In the wake of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath is calling for President Trump to be removed from office and a well-known local election official is saying the “insurrection” proved his worst fears about Trump’s incitements.
The attack on the Capitol disrupted the counting of the Electoral College vote that will award the presidency to Joe Biden. Trump has challenged his loss with a variety of conspiracy theories about supposed fraud in Georgia and elsewhere.
McBath — a Democrat whose 6th Congressional District includes parts of Brookhaven, Dunwoody and Sandy Springs — was among the legislators placed in lockdown as the Capitol was invaded. On Twitter, she later called for Vice President Mike Pence to replace Trump through untested provisions in the U.S. Constitution for forcing the removal of a president who has an “inability” to perform his duties.
“The eyes of the world are upon us, and the president’s incitement of violence, his inducement of chaos, and his inability to faithfully ‘discharge the powers and duties of his office’ make it clear,” McBath wrote. “The president has refused to protect our democracy and must be removed.”
Gabriel Sterling, a familiar Sandy Springs political figure, managed the Nov. 3 presidential election for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office. Sterling previously drew international attention for publicly rebuking Trump’s conspiracy theories and accusing him of stoking death threats that made political violence inevitable. Sterling, who reportedly was among the officials who left the Georgia Capitol during non-violent protests there simultaneously with the U.S. Capitol assault, took to Twitter Jan. 6 to say his worst fears were realized.
“I said several weeks ago that the words and actions of the president were going to get someone shot, hurt or killed,” Sterling wrote. “Shots were just fired in the U.S. Capitol. Let that sink in for a moment.”
He also strongly condemned Republican lawmakers who were backing Trump’s challenge of the Electoral College vote-counting, saying they “are part of this attempted coup inspired by the president and they should resign. This is an insurrection…”
But Sterling later expressed optimism as well. “Today will end up being a great day for democracy,” he wrote. “It will show its resilience as these actions inspired by the president will be held back. But those who are part of it need to be held accountable.”
One of those lawmakers is U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk, whose 11th Congressional District includes part of Buckhead. On Twitter, Loudermilk denounced violence while supporting the general protest movement and without mentioning Trump.
“Violence against our brave law enforcement is not in line with our values as freedom-loving Americans,” Loudermilk wrote. “I strongly support our rights to peacefully protest, but strongly condemn any acts of violence against our brave officers of the Capitol Police or others.”
Newly elected U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, whose 5th Congressional District includes parts of Brookhaven and Buckhead, also chairs the Democratic Party of Georgia. She condemned the attack and blamed Republicans.
“Armed domestic terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop the peaceful transfer of power in our country. In America,” she wrote on Twitter. “Republicans contesting the election results are complicit in the violence you’ve watched on TV today.”