Republican congressman Darrell Issa claims Democrats are 'overplaying the death of these people on Capitol Hill'
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa is warning Democrats are 'overplaying a lot of things, including the death of these people' by pursuing impeachment, following the Capitol riot that led to the death of a Capitol Police officer.
He spoke as the Capitol was still mourning the loss of Capitol police officer Brian Sicknick, who died amid the violent riot in the Capitol by Trump supporters following the president's speech at a 'stop the steal' rally Wednesday.
Democrats sought to bring up a resolution Monday that would have instructed Vice President Mike Pence to convene the cabinet and invoke the 25th Amendment seeking to declare Trump unfit for office, while introducing an article of impeachment expected to come to a vote Wednesday.
'Well it's probably similar to shutting off the Twitter feed of somebody after, after his presidency is essentially all over,' Issa said, comparing the impeachment effort to Twitter shutting down Trump's feed by saying there was a risk of incitement to violence.
Republican Rep. Darrell Issa said Democrats are 'overplaying a lot of things, including the deaths of these people' following the riot by Trump supporters inside the U.S. Capitol
'It's kicking when he's down, it's getting rid of 88 million people who follow and listen to the President,' said Issa,' putting the effort in terms of Trump's own legacy and state of mind.
Issa claimed that 'liberals saw an opportunity misstep by the President that they're going to overplay and they're overplaying it as we speak.' Some Republicans have called for Trump to step down after calling for his supporters to 'fight' before the Capitol riot. The impeachment article charges Trump with 'incitement of insurrection.'
The effort, overseen by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, will put House Republicans on the spot with votes – although she warns it is driven by a desire to prevent Trump from making any misdeeds during his final days in office.
Officer Brian Sicknick was killed during the clash, and died of injuries sustained during the riots
Issa spoke to host Maria Bartiromo, a favorite interviewer of President Trump's.
Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) listen to testimony from witnesses during a House Oversight Committee hearing entitled 'Reviews of the Benghazi Attack and Unanswered Questions,' in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill, September 19, 2013
Tear gas is released into a crowd of protesters during clashes with Capitol police at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021
Supporters of President Donald Trump climb the west wall of the the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington
Pro-Trump rioter uses tear gas against police during rally around at Capitol building when they tried to break in through front doors
'They're overplaying a lot of things including the death of these people on Capitol Hill,' he told Fox Business Network. 'It was a terrible event, terrible things people would need to be punished.' He said they were 'trying to use it to, to imply that there's only one side that has violence and completely ignoring all of last year, and the unchecked violence from the left,' apparently equating the riots inside the Capitol to violence that accompanied some protests over the death of George Floyd this summer.
He spoke to host Maria Bartiromo, a favorite interviewer of President Trump's.
Issa's comments about 'overplaying' the deaths at the U.S. Capitol during the count of the Electoral College votes for president come despite his identity as a zealous investigator over the raid at the U.S. diplomatic facility in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of four Americans.
He oversaw a series of hearings into the matter, and in 2015 tried to crash a deposition being conducted by a separate House Select Committee on Benghazi.