​Crist Calls For Trump's Removal; FL Leaders Condemn DC Violence

FLORIDA — House Rep. Charlie Crist, a St. Petersburg Democrat who represents Florida’s 13th congressional district, called for the removal of President Donald Trump from office Wednesday afternoon after the president’s supporters forced their entry into the U.S. Capitol.

“The 25th Amendment allows for the removal of a President. It’s time to remove the President,” he tweeted.

Trump’s supporters gathered at the building earlier Wednesday to protest Congress’ Electoral College certification of President-elect Joe Biden as the next president and stormed the Capitol to stop the process.

As violence escalated, members of Congress were evacuated, and the Electoral College count came to a halt. The National Guard was activated to join law enforcement in controlling the violent crowd.

Crist described the scene at the Capitol as “heartbreaking, anti-American events.”

He added, “The dissemination of violent rhetoric and dangerous misinformation before and after President-elect Joe Biden’s win in November laid the groundwork for this attack on our democracy.”

Other Florida lawmakers also took to social media Wednesday to condemn the rioters.

“There is nothing patriotic about what is occurring on Capitol Hill. This is 3rd world style anti-American anarchy,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott also criticized the violent protests, calling the situation “disgraceful and un-American.”

He tweeted, “The thugs who stormed the Capitol today and incited violence should be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Every single one of them.”

Former Miami-Dade County mayor and newly elected Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez tweeted, “This lawlessness is abhorrent and disgusting. This is not who we are as a nation and does not represent our values. All engaging in violence must be apprehended and punished.”

Even some of Florida’s Republican lawmakers that planned to formally object to the certification of Biden’s presidential win spoke out against the chaos.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, a vocal supporter of a Republican movement to overturn Biden’s win, implored his Twitter followers to “remain peaceful.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Steube of Sarasota, one of several Republican lawmakers who signed onto a joint statement signaling their intent to object to electoral votes from states they believe violated the Constitution during the 2020 election, condemned the violence at the Capitol in a statement.

Steube said he was barricaded in a room surrounded by demonstrators with three other members of Congress and several law enforcement officers.

“The violence and lawlessness we saw today was completely unacceptable, and as a nation, we must do better,” he said. “As I condemned the violence we saw in our nation’s capital from BLM and Antifa, I condemn violence and rioting of any kind, by any group or organization."

Meanwhile, Rep. John Rutherford of Jacksonville, who also signed the joint statement, tweeted, “The lawlessness taking place here in our nation’s capital is unacceptable and un-American. You cannot say you stand for law and order and then act this way.”

And another Florida Republican who pledged to object to Biden’s elector votes, Rep. Michael Waltz of St. Johns County, tweeted, “This is despicable. This is not who we are as a country. In America, we solve our disputes through debate, discussion, courts and judges. There is no place for violence.”

Other Florida leaders commented on the violence in Washington, D.C. as well.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis tweeted, “Violence or rioting of any kind is unacceptable and the perpetrators must face the full weight of the law.”

Nikki Fried, the state’s Democratic commissioner of agriculture and consumer services, blamed Trump for encouraging the rioters. She called their actions “terrorism, treason and insurrection against the United States.”

“The radical attempted overthrow of the U.S. Capitol, the attacks on Capitol Police officers and the violent threats against those who swore oaths to uphold our Constitution are direct results of the President urging right-wing agitators to ‘stand back and stand by,’” she tweeted. “The Presidents enablers have inflamed discord and hatred at an historically fragile moment for our nation, when we have most needed unity and compassion, and do nothing to further solutions to the health, economic and social issues we face.”

And the state’s Republican attorney general, Ashley Moody, tweeted, “We are a nation founded on a rule of law and respect for those who uphold it. Violence against law enforcement officers attempting to keep the peace is unacceptable and anyone who attacks an officer should be brought to justice.”