Gov. JB Pritzker released a statement on Wednesday calling for the immediate impeachment and removal of President Donald Trump after far-right extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol. 

“I don’t make a statement like this lightly: Two weeks is too long for Donald Trump to remain in office, where he can continue to incite more untold violence,” Pritzker said. 

Trump encouraged his supporters via Twitter to show up on Jan. 6 to protest the certification of the election results. When thousands came from across the country, he spoke to them and encouraged them.

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Twitter suspended Trump’s account on Wednesday and removed some of his tweets. YouTube and Facebook also removed a video where he once again falsely claimed he won the election.

(See more from Politico: Twitter locks down Trump’s account).

“As the heart of our democracy was under siege and blood was literally being spilled in our most sacred halls, Donald Trump was praising the attackers,” Pritzker said. “There are real questions about what efforts the President made to protect our Congress or what obstructions he committed that has prevented the ending of the siege.”

Pritzker said there is no doubt in his mind that Trump’s efforts to encourage a coup represent high treason to the Constitution and all Americans.

 “He poses a danger to our nation. He must be impeached and removed from office immediately. And every person in a position of public trust, elected or otherwise, who enabled the systematic dismantling of our democratic norms and failed to speak up or take action bears some responsibility for the culmination of four years of spreading bile,” Pritzker said.

Senator Tammy Duckworth (IL-D) condemned the riots on Wednesday and said in a Facebook post: “In November, the American people turned out in historic numbers and elected Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to lead our nation.

History will harshly judge those who put party before country and try to overturn the will of the voters.”

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Senator Dick Durbin (IL-D) said Trump incited the violence among his followers.

“This shameful chapter in our nation’s history is the real legacy of Donald Trump. On January 20, we can begin the process of healing the wounds of this country and start to put this national nightmare behind us,” Durbin said on Facebook.

Other Democratic lawmakers, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ted Liu, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Jennifer Wexton and David Cicilline are also calling for Trump’s removal from office.

(See more from The Hill Democratic lawmakers call for Pence to invoke 25th Amendment, remove Trump from office).

Editor-in-Chief Kallie Cox can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @KallieECox.

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