Pat Toomey: Trump has 'descended into a level of madness'

Republican Senator Pat Toomey from Pennsylvania has said that US President Donald Trump has “committed impeachable offenses," adding that the president has "descended into a level of madness" since the November 3 election. 

“I do think the president committed impeachable offenses,” Toomey said during an interview on Fox News on Saturday, following the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters on Wednesday.

Democrats and some Republicans accuse Trump of inciting the violence who has called on his supporters to “fight like hell.”

Toomey said he believes Trump's "behavior this week does disqualify him from serving. But we've got 10 days left, 11 days left."

"I don't know whether logistically it's actually really even possible or practical and I'm not sure it's desirable to attempt to force him out, what a day or two or three prior to the day on which he's going to be finished anyway," Toomey said. "So I'm not clear that's the best path forward."

House Democrats will introduce legislation on Monday calling for the impeachment of Trump following the violence in which five people, including a US Capitol police officer, died.

While Toomey said he believes Trump “committed impeachable offenses,” he added, “I don’t know what’s going to land on the Senate floor if anything.”

It would be best for Trump 'to resign and go away'

In two different interviews on Sunday, Senator Toomey said President Trump should leave office immediately, rather than remaining in the White House until January 20.

Toomey told NBC News that he agreed with his colleague, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who called for the president to resign immediately.

"I think the best way for our country… is for the president to resign and go away as soon as possible," the senator said.

"It does not look as though there is the will or the consensus to exercise the 25th amendment option. And I don't think there's time to do an impeachment. There's ten days left before the president leaves anyway. I think the best thing would be a resignation." he continued.

Hakeem Jeffries warns Trump ‘still has access to the nuclear codes'

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries from New York has said that Trump remains an “existential threat” despite the imminent end of his presidency on January 20.

In a second interview on Sunday, the GOP swing-state senator said that he didn't believe after Wednesday's violence that Trump would ever win the White House again.

"I think the president has disqualified himself from ever certainly serving in office again," Toomey told CNN's Jake Tapper.

"I don't think he's electable in any way, and I don't think that he's going to be exercising anything like the kind of influence like he's had over the Republican Party going forward," he continued.

"I don't think there's any doubt at all, there's none in my mind, that the president's behavior after the election was wildly different than his behavior before," said the Pennsylvania Republican. "He descended into a level of madness and engaged in activity that was absolutely unthinkable and unforgivable."

Trump’s impeachment declaration accuses Trump of engaging “in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by willfully inciting violence against the Government of the United States.”

It states that Trump “has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law.”

Another Republican senator, Ben Sasse from for Nebraska , said that if the Democrat-led House of Representatives comes together on an impeachment process, “I will definitely consider whatever articles they might move because… I believe the president has disregarded his oath of office." 

Sasse said he "swore an oath to the American people to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution" and that Trump "acted against that."

Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator from Alaska, said that Trump should resign.

“I want him to resign. I want him out. He has caused enough damage,” she said.

US House Democrats to introduce Trump impeachment article on Monday

US House Democrats will introduce legislation on Monday calling for the impeachment of outgoing President Donald Trump.

After two months of refusal to accept his defeat in the November 3 election, Trump sparked violence in the Capitol, calling on his supporters to “fight like hell.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer also called for the urgent removal of Trump from power on Thursday.

"This is an emergency of the highest magnitude," Pelosi said, branding Trump "a very dangerous person who should not continue in office."

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