Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley Say President Trump Must Be Removed From Office 'Immediately'

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Congressman Seth Moulton called for President Donald Trump to be immediately removed from office after protesters stormed Capitol Hill on Wednesday.

Live Coverage: Trump Supporters Storm Capitol As Police Declare Lockdown

Sessions of the House and Senate were abruptly recessed as Capitol Hill was placed under lockdown while lawmakers counted electoral votes to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the November election.

"Trump is directly responsible for this insurrection and violence. He needs to be removed from office immediately. It is the Constitutional responsibility of Vice President Pence and the cabinet to exercise the power granted them by the 25th amendment," Moulton tweeted. "Or Congress must immediately impeach and remove the President for the safety of our nation."

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley tweeted a similar statement Wednesday afternoon.

Congressman Bill Keating also called for President Trump's removal. "VP Pence, Speaker Pelosi, & Sen. Grassley are 1st, 2nd & 3rd in the line of succession and they were effectively trapped in the Capitol today at the instigation of the President," Keating tweeted.

Congresswoman Katherine Clark called President Trump a traitor on Twitter and said, "He must be removed from office and prevented from further endangering our country and our people."

Congressman Richard Neal tweeted a similar statement, calling the protests, "an assault on the citadel of democracy."

Congresswoman Lori Trahan called on President Trump to resign or, failing that, his Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment.

"I think today what we all witnessed was an assault on the Capitol, which in my mind is an act of domestic terrorism," said Rep. Lori Trahan. "He is directly responsible for the acts of terror that took place today. He's unfit. He's unfit to serve another second as the president of the United States."

Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey also called for President Trump to be removed from office, saying, "He is a direct threat to our country. He needs to be impeached, removed from office, and barred from ever holding office again."

Earlier in the afternoon, Moulton called the violence an "attempted coup" and "anarchy."

"Those aren't peaceful protesters. They're not standing up for our constitutional rights. They're trying to dismantle them," Moulton told CBSN Boston.

"We will see our way through this, and we will not let these domestic terrorists take our government away from us and from the American people."

Moulton said despite the violence on Capitol Hill, he is not concerned for his safety.

"I'm perfectly safe right now. But I do fear for our democracy," said Moulton.