Auchincloss: 'I Don't Want To Be Unified With People Who Are Waging Insurrection Against The United States Government'

US Capitol building dome with American flag — White marble exterior of the United States Capitol, often called the Capitol Building, is the home of the United States Congress and the seat of the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. It is located on Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. View of the east facade

Zoe Mathews is a producer for Boston Public Radio and the producer of The Scrum podcast.

January 13, 2021

Updated August 07, 2023

Speaking on Boston Public Radio on Wednesday, Rep. Jake Auchincloss discussed the calls for unity, largely coming from Republicans as an argument against impeaching President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the insurrection on the Capitol.

"I don't want to be unified with people who are waging insurrection against the United States government. I don't want to be unified for people who are storming the Capitol in the belief there's a conspiracy of pedophiles running the government, and then kill a Capitol Police officer by attacking him with a fire extinguisher," said Auchincloss. "Now is time for moral leadership. Moral leadership means removing this president, protecting the integrity of our institutions, [and] then it means returning to governance."

The House previously impeached President Donald Trump over allegations he improperly sought help from Ukraine in his re-election efforts. Only one Republican senator — Mitt Romney from Utah — voted to convict him.

This time around, Trump faces one charge of inciting an insurrection, and there are a number of Republican senators who have signaled they may support it.

“I welcome each additional member who’s willing to put country and constitution first,” said Auchincloss. “I’m not going to praise them for it. It's long past time. But I certainly welcome it.”

Auchincloss, a Democrat from Newton who just took over the House seat previously held by Joe Kennedy III, also decried Rep. Lauren Boebert's refusal to let Capitol Police search her bag for a gun. The newly elected Republican from Colorado set off a metal detector at the entrance to the House chambers this week, installed in the wake of the insurrection on the Capitol building, and had made a campaign slogan of her promise to bring her firearms to Washington D.C., and into the Capitol.

"I served four and a half years on the Marine Corps; every weapon that she fetishises, I have used," he said. "There's no need or cause to have them on the House floor."

According to CNN, members of Congress are allowed to carry firearms in the Capitol complex, but only in their offices, not on the House and Senate floors.