'Bad Optic': Rep. Lynch Not Joining Call For Immediate Removal Of President Trump

BOSTON (CBS) – Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch said he does not believe it would be "a good optic" to remove President Donald Trump from office after a day of violence on Capitol Hill.

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. The hearing has not yet resumed.

Rep. Seth Moulton and Cogresswoman Ayanna Pressley were among the politicians calling for President Trump to be removed from office "immediately."

Lynch told CBSN Boston he does not agree.

"I don't think it's a good optic to try to go in and yank the president out of the White House. I think that would just feed the fervor," said Lynch. "I think people realize we've got 14 days to prevent this president from doing any further harm to the country. That's our job and I think we can do it without removing him from office."

The Massachusetts Democrat said he attempted to get back to his office as chaos erupted, but a chemical irritant had been deployed so he sheltered in place.

"It's just a very sad moment, and this was largely brought about by the President," said Lynch. "When he directed them all to converge on the Capitol, that's when all hell broke loose and that's when they overran the perimeter of the Capitol Police and barged into the House and House Chambers and Senate Chambers and disrupting the whole process."

President Trump later issued a video statement that protesters should "go home now." But the president also repeated his claim that "We had an election that was stolen from us."

Lynch called the statement "just disgraceful."

"What happened today was a mob tried to negate one branch of government, the legislative branch," said Lynch.