Casten Calls for Impeachment Following President Trump’s Attempted Coup
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) released the following statement after Congress reconvened late-night to certify the results of the electoral college vote and in response to yesterday's disastrous events at the United States Capitol.
Casten said, "Yesterday's attempted coup incited by our 45th president, Donald J. Trump, will go down as one of the darkest moments in our nation's history.
"In America, safe, secure, fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. Yet for weeks, the President and his allies in Congress knowingly peddled disinformation and refused to accept the results of a legitimate election—even after 61 defeats in court. We must not only stand up to this treasonous President and his insurrectionist mob, but to the elected officials who helped incite yesterday's violence and see them stripped of their power to continue their assault on our democracy.
"Donald Trump presents a grave threat to the continuity of our government, and our democracy. He must be removed from office immediately, and I am calling on the House to impeach, and for Vice President Pence, in parallel to initiate removal via the 25th Amendment.
"I do not use these words lightly. This is not a dispute on policy or procedure, but in light of yesterday's events, it's clear that this President presents a clear threat to the Constitution I took an oath to defend. He incited a mob to attack the U.S. Capitol and then intentionally delayed the release of the National Guard. People were incentivized to commit acts of terrorism because of his words. Law enforcement was overmatched because of his actions.
"We are a country of laws, and the President must be held to fully account for those crimes. That necessarily demands his immediate removal from office and subsequent prosecution under all relevant local and federal laws.
Peaceful transfer of power is the foundation of our democracy. Our 244-year old experiment in democracy depends on that peaceful transfer which - by the President's actions yesterday- will not happen in 2021. He must be held to account to ensure this never happens again."