GOP Rep. John Katko Says He Will Vote To Impeach Trump | HuffPost Latest News

Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.) said Tuesday that he would vote to impeach President Donald Trump for inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol last week, becoming the first Republican House member to publicly back Democrats push to impeach the outgoing president.

Katko said in a statement that Trump had to be held to account for the role he played in the insurrectionist attack. A mob of Trumps supporters violently stormed the Capitol last Wednesday, forcing lawmakers whod gathered to formally certify President-elect Joe Biden s electoral victory to seek shelter and evacuate the building.

Trump had told a crowd of his supporters shortly before the attack that he would never concede to Biden and urged them to fight much harder against bad people. At least five people, including a Capitol Police officer, died as a result of the violence.

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. For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action. I will vote to impeach this president.

pic.twitter.com/HYa0POHarU

Rep. John Katko (@RepJohnKatko) January 12, 2021","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Rep. John Katko","author_url":"https://twitter.com/RepJohnKatko","cache_age":86400,"description":"pic.twitter.com/HYa0POHarU Rep. John Katko (@RepJohnKatko) January 12, 2021\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","thumbnail_height":779,"thumbnail_url":"https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ErkJBTkXMAABgml.jpg:large","thumbnail_width":774,"title":"Rep. John Katko on Twitter","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/RepJohnKatko/status/1349119485458919428","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"mobile","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://action.news","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"5ffe1ee5c5b6c77d85eaedc8","entryPermalink":"https://action.news/entry/john-katko-trump-impeachment_n_5ffe1ee5c5b6c77d85eaedc8","entryTagsList":"politics,john-katko,adam-kinzinger,donald-trump,impeachment,capitol-riot","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/cd899f49-f890-4fa3-b740-1d52f80d3bc9/1_th.jpg?crop=480:270,smart&width=480&height=270&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":4},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"5ffe1ee5c5b6c77d85eaedc8","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"mobile","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"Politics","slug":"politics","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/politics","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/politics","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/politics"},"relegenceSubjectId":982065,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Politics News","slug":"politics-news","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/politics-news"},{"name":"john katko","slug":"john-katko","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/john-katko","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/john-katko","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/john-katko"},"url":"https://action.news/topic/john-katko"},{"name":"Adam kinzinger","slug":"adam-kinzinger","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/adam-kinzinger","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/adam-kinzinger","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/adam-kinzinger"},"relegenceId":4942010,"url":"https://action.news/topic/adam-kinzinger"},{"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/donald-trump","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/donald-trump"},"relegenceId":2789214,"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/donald-trump"},{"name":"impeachment","slug":"impeachment","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/impeachment","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/impeachment","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/impeachment"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Politics","slug":"politics"},"topic":{"title":"Impeachment","slug":"impeachment","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/impeachment"},{"name":"capitol riot","slug":"capitol-riot","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/capitol-riot","permalink":"https://action.news/topic/capitol-riot","mobileWebLink":"https://action.news/topic/capitol-riot"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"U.S. News","slug":"us-news"},"topic":{"title":"Capitol Riot","slug":"capitol-riot","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://action.news/news/topic/capitol-riot"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}">

pic.twitter.com/HYa0POHarU
Rep. John Katko (@RepJohnKatko) January 12, 2021

Democrats said Monday that the House would vote Wednesday to impeach Trump for the second time; more than 218 Democrats have co-sponsored the impeachment resolution.

Though no House Republicans voted for Trumps impeachment last December over his alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress several are considering backing impeachment this time.

Shortly after Katkos announcement on Tuesday, Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third-ranking House Republican, and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said that they too would vote to impeach Trump.

There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution, Cheney said in a statement, adding: I will vote to impeach the President.

Kinzinger said in his statement that there was no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection.

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can't do it without you.

Can't afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest we could use your help again . We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can't do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

In his statement, Katko said that Trump put countless lives in danger with his actions last week which ultimately compelled the congressman to act.

It cannot be ignored that President Trump encouraged this insurrection both on social media ahead of January 6th, and in his speech that day, Katko said. By deliberately promoting baseless theories suggesting the election was somehow stolen, the president created a combustible environment of misinformation, disenfranchisement, and division. When this manifested in violent acts on January 6th, he refused to promptly and forcefully call it off, putting countless lives in danger.