Colorado's Congressional Delegation Isn't In Agreement About How Wednesday's Violence Should Be Handled
DENVER (CBS4) - The remaining days of the presidency of Donald Trump will be filled with constant doubt and worry after what even Republicans call his incitement of violence at the Capitol on Wednesday. Colorado's congressional delegation is considering the potential of removing the President from office.
"The president had a lot to do with whipping up the crowd. His continued whining that the election was rigged and he didn't lose and all of that," said Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter, 7th District representative from Lakewood. "He seems to be becoming more and more unstable, more unhinged, if you will, and continues to press forward with this complaint that he didn't lose the election."
Perlmutter says he has been talking with Republican Rep. Ken Buck.
"I think Ken was standing up for the Constitution and the Electoral College. Which is in the 12th Amendment to the Constitution."
Buck was enroute back to Colorado Thursday night. His office sent a statement in reply to our inquiry.
"All of our leaders need to be careful about our rhetoric going forward," it said in part.
The offices of Colorado's other Republican members of Congress, Rep. Doug Lamborn and Rep. Lauren Boebert, had nothing to say Thursday in reply to our contact. There were no public statements released. Both had objected to the count of the electoral college vote on Wednesday.
Rep. Diana DeGette co-sponsored a resolution to impeach the President, stating "He is a real danger to our country. He must be removed from office immediately and barred from ever holding an elected office again," she tweeted.
"Probably the most straightforward approach is to invoke the 25th Amendment," said Perlmutter. "Impeachment, I have some questions about that, there's 13 days left and I don't see how that proceeding could be conducted in that period of time."
Buck opposes the use of the 25th Amendment.
"I reject the idea of the 25th Amendment being invoked, especially because President Trump has less than two weeks left in office. It would set a bad precedent," Buck's office replied to our inquiry.
Republicans may be in a time of reckoning. Republican Dick Wadhams, a CBS4 political analyst said.
"The charges that Trump and his people made about election fraud were irresponsible and they were also false. And it's time for us to confront that as a party... I think a lot of people will see the light now. Frankly, he was dangerous yesterday. He incited a riot."
Colorado's two senators favored removal. Both are Democrats.
Newly elected Sen. John Hickenlooper said on Twitter, "I've long believed President Trump is unfit for office… I'd support any option to remove him from office faster."
Sen. Michael Benett tweeted, "I believe the President is unfit for office and the Administration should invoke the 25th Amendment."
Perlmutter worried about the inauguration coming on Jan. 20.
"The focus has got to be on the inauguration, making sure that it's safe and secure. It's going to be a different kind of inauguration anyway because it's very slimmed down due to COVID," he said.
We asked if he was concerned about hostile actions by foreign governments while the United States in disarray. Perlmutter expressed confidence in the American military.
"I don't know that a foreign government is going to try to take advantage of this transfer of power. They might try. I think they fail."
