Freshman GOP congresswoman believes Trump should be held accountable for Capitol riots but opposes 'rushed' impeachment

(Image credit: AP Photo/Mic Smith)

Freshman Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) has been critical of President Trump in the wake of the deadly riot at the United States Capitol last week, and on Wednesday, during her first speech on the House floor, she said he needs to be held "accountable" for his role in stoking violence, as does anyone who else who contributed, including her own colleagues.

With that in mind, she said the House has "every right" to impeach the president, but even so, she suggested she wouldn't vote in favor of sending the article to the Senate. Her apparent opposition is mostly on procedural grounds — Mace believes the lower chamber is rushing the vote, which, in her view, "violates due process." In addition to her floor speech, Mace told The National Journal "there would be more success if it were done properly over time, with deliberations, investigations, and evidence presented."

If Mace votes against the article later Wednesday as expected, she likely won't prevent its passage, given the Democratic majority, though it does signal there will only be a handful of House GOP defections. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.