Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that President Trump should be removed from office, saying his presence “represents a clear and present danger.”
Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Ocasio-Cortez was asked by host George Stephanopoulos if she thought a move to impeach the president would pass.
“I absolutely believe that impeachment should be scheduled for several reasons. One, of course, our main priority is to ensure the removal of Donald Trump as president of the United States,” the New York Democrat said. “Every minute and every hour that he is in office represents a clear and present danger not just to the United States Congress but frankly to the country.”
Ocasio-Cortez was in the Capitol on Wednesday when violent pro-Trump rioters broke in, destroying doors and windows as well as looting and vandalizing offices.
Apart from Trump, Ocasio-Cortez has joined several other prominent Democrats in calling for Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to be impeached for what she believes is their culpability in inciting the riot by objecting to the Electoral College count by Congress.
“In addition to removal, we’re also talking about complete barring of the president — or rather of Donald Trump — from running for office ever again and in addition to that the potential ability to prevent pardoning himself from those charges that he was impeached for,” added Ocasio-Cortez.
In response to a question by Stephanopoulos about a letter by her GOP colleagues that opposed impeachment and asked for “healing and fidelity,” she said, “We have to understand that what happened on Wednesday was insurrection against the United States.”
“If we allow insurrection against the United States with impunity, with no accountability, we are inviting it to happen again,” she added.