More GOP Lawmakers Will Vote To Impeach Trump; Blame POTUS For Summoning 'Mob'

At least three Republican lawmakers plan to vote to impeach President Donald Trump on Wednesday when House Democrats bring the impeachment legislation to the floor for a vote.

Reps. John Katko of New York, Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois on Tuesday announced they will vote to impeach the president -- which would be the second impeachment of Trump -- following accusations that he incited the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, which left at least five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer.

In a statement, Cheney said Trump “summoned this mob, assembled the mob and lit the flame of this attack.”

“Everything that followed was his doing," the Republican Conference chair stated. "None of this would have happened without the President.”

“The President could have immediately and forcefully intervened to stop the violence," Cheney continued. "He did not. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.”

In a statement released on Twitter, Kinzinger accused Trump of breaking his oath of office and using his power as president to encourage his supporters to attack the democracy.

“On January 6, 2020, the President of the United States encouraged an angry mob to storm the United States Capitol to stop the counting of the electoral votes. This angry mob turned violent and caused destruction to our nation’s symbol of democracy,” the Illinois Republican wrote.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the President of the United States broke his oath of office and incited this insurrection. He used his position in the Executive to attack the Legislative. I will vote in favor of impeachment,” Kinzinger added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told associates that he is pleased that the Democrats are taking efforts to remove the president from office, people familiar with the conversations told The New York Times. It is unclear whether the Kentucky Republican will vote to impeach the president.

Meanwhile, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, considered one of Trump's staunchest allies, has reportedly asked his GOP colleagues whether he should urge Trump to resign in the wake of the Capitol siege, three Republican officials with knowledge of the conversations said.

It is unclear whether McCarthy, who had previously said he opposed impeachment, will vote “no.”

As many as 20 House Republicans are expected to vote in favor of Trump’s impeachment, a White House official told CNN. A separate GOP source said they expect between 10 and 25 Republicans to support Trump’s removal from office.

House Democrats are expected to set up an impeachment vote on Wednesday and charge the president with “incitement of insurrection,” even as Trump warned that removing him from power would be dangerous to the country.

“This impeachment is causing tremendous anger, and you’re doing it, and it’s really a terrible thing that they’re doing,” Trump said. “For Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to continue on this path, I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger.”