SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — Bay Area lawmakers and officials denounced the violence at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, pinning the blame on President Donald Trump and his Republican Party enablers for fueling the riot, and with some calling for his removal before his term expires in two weeks.
At least three members of Congress from the region, called for Trump’s cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to remove the president from office, less than two weeks before President-elect Joe Biden is set to be sworn in. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-San Mateo) and Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Napa) announced their calls to invoke the amendment Wednesday afternoon.
READ MORE: Bay Area Health Workers Cheer Newly-Approved 1-Shot Johnson & Johnson VaccineTrump has given us no choice. The 25th Amendment must be invoked NOW. We need to immediately wrest control of the country from him. He is not the commander of chief of the US. He is commander of chief of the Trump mob & proud boys. @VP Pence must step up & defend our democracy.
— Jackie Speier (@RepSpeier) January 6, 2021
“When you realize that President Trump has only been back in town for six days and what he’s fomented, I fear what he will do in the next two weeks. He is delusional at this point,” Speier told KPIX 5 Wednesday night.
After today’s events, I’m calling on the Vice President to initiate proceedings under the 25th Amendment to gather the Cabinet and remove the President from office.
— Mike (Wear A Mask) Thompson (@RepThompson) January 6, 2021
Along with calling for the 25th Amendment, Thompson has also brought up the idea of impeaching Trump for a second time, which would prohibit him from holding federal office again if he is convicted.
“We need to do everything we can to make sure he doesn’t do any more harm to our country. It seems as though he’s trying to burn down the institution of representative government on his way out the door,” Thompson said.
Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) has also joined the calls of using the 25th Amendment, joining other Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee in a letter to Vice President Mike Pence.
“We have seen the fruit of the President’s remarks in the violence and chaos unleashed today,” the letter read, in part. “President Trump has shown time and again that he is unwilling to protect our Democracy and carry out the duties of the office.”
Bay Area lawmakers also weighed in, with San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo calling for sedition charges against Trump.
For this atrocious, sickening display in our Capitol Building, @realDonaldTrump should be tried for #sedition. As a former federal prosecutor, I refer our next US Attorney General to 18 USC 2384 & 2385. May God bless and bring peace to our nation. https://t.co/6P8s34debs
— Sam Liccardo (@sliccardo) January 6, 2021
“We cannot go forward as a country where people believe they can be elected president and somehow undermine the will of the electorate when they want to stay in office,” Liccardo said in a statement on Wednesday. “And the only way you can prevent that is by setting a very clear example.”
Curious how police treat armed conservative rioters committing treason vs peaceful protesters with cardboard signs this summer 🤔 https://t.co/5NfouEV2yz
— Alex Lee 李天明 (@VoteAlexLee2020) January 6, 2021
This is an attempted coup encouraged by the President of the United States. It’s a dark day for our democracy, and the culmination of all of his anti-democratic words and actions from his campaign through his presidency.
We are better than this.
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) January 6, 2021
Rioters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday as a joint session of Congress was held to count the Electoral College votes confirming Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. For the past two centuries, the joint session was mostly a ceremonial part of the electoral process.
Other Bay Area members of Congress who were at the Capitol for Wednesday’s joint session let their constituents know they were safe amid the rioting.
My staff and I are safe. I am incredibly grateful to the first responders struggling to protect us.
I never could have imagined I would be riding out a violent coup attempt led by a president.
This is terrorism, and Donald Trump is responsible.
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@RepHuffman) January 6, 2021
My staff and I are safe. Praying for an end to this violence.
— Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (@RepAnnaEshoo) January 6, 2021
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Sheltering in Cannon: Trump was rejected in courts by people his party appointed, rejected by states where his party was in power & now by his party’s Senate leader & VP. Democracy is still sacred for Americans. That spirit will overcome today’s violence. Prayers for the injured.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) January 6, 2021
I am horrified that colleagues & staff are on lockdown in House office buildings as I tweet this.
I am equally horrified that Trump & members of the GOP have called for this blatant attempt to disrupt & undermine our democracy.
Please stay safe. This is dangerous.
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 6, 2021
In September, the House voted 397-5 to pass my resolution reaffirming the House’s commitment to the orderly and peaceful transfer of power called for in the Constitution.
174 @HouseGOP members supported it then. Where are they today?
— Eric Swalwell (@ericswalwell) January 6, 2021
Never imagined I would be locked down in the US Capitol trying to ride out a violent coup attempt led by an American President.
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) January 6, 2021
Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who was attending the session and was also ushered to safety, weighed in on what she called “the assault on our Capitol and our nation’s public servants.”
I join President-elect @JoeBiden in calling for the assault on the Capitol and our nation’s public servants to end, and as he said, “allow the work of democracy to go forward.”
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 6, 2021
Following his call to his supporters to march on the U.S. Capitol, Trump later issued tweets calling on rioters to refrain from violence, but did not immediate call on his supporters to leave the Capitol.
I am asking for everyone at the U.S. Capitol to remain peaceful. No violence! Remember, WE are the Party of Law & Order – respect the Law and our great men and women in Blue. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
Later Wednesday, the president tweeted a video telling rioters and demonstrators “you have to go home now” while continuing to repeat the false claims about his election loss.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
In an unprecedented move, the social media platform suspended his account as of Wednesday afternoon, with Facebook and Instagram following soon after.
Before President Trump tweeted his recorded message, President-Elect Joe Biden spoke like to address the Capitol violence and called on the president to tell his supporters to go home.
MORE NEWS: Hundreds Rally in San Mateo to Denounce Violence Against Asian AmericansBiden: "The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are. What we're seeing are small number of extremists dedicated to lawlessness. This is not dissent. It's disorder. It's chaos. It borders on sedition. And it must end now." pic.twitter.com/wWU7YYSp5o
— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 6, 2021