U.S. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. supported a House resolution today to impeach President Trump for his actions to undermine American democracy.  Trump has tried to pressure state officials to change certified vote totals in at least four states.  When that effort failed, Trump helped incite a mob riot that damaged the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., killed at least four people, and forced several members of Congress to move to secure locations.  The move comes one day after Rep. Payne, Jr. supported a separate House resolution to “censure and condemn” President Trump for his attempts to overturn the result of Georgia’s recent Presidential election.

“We have never had a president who cared less about the American people,” said Payne, Jr.  “Since the November election, he has shown that his ego and personal profiteering are far more important than his job to protect the country and defend the Constitution.  I thought we might be able to survive his reckless and criminal behavior until the January 20 inauguration of Joe Biden as our 46^th President.  But his actions in Georgia and his support for rioters and terrorists during the siege of our Capitol Building, a symbol of democracy worldwide, shows he should be removed from office immediately.  Once he is removed, we can work to restore America as one nation with liberty and justice for all again.”

The resolution (unnumbered at publication) would impeach President Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors based on conduct that violates his duty to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.  The two articles mentioned in the resolution relate to Trump’s phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his actions to incite mob violence to stop the certification of the Electoral College vote that made Joe Biden the next U.S. President.  In the January 2, 2021, call to Raffensperger, Trump threatened him with possible criminal consequences if Raffensperger did not falsify an extra 11,780 votes and declare Trump the winner of Georgia’s Presidential election.  Then on January 6, 2021, Trump encouraged supporters to travel to Washington, D.C. so they could attack the Capitol Building and try to stop the certification, normally a routine procedure that Republicans and Democrats support.