GOP lawmakers introduce resolution to censure Trump over Capitol riot

Six House Republicans on Tuesday introduced a resolution to censure President Trump over his role in stoking last week’s violent riots at the U.S. Capitol and efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The group, led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), argued that a censure was the most effective way to punish Trump, arguing that the current impeachment effort being waged in the House over the violence is likely to result in the president’s acquittal in the Senate and could further divide a significantly fractured nation. 

“President Trump’s attempts to undermine the outcome of the 2020 election have been unconscionable. The combination of a false information campaign coupled with inflammatory rhetoric led to the devastation that I was a personal witness to on the House Floor on Jan. 6. His actions threatened the integrity of our democracy, Congress, and his own vice president. For months, President Trump has been lying to the American people with false information, and giving his supporters false expectations. The election is over,” said Fitzpatrick.

“I believe censuring the president after his actions helps hold him accountable and could garner wide bipartisan support, allowing the House to remain united during some of our nation’s darkest days,” added Rep. Young Kim (R-Calif.). “Like many of my colleagues, I came to Washington promising to bridge the divide. I hope both parties can acknowledge our role in perpetuating division and come together to support this effort and move forward for our constituents and the nation.”

GOP Reps. John Curtis (Utah), Peter Meijer (Mich.), Tom Reed (N.Y.) and Fred Upton (Mich.) joined Fitzpatrick and Kim in introducing the resolution.

The censure resolution from the Republicans comes as the GOP looks for a way to reprimand Trump over last week’s riot at the Capitol, which forced lawmakers to scramble to secure locations and delayed a vote on certifying the results of the White House race. Five people died amid the riots, including a woman who was shot by police and a Capitol Police officer who died after responding to the mob.

The censure resolution specifically cites remarks Trump made in past months claiming the presidential election he lost was marred by widespread fraud and comments he gave to a raucous crowd of supporters last week before it descended on the Capitol.

The resolution resolves that Congress “publicly states that President Donald J. Trump has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law” and “censures and condemns President Donald J. Trump for trying to unlawfully overturn the 2020 Presidential election and violating his oath of office on January 6, 2021,” the date of the riot.

Trump, in remarks to a boisterous group of supporters last week, repeated his unfounded claims that the presidential election was fraudulently “stolen” from him, telling the crowd “you have to show strength” and “if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”

Democrats have panned any censure effort as a slap on the wrist of a president they maintain committed impeachable offenses with his remarks. The party this week introduced a single article of impeachment accusing the president of “willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States,” which is expected to pass the Democratic-controlled House on Wednesday.

Three House Republicans — Reps. John Katko (N.Y.), Liz Cheney (Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (Ill.) — have joined the effort, though no Senate Republicans have yet said they would vote to convict Trump in an impeachment trial. 

Some Democrats have come out against the impeachment effort, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) saying it’s “so ill-advised for Joe Biden to be coming in, trying to heal the country, trying to be the president of all the people when we are going to be so divided and fighting again.”