US House's number 3 Republican backs Trump's removal

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON (AA) - Liz Cheney, the House of Representatives' number three Republican, came out Tuesday in support of US President Donald Trump's removal from office, saying the outgoing leader "summoned" the mob that stormed the US Capitol.

Cheney said Trump "assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack" as the House prepares to vote Wednesday on an article of impeachment charging Trump with attempting to foment an insurrection for his role in last week's deadly siege at the Capitol

"Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President. The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence. He did not," Cheney said in a statement. "There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. I will vote to impeach the President."

Shortly before the Capitol was assaulted, Trump implored his supporters to "fight like hell" to "stop the steal," a reference to his false claims that the Nov. 3 election was stolen from him through widespread voter fraud.

"Our country has had enough, and we will not take it anymore," he told the mass gathering, many of whom likely later flooded the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying Electoral College results. "We will stop the steal."

In all, five people died when his supporters besieged the US Capitol building, overrunning police as they barged into Congress.

Addressing reporters earlier Tuesday, Trump took no responsibility for the violence at the Capitol and said his speech shortly before the riots was "totally appropriate."

Shortly after Cheney announced her support for impeachment, fellow Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger followed suit, saying "there is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection."

Both of the congresspeople were in a group of five lawmakers in the House and Senate that Politico reported may support impeachment. The other three are Senators Lisa Murkowski, Ben Sasse and Pat Toomey.

The New York Times separately reported that Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is "pleased" Democrats are moving ahead with impeachment and believes Trump's conduct has been impeachable.