GOP Senator Ben Sasse says he would "consider" impeachment articles brought by House
Republican Senator Ben Sasse said Friday that he would "definitely consider" any impeachment articles brought by the House against President Trump, as lawmakers are considering ways to move the president from office after he encouraged a mob of his supporters who overran the Capitol on Wednesday.
"The House, if they come together and have a process, I will definitely consider whatever articles they might move," Sasse said in an interview with "CBS This Morning" on Friday.
Sasse has been a frequent critic of the president, but many congressional Republicans seem more willing to consider removing the president after Wednesday's invasion of the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters.
"I believe the president has disregarded his oath of office. He swore an oath to the American people to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution. He acted against that," Sasse said. "What he did was wicked. That said, the question of what the House does now and how the Senate responds to it over the next 12 days is a critically important question, but the most important question is the prudential one is how we bring the country back together."
Congresswoman Katherine Clark, the assistant speaker of the House, told CNN on Friday that the House may bring articles of impeachment against the president "as early as mid-next week" if Vice President Mike Pence fails to begin proceedings to remove Mr. Trump from office under the 25th Amendment.
Many Democratic lawmakers have called for invoking the 25th Amendment, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
"In calling for this seditious act, the president has committed an unspeakable assault on our nation, and our people," Pelosi said at a press conference at the Capitol Thursday. "I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the vice president and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment."
The 25th Amendment gives the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet the power to remove a president from office if they determine he is "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."