A retired Army general on Wednesday said that President Trump needs to step down or be removed from office after a group of his supporters stormed the Capitol last week.
Lt. Gen. Ken Keen, who retired from the Army in 2013, penned an op-ed for CNN saying the pro-Trump riot at the Capitol left him feeling “horrified.”
“After serving in countries where democracy and the rule of law were goals the people there could only aspire to achieve, it has been more than heartbreaking to see what I could never imagine happening in our own country,” Keen wrote.
“President Donald Trump must be removed from office as soon as the law allows, either by impeachment, the 25th Amendment, or best yet a voluntary resignation (as unlikely as that is),” he continued.
The retired three-star general noted that he has “mixed feelings” on whether the “most appropriate” course of action is for Trump to resign, for Congress to impeach him or for Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. Pence has rejected calls to remove Trump days before his presidency ends.
“If the Vice President does not have the courage and leadership to take this action, then Congress should take matters into its hands,” Keen wrote, adding the House should send its article of impeachment, passed Wednesday, to the Senate after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Keen, who served as military deputy commander of United States Southern Command, requested that all “involved in the attack on our Capitol” be held accountable, including “those who incited the violence” which he said included Trump.
The retired general condemned political leaders who are too worried to speak out against the riots. Republican lawmakers had said on Wednesday that threats made against them or their families could impact their vote on Trump’s impeachment.
“We ask our military and our young men and women in uniform to put their lives on the line every day in defense of our country,” he said.
“If political leaders are not ready to do the same and put their careers at risk by taking a stand against those whose actions may have provoked or encouraged the attack on our Capitol, resulting in the death of five Americans, they should resign,” he added. “They are in the wrong role and do not deserve the honor and privilege to be our leaders. They should be held accountable and voted out of office.”
Pro-Trump rioters raided the Capitol last week to disrupt Congress’s certification of the Electoral College vote confirming Biden won the election. Lawmakers reconvened hours after fleeing to secure locations during the breach and certified Biden’s victory.
The unrest resulted in five deaths, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman shot by a plainclothes Capitol Police officer.