Senator Ben Sasse (R., Neb.) vowed to consider articles of impeachment against President Trump if approved by the House, in an interview with CBS on Friday morning.
Trump incited a mob of thousands of his supporters to head to the Capitol building on Wednesday, while Congress was in the process of certifying the Electoral College results. The mob overwhelmed Capitol police and breached the building, forcing lawmakers to evacuate. Dozens of police officers were injured during the riots, and one officer died on Thursday as a result of his injuries.
Congressional Democrats have called to remove Trump from office either by means of the 25th Amendment or impeachment. It is unclear how many Senate Republicans would support impeaching the president.
GOP Senator @BenSasse: Donald Trump has acted shamefully. He has been in flagrant dereliction of his duty & he will be remembered for having incited this & drawing more division into an already divided people. That is who Donald Trump is. That is what his legacy is going to be. pic.twitter.com/LYu6AcyjbU
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) January 8, 2021
“The House, if they come together and have a process, I will definitely consider whatever articles they might move,” Senator Sasse told CBS. “I believe the president has disregarded his oath of office…what he did was wicked.”
However, Sasse added that while Congress’s conduct in the next several days is “critically important,” it is not the most important issue.
“The most important question is the prudential one, of how we bring the country back together five and ten and fifteen years in the future,” Sasse said. “And there’s a lot to be hashed out there.”
House Democrats will likely move forward with impeachment proceedings as soon as possible, journalist Jake Sherman reported in Punchbowl on Friday. While articles of impeachment could pass the Democrat-controlled House, the articles would need the approval of two-thirds of the Senate, including 17 Republican senators.