Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is calling on “Republicans of good conscience” in the Trump administration to resign after President Trump during a Wednesday press conference declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose the November election.
“This is a moment that I would say to any Republican of good conscience working in the administration, it is time for you to resign,” Schiff told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday night. “If you have been debating about whether you can continue to serve the country by serving this president, you can’t. It is time to resign.”
“I would say to those who have been on the sidelines maintaining a dignified silence who have served in the administration in the past, you cannot maintain your silence any longer. You have to maintain dignified speech now. You have to speak out,” Schiff continued. “Do not wait until after the election, do not wait until we have the chaos the president wants after the election when he seeks to, as he said, get rid of the ballots. Because if you do wait and know what is to come, you will share some of the burden and responsibility for the chaos that comes.”
Schiff spearheaded impeachment efforts against Trump in the House late last year as chairman of the Intelligence Committee. He has called on the president to be removed from office multiple times over the past three years, with the president also calling for Schiff’s resignation.
Trump on Wednesday refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power in the event he is defeated by Democratic nominee Joe Biden, with the president saying he needs to “see what happens” around mail-in ballots.
“We’re going to have to see what happens, you know, but I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots. The ballots are a disaster,” Trump said.
“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation,” he added. “The ballots are out of control. You know it, and you know who knows it better than anyone else? The Democrats know it better than anyone else.”