Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) became the first sitting Republican senator to call on President Donald Trump to resign on Friday.
“I want him to resign,” Murkowski told The Anchorage Daily News. “I want him out. He has caused enough damage.”
“He’s either been golfing or he’s been inside the Oval Office fuming and throwing every single person who has been loyal and faithful to him under the bus, starting with the vice president,” she continued. “He doesn’t want to stay there. He only wants to stay there for the title. He only wants to stay there for his ego. He needs to get out. He needs to do the good thing, but I don’t think he’s capable of doing a good thing.”
Murkowski, often considered a potential swing vote during the GOP-led Senate, has even pondered leaving the Republican Party, if it “has become nothing more than the party of Trump.”
While other GOP lawmakers have indicated their support for Trump’s removal in some way, Murkowski is the first to publicly call for his resignation.
Other lawmakers, mainly Democrats, have voiced their support for Trump being removed under the 25th Amendment, which would require the majority of the Cabinet to vote to oust him.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Illinois) said he would support removing Trump via the 25th Amendment, and Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio) has said he wouldn’t be opposed to its usage, should the Cabinet decide to do so.
Similarly, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska) said he would consider voting to remove Trump, if the House impeached him again.
House Democrats have said they plan to introduce new articles of impeachment. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) confirmed that impeachment will be brought to the House floor on Monday.
However, removal would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate, which is squarely tied 50-50 between parties after new Georgia senators are seated. Adding to the sheer number of Republicans required to flip, is the short timeline, as Trump will depart from office Jan. 20.
“There is no way we’re going to impeach the President. There’s not the time to do it,” Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) said.
