First House Republicans back Trump impeachment: ‘He summoned this mob’ OLD

Liz Cheney and John Katko, one a congressman from New York, the other a representative from Wyoming, have become the first Republicans in the House of Representatives to publicly support the impeachment of Donald Trump.

Ahead of a vote called in the House by Democrats seeking to impeach the president for the second time, Ms Cheney, the daughter of former vice president Dick Cheney, issued a scorching rebuke of Mr Trump, accusing him of encouraging what many have termed “an insurrection” against legislators at the Capitol last week.

“[He] summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack,” she said in a statement. 

“There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the constitution." 

She added: “I will vote to impeach the President.”

Meanwhile, Mr Kato,  the 58-year-old congressman, who represents New York’s 24th congressional district, said that to allow Mr Trump to have incited last week’s attack on the Capitol without him being held to account, would represent a “direct threat to the future of our democracy”.

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