Democratic lawmakers were quick to react on social media to the news that Donald Trump's former national security adviser, Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty on Friday to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian officials, with some calling for the president's impeachment.
Flynn pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of making false statements to the FBI about his interactions with Russian Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak in late December 2016. The retired Army general said in a statement that he is cooperating with the Office of the Special Counsel in its ongoing investigation into alleged ties between Russia and the Trump campaign.
Some Democrats in Congress appeared to cheer Flynn's guilty plea and expressed their feelings on Twitter after the story broke.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Calif.) tweeted the chant that then-candidate Trump made famous during the 2016 presidential campaign when he called for Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton to be jailed for her email scandal.
"Lock him up, lock him up, lock him up, lock him up," tweeted Waters, a vocal Trump critic who has repeatedly called for his impeachment.
Lock him up, lock him up, lock him up, lock him up.
— Maxine Waters (@RepMaxineWaters) December 1, 2017
Fellow California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman suggested in a tweet he sent out Friday that Trump will be impeached, writing, "Let me be the first to congratulate President Pence," referring to Vice President Mike Pence.
Huffman included a link to an ABC News report that claims Flynn is prepared to testify that Trump directed him to make contact with Russian officials.
Let me be the first to congratulate President Pence. https://t.co/t3vphY2gAj
— Rep. Jared Huffman (@JaredHuffman) December 1, 2017
Other press reports say that a senior member of Trump's presidential transition team, but not Trump himself, directed him to contact the Russians.
On the House floor in the Capitol, Democratic Rep. Al Green (Texas) called for Trump to be impeached following Flynn's guilty plea.
.@RepAlGreen on impeachment – LIVE on C-SPAN https://t.co/wrPYkI6LCx pic.twitter.com/YgFCsUFoXi
— CSPAN (@cspan) December 1, 2017
In October, Green introduced a resolution of articles of impeachment against Trump.
Beyond Democratic lawmakers, other public figures weighed in on Flynn's guilty plea on Twitter.
Former FBI Director James Comey tweeted a cryptic Bible verse that many believe was a comment on Flynn.
"'But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream' Amos 5:24," Comey tweeted along with a link to his Instagram post of a stream of water flowing over rocks.
'But justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" Amos 5:24 https://t.co/o89PSY1YBd
— James Comey (@Comey) December 1, 2017
Noted liberal Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe also commented on the guilty plea and what it could mean for the Trump administration.
"Don't forget Flynn may well have highly incriminating evidence about VPOTUS Mike Pence, who claimed that Flynn misled him about Kislyak," Tribe tweeted. "Perhaps Pence wasn't as clueless as he claims. And we know a sitting VP can be indicted and convicted. Recall Agnew."
Don’t forget Flynn may well have highly incriminating evidence about VPOTUS Mike Pence, who claimed that Flynn misled him about Kislyak. Perhaps Pence wasn’t as clueless as he claims. And we know a sitting VP can be indicted and convicted. Recall Agnew.
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) December 1, 2017
Flynn was fired from his White House post in February for misleading Pence about his conversations with the Russian ambassador.
White House lawyer Ty Cobb said in a statement on Friday that Flynn's guilty plea does not implicate anyone in Trump's White House.
"Nothing about the guilty plea or the charge implicates anyone other than Mr. Flynn," Cobb said. "The conclusion of this phase of the Special Counsel's work demonstrates again that the Special Counsel is moving with all deliberate speed and clears the way for a prompt and reasonable conclusion."