Former Trump White House Chief of Staff John Kelly advocates using the 25th Amendment to impeach the president

“Yes, I will,” Kelly told CNN’s “The Lead” when asked whether he would support the amendment if he had a vote.

Comments by Kelly, who left the White House under supervision, are controversial Conditions in January 2019, It comes as a growing list of Democrats and Republicans call for Trump to be removed from office either through impeachment or the 25th Amendment after a violent crowd of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday.

It also represents one of Trump’s strongest reprimands from a former White House member amid fallout from the riots on Wednesday. Summoning the 25th Amendment requires Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of cabinet members to vote to remove Trump from office due to his inability to “discharge the powers and duties of office” – an unprecedented move.

“I think the cabinet should meet and have a discussion. I don’t think that will happen, but I think the cabinet should meet and discuss that because the behavior yesterday and in the weeks and months preceding that was just terrible,” said Kelly, who has criticized Trump from time to time since leaving him. For his position.

“What happened on Capitol Hill yesterday is a direct result of poisoning people’s minds with lies and fraud,” he added.

Kelly, who has often stayed out of sight since leaving the White House, told Tapper that he was “terrified” by the violent scene.

“Just an unbelievable sight in the Capitol. Honestly, the president’s actions and words didn’t surprise me at all, but I was very surprised that these people would attack people’s homes, inflict damage and embarrass us all,” he said, referring to the pro-Trump mob.

Kelly also rejected comments made by his successor, Mick Mulvaney, who resigned on Wednesday Of a diplomatic post he was in the administration, saying Trump is not the same as he was several months ago.

Asked for the comments, Kelly said, “I don’t think it has changed a little.” “Of course, he’s angry that he lost an election. It’s a joke now and he’s hitting it. But again, someone needs his help, you know, and his administration.”

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In addition to Mulvaney, several other officials resigned from the administration in protest of the riots on Wednesday and Trump’s response to them, including Transportation Secretary Eileen Chau, one of the longest-serving members of the Trump government to formally leave office on Monday.

Trump’s deputy national security adviser, Matt Pottinger, is also among those who have left government, as are First Lady’s Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham, his press aide and the White House social secretary.

This story has been updated with more interview.

CNN’s Kevin Liptak, Caitlan Collins and Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.