Politics

GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger Will Vote To Impeach President Trump, Joining Cheney, Katko

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger announced Tuesday that he will vote to impeach President Donald Trump, joining two other House Republicans.

“If these actions–the Article II branch inciting a deadly insurrection against the Article I branch–are not worthy of impeachment, then what is an impeachable offense? I will vote in favor of impeachment,” Kinzinger said in a statement. Shortly before, Republican Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney announced that she will vote to impeach Trump.

“The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing. None of this would have happened without the President,” Cheney said in a statement. “I will vote to impeach the President.”

Cheney is the third-ranking Republican in the chamber. Republican New York Rep. John Katko was the first Republican to come out for the impeachment of Trump.

House Homeland Security Committee member Rep. John Katko (R-NY) questions witnesses during a hearing on ‘worldwide threats to the homeland’ in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill September 17, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“To allow the president of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy,” Katko said in a statement Tuesday. “For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this president.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly told his Republican colleagues that Trump committed impeachable offenses and that he is fine with Democrats moving forward with impeachment. (RELATED: ‘Tried To Disrupt Our Democracy, They Failed’ — McConnell Slams Rioters Who Stormed Capitol Building)

The New York Times released a report Tuesday, citing anonymous sources, saying that McConnell is pleased Democrats will try to impeach Trump, hoping it will help separate the Republican party from Trump. Rioters supporting Trump stormed the U.S. capitol Wednesday, committing acts of vandalism and violence. As a result, the electoral college certification process was postponed and members of Congress were forced to evacuate the building.

Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced at least one article of impeachment against Trump on Monday morning after the pro-Trump mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. (RELATED: House Democrats Set To Introduce Articles Of Impeachment)

The House impeachment resolution charges Trump with one article of “incitement of insurrection” and the effort is being led by Democratic Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer introduced the resolution, which calls on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office, NBC News reported(RELATED: Maskless Pramila Jayapal Complains She Got COVID-19 From Republicans Who ‘Cruelly Refused’ To Wear Masks)

The House is set to vote on impeachment Wednesday.