Sen. Cory Booker Says Impeach Trump, Or Invoke 25th Amendment

NEWARK, NJ — When it comes to the riots at the Capitol, the buck stops on President Donald Trump, Sen. Cory Booker says.

Booker has joined a growing chorus of elected officials in New Jersey calling for the impeachment of Trump, including several members of the U.S. House of Representatives. READ MORE: 10 NJ Congressional Reps Call For President Trump's Removal

Articles of impeachment were drafted by Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN) after a pro-Trump mob stormed their way into the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to halt the Electoral College certification of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. READ MORE: Trump Mob Attacks Capitol; 4 Deaths; 69 Arrests; FBI Seeks Tips

Since the rioting broke out, New Jersey’s two U.S. senators, Booker and Bob Menendez, have issued strong statements condemning both the president and those who took place in the violence.

Booker and Menendez both have offices in Newark.

• See related article: Sen. Bob Menendez, Cory Booker Of NJ Decry 'Chaos' At Capitol

President Trump tweeted about the incident on Wednesday afternoon, asking people to "remain peaceful" and avoid violence.

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CORY BOOKER: ‘INVOKE THE 25TH AMENDMENT’

Booker, a frequent critic of Trump who has gotten singled out on Twitter by the president, didn’t pull punches about Trump’s role in the chaos.

“Donald Trump has shown he is a direct threat to the safety and security of Americans and the integrity of our democracy,” Booker said Thursday. “The vice president and cabinet should immediately invoke the 25th Amendment to remove the president from office.”

“Trump incited a violent insurrection against our own government,” Booker added. “Congress should be prepared to impeach and remove the president if the vice president and cabinet fail to adhere to their constitutional duty. We must protect our national security.”

Booker compared the storming of the Capitol to the breaching that took place in 1814, when the British destroyed it as part of the War of 1812.

“Now the Capitol has again been breached and sieged,” the senator charged. “Donald Trump incited this. He is responsible for this. And he is silent as this tragic moment continues.”

Booker added that the president isn’t solely responsible for the chaos at the Capitol.

“Donald Trump is being aided and abetted by a group of Republican House and Senate members,” he said. “This is on them, as well.”

BOB MENENDEZ: ‘POURING FUEL ON THE FIRE’

As of Friday morning, Sen. Menendez hasn’t said whether he supports impeachment or the use of the 25th Amendment when it comes to Trump. However, the senator voted twice to convict and remove President Trump from office during the impeachment trial last year.

Menendez issued a scathing condemnation of the “violent, seditious storming of the U.S. Capitol” on Wednesday.

He wrote:

“Today, I shed a tear for our country, which for centuries has inspired the world through its commitment to democracy and the rule of law. From Moscow to Beijing and beyond, autocrats are likely smiling as they witness America in disarray, at war with itself, and no longer a credible messenger for the democratic values that have always defined our great Republic.

“How we arrived at this moment, with domestic terrorists storming Congress and desecrating the Capitol, should be no mystery. This was not an act of patriotism, but an act of sedition. For months, President Trump has fed Americans a steady diet of lies and disinformation in an effort to overthrow the November 2020 election and cling on to power.

“This afternoon, the President poured fuel on that fire by inciting a lawless and violent takeover of the United States Capitol. But he alone is not solely responsible for today’s chaos and disorder.

“For weeks, the same Republicans behind a meritless effort to disrupt the constitutionally-mandated certification of President-elect Biden’s 306 electoral votes have parroted Donald Trump’s wild and baseless conspiracy theories. It is outrageous that some members of the House and Senate would spread lies instead of upholding their oath to the Constitution, to stand up for truth, democracy, and the rule of law.

“That is why as soon as the Capitol building is secured, we must immediately resume our constitutional duty, certify the Electoral College results, and reaffirm the will of the American people, who voted in unprecedented numbers for the Biden-Harris ticket. And if the results in Georgia are any indication, the voters have rejected the President’s poisonous effort to taint our democracy, and are ready for a new Democratic Majority in the Senate to get to work advancing President-elect Biden’s bold agenda.

“Accepting losses at the ballot box is never easy—but it is the American way. Should Americans lose their faith in the integrity of our elections, from the White House down to the school board, we may soon be left with nothing but the shadow of a once great Republic.

“On January 20, President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be sworn into office in a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.

“It is a dark day in our country’s history. But we will withstand it. We will return to the chambers. We will finish counting the Electoral College votes—no matter how long it takes—because our democracy is alive. And we will certify Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the next President and Vice President of the United States.”

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