Texas Democrats call on Cruz, Gohmert to resign after Capitol riot

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – The Texas Democratic Party released a comprehensive list on Monday calling on Lone Star State Republicans to resign from office after the Capitol Hill riots earlier this month. Included on the list is Senator Ted Cruz and East Texas Representative Louie Gohmert.

Texas Republicans have known for months that Joe Biden won the Presidential election, yet, they have openly incited violence and attempted to overthrow the will of the people for their own political gain… These 22 Texas Republicans all played a role in Republican attempts to overturn the will of the people by participating in the rally or the violence that we saw at the Capitol.
Statement from Texas Democrats

Cruz led the effort by many Senate Republicans to object to the results from several states that went for President-elect Joe Biden. His reasoning was that there needed to be a study on election integrity due to allegations of widespread voter fraud, despite there not being any serious evidence.

After the riot, Cruz withdrew his support for the objections, but has not apologized for his potential role in the riot.

Cruz said in an interview the day after the Capitol was stormed that “Sadly, you’ve got a lot of Democrats who was using incendiary rhetoric…They’re complaining about the President’s rhetoric, and they’re right in that, but then they’re turning around and using the kind of rhetoric that just throws gasoline on flames.”

Stop stoking division.

Stop spreading hatred.

Stop using malicious rhetoric (such as false & reckless charges of “sedition”).

Stop showing contempt for the half of the country that disagrees with you.

Violence is wrong. We can do better. We are one Nation. #EPluribusUnum https://t.co/Kikh4dW46u
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 6, 2021

Cruz said that Trump does bear some responsibility for the Capitol riots, but emphasized that those who broke the law are ultimately responsible for their own actions. He said he considers what happened Wednesday to be a terrorist attack and wants the rioters prosecuted.

Gohmert filed a lawsuit against Vice President Pence in the lead-up to the Electoral College certification. The lawsuit claimed that as the President of the Senate, Pence should be able to unilaterally reject a state’s electors if there is a dispute.

Pence’s lawsuit was dismissed by an East Texas federal judge that was appointed by President Trump. It was then rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Gohmert called the Capitol riot a “horrible tragedy” and said violence is not the way to settle disputes.

Please people; no violence. That only hurts our cause. Those leading the charge like the guy in yellow with the communist hammer & sickle tattoo: stopping the violence applies to you too. pic.twitter.com/XLKU9Y2y4x
— Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) January 6, 2021

“I have been imploring people to not go down a road that ends to violence,” he said in a call from his office in Washington D.C. “I don’t want that. I don’t advocate it. I want to avoid it.”

In July of last year, multiple Gohmert supporters were involved in fights during protests in downtown Tyler.

Congressman Gohmert said in an interview with KETK News at the time that he can’t tell who started the altercations but said: “If somebody’s going to try to bring the violence of the protests in Portland to East Texas, there are going to be East Texans that show up and say we do not want this kind of stuff here because we support our law enforcement.”

Below is the full list of people that Texas Democrats are calling to step down: