President Trump said in a tweet that if he is removed from office, a "civil war" might erupt in the United States. Mr. Trump was quoting Pastor Robert Jeffress, a Fox News contributor and host, who suggested that impeaching the president would lead to "civil war."
"If the Democrats are successful in removing the President from office (which they will never be), it will cause a Civil War like fracture in this Nation from which our Country will never heal," Mr. Trump tweeted, attributing the quote to Jeffress.
Jeffress did more or less say that on "Fox & Friends" – with Mr. Trump adding his thoughts in the parenthesis of the tweet, saying he will never be removed from office. The president's repetition of the quote received widespread backlash – including from his own party.
While some made fun of the potential of another civil war, many Twitter users pointed out that inciting civil war could encourage violence.
Oath Keepers Militia, which is identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as "one of the largest radical antigovernment groups in the U.S. today," embraced Mr. Trump's civil war suggestion. "This is the truth. This is where we are. We ARE on the verge of a HOT civil war," the group wrote.
As of Monday, over 90% of the 235 Democrats in the House of Representatives either support impeachment proceedings against President Trump or have signaled they are open to supporting them.
The formal impeachment inquiry was announced by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi soon after the president admitted he had asked the Ukrainian president to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Pelosi said Mr. Trump's actions represent a betrayal of his oath of office, of national security and of the integrity of U.S. elections.