Billionaire Ken Langone hits Trump actions around riot: ‘I feel betrayed’

Home Depot billionaire co-founder Ken Langone said on Wednesday he felt “betrayed” by President TrumpDonald Trump Growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment YouTube temporarily bans uploading new content to Trump House channel passes measure calling on Pence to remove Trump MOREdriving before and after last week’s deadly riot on the U.S. Capitol.

“I think the biggest mistake anyone is going to make is trying to rationalize what happened last week, what the president did and what this crowd did,” Langone said Wednesday on “Squawk. Box ”from CNBC hours before the House was due to impeach Trump for a second time. “There should be no mitigation at all. It was horrible. It was wrong. I’m shocked.”

“It should never have happened in this country,” he continued. “If this doesn’t break the hearts of all Americans, something is wrong. It breaks my heart, for sure. I didn’t sign up for this.

Langone then urged Americans to unify before the president-elect Joe bidenJoe Biden Growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment House passes measure calling on Pence to withdraw Trump Disney, Walmart says they will block donations to lawmakers who opposed Electoral College resultssaid he would “do whatever I can from day one to make sure I do my part to make Joe Biden the most successful president in the history of this country.”

Langone made similar comments in 2017 after Trump insisted that attendees at the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia included “very good people.” The billionaire said Trump “had completely mismanaged the situation in Charlottesville,” although he continued to support the president’s economic policies.

The president’s handling of the riot and his repeated promotion of unproven conspiracy theories of voter fraud led to numerous high-profile defections in the final days of his presidency. Transport secretary Elaine chaoAn Elaine ChaoAgency official said a riot on Capitol Hill struck near his home for former transportation secretary Chao Acting DHS chief Chad Wolf resigns and secretary of education Betsy DeVosBetsy DeVosBiden’s Chance to Win Over Conservative Christians Acting DHS Leader Chad Wolf resigns The Memo: GOP and nation grapple with what’s to come MORE both resigned last week, citing his rhetoric that led to the riots.

Soon after, Sens. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann Murkowski McConnell to return to role as Chief Trump Advocate GOP Senator Tim Scott opposes Trump Republicans’ impeachment in impeachment vote MORE (R-Alaska) and Pat ToomeyPatrick (Pat) Joseph Toomey Government used Patriot Act to collect logs of website visitors in 2019 Appeals court says NSA bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford steps down as committee chair coronavirus surveillance READ MORE (R-Pa.) Became the first GOP senator to call for his resignation. At least four House Republicans, including the Speaker of the House Republican Conference Liz cheneyElizabeth (Liz) Lynn Cheney Growing number of GOP lawmakers say they support impeachment House passes measure calling on Pence to impeach Trump’s Republican Fred Upton says he will vote to impeach Trump MORE (R-Wyo.), Are about to vote for his impeachment.