Former Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Thursday that if he were still a member of President Donald Trump’s cabinet, he would vote to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
Kelly, who also served for a time as White House chief of staff, told CNN anchor Jake Tapper that he was horrified by the the rioters who stormed the Capitol but not surprised by President Trump’s behavior. (RELATED: Here Are All The People Close To Trump Who Have Gone On The Record Denying The Atlantic Story)
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Tapper began the segment by noting that many had already called for members of Trump’s Cabinet to remove him from office via the 25th Amendment. “Do you support such an action? Should he be removed by the cabinet?” Tapper turned the question to Kelly.
“I think, Jake, the cabinet should meet and have a discussion,” Kelly replied. “I don’t think it will happen. But I think the cabinet should meet and discuss this. The behavior yesterday and in the weeks and months before that has been outrageous from the president. And what happened on Capitol Hill yesterday is a direct result of his poisoning the minds of people with the lies and the fraud.”
Tapper then pointed out the fact that Kelly himself had once been a member of Trump’s Cabinet, asking whether he would have cast a vote to remove Trump if he were still in a position to do so.
“I — yes, I would,” Kelly replied. “One thing we have going for us here, Jake, it’s only 13 more days. No one, as indicated yesterday by our vice president, no one around him anymore is going to break the law. He can give all the orders he wants. No one is going to break the law. We saw Mike Pence, Vice President Pence stand his ground yesterday.”