White House, GOP push back on impeachment talks

WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: President Donald Trump greets the crowd at the “Stop The Steal” Rally on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 6:40 PM  PT – Saturday, January 9, 2021

The White House responds to emerging talks of impeachment against President Trump.

In a statement Friday, officials said the President is calling for healing and unity amongst the nation. The statement added that pursuing an impeachment with 12 days left in the presidential term would only quote “further divide our great country.”

WH statement on new impeachment proceedings: "As President Trump said yesterday, this is a time for healing and unity as one Nation. A politically motivated impeachment against a President with 12 days remaining in his term will only serve to further divide our great country."

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 8, 2021

This statement was in response to lawmakers who are calling for the use of the 25th Amendment, or a second impeachment through Congress. However, some lawmakers are calling for their colleagues to stand down.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was among the first to reject plans to impeach the President. He took to social media Friday to say impeaching the President would only increase tensions ahead of Inauguration Day.

Impeaching the President with just 12 days left will only divide our country more. I've reached out to President-elect Biden today & plan to speak to him about how we must work together to lower the temperature & unite the country to solve America’s challenges.

My full statement pic.twitter.com/EkkmOAkb7i

— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) January 8, 2021

He went on to call for unification amongst Americans and condemned the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday. Other Republicans across the country shared their skepticism of being able to pull off an impeachment.

“If the House does meet to re-impeach him, the votes won’t pass in the Senate,” Diamond Garcia, the Honolulu Republican Party Vice Chair, said. “They need a two-thirds vote, [but] it’s not going to happen. It’s 50/50 right now, so I think we should all just sit back and wait for the 20th and have a peaceful transition of power then.”

Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) said there were more important issues to focus on and that lawmakers should move on.

In the meantime, House Democrats are expected to try and rush a so-called lightning impeachment. It is still unexpected for Senate Republicans to join the lower chamber in their efforts.

RELATED: Sen. Blunt: We Won’t Impeach President Trump