Former FBI and CIA director William Webster called for the impeachment of President Donald Trump in a Monday op-ed published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Webster described himself as a “lifelong Republican” and was first appointed FBI director by President Jimmy Carter in 1978 before being appointed CIA director by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He alleged in the editorial that Trump helped fuel the Capitol riot Jan. 6 and announced his support for “those who speak of censure, impeachment or removal.”
96 year old former Federal Judge, CIA and FBI director William Webster a lifelong Republican is calling for the removal, impeachment and censure of the President. And slams fellow Missourian Sen. Josh Hawley https://t.co/ooLzq9Vk7J
— Andrea Mitchell (@mitchellreports) January 12, 2021
“Never in my 96 years did I imagine a sitting president of the United States, abetted by numerous members of Congress, using tools of deception and innuendo to challenge the will of the American people in choosing their leadership,” he wrote.
Hundreds of pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol building in protest of the Electoral College certification. Images and videos shared on social media show rioters breaking glass windows and brawling with Capitol Police. Authorities have reported that five people died including Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick.
There have been growing calls to impeach and remove the president following the deadly riot. House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment Monday and the move has been backed by at least one Republican. (RELATED: Can Trump Be Impeached After He Leaves Office? It’s Complicated)
A native of Missouri, Webster said he was “especially enraged” that one of the chief proponents of objecting to the Electoral College certification vote was Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley.
He also specifically mentioned Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and members of the Trump family.
Webster has been critical of Trump in the past. He alleged the president had eroded the independence of the FBI and claimed Trump’s presidency was a “dire threat” to the rule of law in a Dec. 2019 editorial published in The New York Times.