Ducey says Trump bears blame for Capitol riots but shouldn’t be punished

PHOENIX — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said Thursday that President Donald Trump deserves responsibility for last week’s riot at the U.S. Capitol, but he opposes the impeachment process.

Ducey believes a Senate vote to convict the Republican president would only further create a divide during tumultuous times in the country.

Trump on Wednesday was impeached by the House on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol.

He’s the first president in history to have been impeached twice.

“The president bears some responsibility. I do think there is a take you can have on this for retribution or you can have the wisdom of turning down the heat,” Ducey told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s The Mike Broomhead Show.

“The country is divided and healing may be too high of an objective, but calming is something we can aspire to.”

Ducey had a strong relationship with Trump during his presidency until Arizona’s election results were certified in late November.

Trump then expressed his displeasure of Ducey’s backing the state’s results in a series of tweets from the president, a commonality for Trump in the two months that led up to the deadly riots.

During the impeachment hearing, Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud were said to have helped create the environment that led to the Capitol attack.

Ducey was quick to denounce the rioters’ actions and said he hopes others involved who aren’t Trump face consequences.

“I said there was no place for violence or vandalism in the people’s house,” Ducey said. “The perpetrators should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and we should condemn that. And we should resolve that that never, ever happens again in this country.”

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