House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said in a statement Friday that impeaching President Donald Trump 12 days before he leaves office would only further divide America.
House Democrats have called for articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to remove the 45th president from office after riots at the Capitol building erupted this week.
McCarthy condemned the violence that erupted on January 6. However, he said that movements to remove Trump from office before January 20 would only further harm the country.
The California Republican said:
Let me be very clear: the violence, destruction, and chaos that unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday was unacceptable, undemocratic, and un-American. When I spoke to President Trump on Wednesday, I told him he had a great responsibility to intervene to quell the mob and start the healing process for our country. Over the coming weeks we will work with law enforcement to bring anyone responsible for the violence to justice. Lawlessness and extremism have no place in our way of life.
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Our country is not just divided. We are deeply hurt. The task ahead for the next Congress and incoming Biden Administration couldn’t be more momentous. But to deliver a better America for all, partisans of all stripes first must unite as Americans and show our country that a peaceful transition of power has occurred. Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more.
McCarthy said public officials should work together to face the nation’s growing challenges.
“Each passing day will offer us an opportunity to heal and grow stronger — a responsibility from which we cannot shrink,” McCarthy concluded in his statement. “The United States remains exceptional and extraordinary, and in the coming weeks and months, we must work to recharge the light of our shining city on a hill.”
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.