Cuomo: 'I Believe President Trump Should Resign'

Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined other Democrats in the country Friday in calling for President Donald Trump to immediately resign from office, and said Congress should remove him if he’s not willing to leave before his term ends in less than two weeks.

Cuomo had condemned this week’s chaos in Washington, D.C., but hadn’t formally called for Trump’s immediate removal until Friday, when he came out strongly in favor of that result.

"I believe President Trump should resign. I believe if he doesn't resign, that he should be impeached,” Cuomo said.

He called on the entire congressional delegation from New York to call for Trump’s removal, which is unlikely given that a handful of Repulbican members have remained close allies of the president. Other Republicans from New York have parted ways with Trump.

Several Democrats from New York have already called for Trump to be removed from office, whether by resignation, action by the president’s cabinet, or impeachment by Congress.

That includes Sen. Chuck Schumer, who’s poised to become the new majority leader of the U.S. Senate after Democrats pulled off a pair of wins in Georgia this week. Some Democrats have already signed on to articles of impeachment against the president.

Cuomo called on the Republican members of the state’s congressional delegation to change their position and join calls for Trump’s removal, saying not doing so would be a stain on their record.

"Put principle over party,” Cuomo said. “If you don't, you will live with it.”

Rep. John Katko, a Republican from the Syracuse area, has already said he’s ready for Trump to leave office, but said there likely wouldn’t be time for neither Congress nor his cabinet to remove him before his term ends.

Katko, considered a moderate, said this week’s insurgence at the U.S. Capitol was a direct result of the president’s behavior, and that the country will be better off with him out of office.

“His conduct was completely reprehensible,” Katko said. “I think when Jan. 20th comes, America will be happy and I will be happy.”

Cuomo said he’d rather have Trump resign from office, rather than have him removed by Congress or his cabinet. Removing him from office by force could further political divisions in the country, he said.

"I call on every New York federal official to call on president Trump's resignation,” Cuomo said. “Don't put the country through impeachment. Don't wait for any cabinet action. Call for him to resign as his own act."

Trump has not shown any signs of leaving office before he’s scheduled to vacate the White House later this month. His last day in office is January 20.