© 2024 WNIJ and WNIU
Northern Public Radio
801 N 1st St.
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-9000
Northern Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Republican Rep. Kinzinger Calls For President Trump's Removal From Office

It's unclear how many of his party peers will join him, but outspoken Trump critic and 16th District Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger of Illinois is calling for the president's removal from office. He said in a video statement posted to his Twitter account, "The president has become unmoored not just from his duty, or even his oath, but from reality itself."

Fellow Republican members of the Illinois congressional delegation have not publicly stated support to invoke the 25th Amendment, but have publicly denounced the violence that occurred at the Capitol that disrupted the electoral count process.

Transcription:

“Yesterday was a sad day as we all know. It was the day where fire stoked by the president and other leaders finally leapt out of the pit and it lit the trees.

 Thankfully, the strength of our Constitution and democracy held and we emerged today a little battered -- but resolved. 

What happened yesterday is a wake-up call to many, but it's a call to accountability for others. In the past few presidencies, the administrations have been so concerned about even a moment of weakness that the 25th amendment was invoked during minor surgeries…passing the duties to the vice president while the president was under anesthesia…because even for that moment, to have the captain of the ship absent could cause a major catastrophe. Sadly, yesterday, it became evident that not only has the president abdicated his duty to protect the American people and the people's house, he invoked and inflamed passions that only gave fuel to the insurrection that we saw here. 

When pressed to move and denounce the violence, he barely did so, while, of course, victimizing himself and seeming to give a wink and a nod to those doing it. 

All indications are that the president has become unmoored, not just from his duty, or even his oath, but from reality itself. It is for this reason that I call for the vice president and members of the Cabinet to ensure the next few weeks are safe for the American people, and that we have a sane captain of the ship.   

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows a majority of the Cabinet and the vice president to assume the duties of the office of presidency until the president is able to himself. It's time to invoke the 25th Amendment and to end this nightmare. We will arise from this, but we cannot forget what led us here. The liars and conspiracy authors are already at it again this morning with false narratives about yesterday's disaster. Here's the truth: the president caused this. The president is unfit and the president is unwell. And the president must now relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily or involuntarily. God bless you. God bless our enduring democracy."