Appeared immediately after Cicilline on ‘America’s News HQ’, arguing that the pursuit of a ‘hasty accusation’ would disrupt Biden’s transition.
“Our country is in pain now, miserable after the horrific and outrageous events of last Wednesday and my personal view, despite my absolute thinking that the president’s behavior was reprehensible that day, is it not that we have enough pain? Less charm and more Need leadership in our country to move to the peaceful transition of power on the afternoon of January 20? ‘asks Hill.
He further said that the accusation “will not come before the inauguration and therefore you will only disrupt the transition of Joe Biden.”
Hill stressed that members of Congress “should begin to build trust on both sides of the aisle.”
He further said that ‘a second indictment with ten days stuck in this administration, in my opinion, is not the way to build confidence across the aisle or to welcome Biden’s incoming government to the goals they do not have in the Senate. ‘
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“All that in my opinion would be thrown off the rails by pursuing a hasty accusation,” Hill continued.
Fox News’ Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.