New Jersey’s two Black Congressional members Donald M. Payne, Jr. and Bonnie Watson Coleman voted to impeach President Donald Trump for “incitement of insurrection” after his actions encouraged a mob riot that damaged the U.S. Capitol Building, killed five people, injured dozens of police officers, and forced several members of Congress and staff to move to secure locations.
The move comes one day after Rep. Payne, Jr. voted for a separate House resolution to ask Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office and allow the Vice President to assume the president’s responsibilities until Joe Biden is sworn in Jan. 20 as the new president.
“This president will go down in history as the worst one America has ever had,” said Payne, Jr. “Since his election, he has shown a reckless disregard for the safety and security of the American people through his coronavirus response and his support for an insurrection against our country. President Trump’s urging of rioters and domestic terrorists to siege our Capitol Building, a symbol of democracy worldwide, shows he must be removed from office immediately. Once he is removed, we can work to restore America as one nation again with liberty and justice for all.”
Watson Coleman announced earlier this week that she tested positive for COVID-19. She blamed the Republican congressional colleagues for not wearing masks during the riots at the U.S. Capitol. In a stamen she said she voted to impeach Trump because the his supporters attacked a symbol of American government.
“This attack was encouraged and inspired by the President,” Watson Coleman said. “It was the culmination of years of divisive and dangerous rhetoric directed at those he saw as political enemies. His actions have proven, again and again, that he is a danger to our country, our democracy, and our way of life. They cannot go unanswered. I will be casting my vote via proxy to impeach Donald J. Trump.”