Joe Walsh, the former Tea Party congressman challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, says the 25th amendment to impeach should be "looked at".
A Republican challenger to President Trump's re-election bid emerged this past weekend: William Joseph Walsh, the former Tea Partier and Congressman for Illinois' 8th district.
Joe Walsh announced his candidacy in an appearance on This Week with George Stephanopoulos.
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Walsh, 57, served one term in Congress from 2011 -2013 before losing a re-election campaign to Tammy Duckworth. Since then, he has worked as a conservative radio talk show host.
"It should be looked at," Joe Walsh says when asked if the 25th Amendment should be invoked
"We've never had a situation like this. You can't believe a word he says ... he's nuts, he's erratic, he's cruel, he stokes bigotry," Walsh says about Pres. Trump https://t.co/bLWbG7aCAU pic.twitter.com/WOfunIizo4
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) August 25, 2019
He described Trump as "a bully and a coward" and accused the GOP of failing to hold him accountable. "
I cannot believe nobody in our party is calling him out," he said. "But the bet, George, of my campaign, is that there are a lot of other Republicans who feel like I do."
Republican challengers call for Trump's impeachment via the 25th amendment
Stephanopoulos asked Walsh what he thought of another Republican primary challenger, former Governor of Massachusetts Bill Weld, calling for an exploration of the 25th amendment to impeach Trump.
Walsh said he agreed with Weld that the 25th amendment "should be looked at."
.@realDonaldTrump is a clear and present danger—to our country, to the globe and to himself. #AmericaDeservesBetter#25thAmendment
— Gov. Bill Weld (@GovBillWeld) August 21, 2019
"We've never had a situation like this. You can't believe a word he says. . . He's nuts, he's erratic, he's cruel, he stokes bigotry, he's incompetent, he doesn't know what he's doing."
"He's a narcissist. Everything he cares about - the only thing he cares about - is Trump. He doesn't give a damn about America, he doesn't care about the border.
The 25th amendment allows the President to appoint a Vice President whenever that office falls vacant, allows an incapacitated President to step aside temporarily without forfeiting the office, and provides a mechanism whereby the Vice President, upon a majority vote of the Cabinet, may declare the President incapacitated and serve as Acting President until he recovers.
Read More: Could Trump be removed by the 25th amendment, drafted by the son of Irish immigrants?
It was drafted byJohn Feerick, the former Dean of Fordham Law school and a highly respected arbitration attorney who is best known by for his pioneering work on the 25th amendment. His parents were poor Irish immigrants, from Ballinrobe and Foxford, in County Mayo.
Walsh takes responsibility for Trump's election
Walsh, who was elected as a member of the Republican party's Tea Party movement, initially supported Trump's presidential run, tweeting on October 24, 2016: "On November 8th, I'm voting for Trump. On November 9th, if Trump loses, I'm grabbing my musket. You in?"
He is now saying that he takes responsibility for Trump being elected.
Speaking on MSNBC's Morning Joe, Walsh declared "Hey look, I think I'm partly responsible for Trump, and that's a scary thing to say."
.@WalshFreedom on why he’s running against Donald Trump, "he’s unqualified, he’s unfit, he’s a child, he’s reckless, he’s erratic, he’s a narcissist, he’s mean, he’s cruel, he lies every time he opens his mouth." pic.twitter.com/qH3bMNhscM
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 26, 2019
He went on to identify two things he feels got Trump elected: the Republican party establishment being out of touch with their voters, particularly on the issue of immigration, and the rhetoric of demonization and personal attacks that the Tea Party popularized.
"Me and a bunch of people like me, we got ahead of ourselves and we engaged in this politics of personal destruction. We - I, speaking for myself, I would demonize my opponents, I would say bad personal things about President Obama, about Muslims, things that I regret."
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Walsh believes that the popularization of this rhetoric led to Trump's rise to power.
"That's all he is, he is one giant, ugly personal attack. He can't engage in the issues. So yeah, I feel pretty darn responsible for having him in the White House."
Both Walsh and Weld face a challenging road ahead: a sitting US president has never been unseated for their own party's nomination for re-election.
Are you a Republican voter who would consider a primary challenger against Trump? Share your thoughts in the comment section or on social media.
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