VANCOUVER, Washington (AP) – A Washington State Republican who was one of 10 GOP House members who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump late Friday, urged people with knowledge of Trump’s talks during the Capitol riots on January 6 had to come to the fore.
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler said in a statement that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy told her he spoke to Trump as rioters stormed the Capitol. She said McCarthy asked Trump to publicly “call off the riot” and told Trump that the violent mob were Trump supporters, not far-left antifa members.
In her statement, released via Twitter, Herrera Beutler said, “That’s when, according to McCarthy, the president said, ‘Well, Kevin, I think these people are more upset about the election than you.”
The congressman’s revelation comes as the U.S. Senate is leading the Trump impeachment process, which resumes on Saturday. On Friday, Trump’s defense team denied inciting the deadly riot, saying his encouragement from followers to “fight like hell” at a pre-meeting rally was a routine political speech.
Members of the US House acting as prosecutors in the impeachment say Trump was the “incendiary chief” who spread election falsehoods, then encouraged supporters to contest the results.
Herrera Buetler, who represents Washington’s 3rd congressional district in the southwestern part of the state, said she has previously relayed parts of her conversation with McCarthy to voters and local media.
She then called on people with knowledge of Trump’s conversation with McCarthy to speak up.
“And for the patriots who stood next to the former president while these talks were going on, or even for the former vice president, if you have anything to add here, now is the time,” she said.
This story has been updated to correct that Herrera Beutler represents Washington’s 3rd congressional district.