A viral video calling for the expulsion of Republican senators Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz after the Capitol violence has been viewed more than two million times.
The clip, produced by anti-Donald Trump PAC Really American, brings together images of Cruz and Hawley with police officers being crushed or beaten by protesters.
A woman’s account explains why they should be removed from office, alleging that the two lawmakers played an important role in inciting the insurrection in Washington, DC
Five people, including a police officer, died during the violence that engulfed the Capitol on January 6 in hopes of derailing President Elect Joe Biden’s imminent move to the White House after Trump addressed the crowds at a Stop the Steal rally.
NEW VIDEO📽️: The 14th Amendment is clear. No American involved in insurrection or rebellion is allowed to hold office. Cruz and Hawley are to blame for the insurrection as a result of their rhetoric and dangerous conspiracies.
Retweet if you agree, we should #ExpelThemBoth pic.twitter.com/ovmeREoWua
– ReallyAmerican.com 🇺🇸 (@ ReallyAmerican1) January 18, 2021
Hawley and Cruz were widely condemned for challenging the results of the Electoral College during certification, especially after the siege of the Capitol.
The Really American video, which was shared on Sunday, has garnered over two million views in just nine hours, as well as more than 17,200 retweets.
The female narrator says, “The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution is clear: no American who is involved in an insurrection or rebellion can hold office.”
“While seven Republican senators voted to overturn the November 2020 election, Ted Crus and Josh Hawley share the biggest blame for firing the violent crowd of Trump supporters who attacked the U.S. capital and killed five people,” continues the narrator.
A clip of Cruz addressing Trump supporters is then played, in which he says, “We will not go out quietly overnight.” Hawley is then seen talking to a newscaster saying, “There were major problems with this election. There were major issues of electoral integrity. There needs to be an investigation. There needs to be changes in the law.”
Next to a photo of Hawley launching his first in the air, the narrator says: “The same terrorists that Josh Hawley greeted at the Capitol with a raised fist invaded the people’s home with the intention of kidnapping and even murdering elected officials.”
The video then plays a clip of a Trump supporter outside the Capitol, saying, “Death is the only remedy for what is in that building.”
The video accuses Cruz and Hawley of remaining “determined to lie about the election”. The narrator says: “Now militia groups are planning to attack the Capitol again next week. Even more Americans can be hurt because Cruz and Hawley refuse to accept any responsibility.
Justin Sullivan / Getty
“Cruz and Hawley are too dangerous to wait to vote. They need to be expelled from the Senate immediately and prosecuted for helping and inciting acts of terrorism.”
Congressional requests for resignation or removal have increased among lawmakers since the attack on the Capitol.
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin said his colleagues should consider expelling Cruz and Hawley for their alleged roles in inciting the January 6 “Capitol uprising”.
In an interview Friday at PBS ‘ Line of Fire with Margaret Hoover, Manchin said that although he has a good personal relationship with Cruz and Hawley, his alleged violation of the 14th Amendment rule against inciting an insurrection and holding public office should be investigated.
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) also called for Hawley and Cruz’s resignation. She claimed that they broke their oath by spearheading the Senate’s turnaround efforts, which, she says, inspired the revolt mob.
Anna Moneymaker / Getty
“As a senator, I respect all members who disagree with my ideas. I reserve the right to use my voice to fight for what I believe in,” said Murray. “But in the end, our job is to keep this country a democracy where voices win, not brute force. Any senator who stands up and supports the power of force over the power of democracy has broken his oath. Senators Hawley and Cruz should resign. “
Hawley said he only opposed the Electoral College vote count because he wanted an opportunity to point out that “some states, particularly Pennsylvania, have failed to follow their own state electoral laws” by expanding voting options during the COVID-19 pandemic in progress.
Cruz echoed Hawley’s sentiment, saying, “What I was doing and the other senators were doing is what we were elected to do, which is to debate matters of great importance in the United States Senate Chamber.”
Cruz and Hawley’s offices were contacted for comment by Newsweek.