Washington, Dec. 15 (IANS): Kamala Harris, first Indian-American to serve in the US Senate, has joined a growing group of Democratic senators calling for President Donald Trump to step down amid resurfaced allegations of sexual misconduct.
"I think he should resign in the best interest of the country," the California Democrat told Politico in an interview on Thursday.
Harris joined six other Democratic senators -- Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Bernie Sanders, Jeff Merkley, Mazie Hirono and Ron Wyden -- who called for Trump to resign.
The former California Attorney General's remarks came as Trump faced renewed scrutiny over past accusations of sexual misconduct. At least 16 women have accused him of inappropriate behaviour.
Earlier this week, three of the 16 women renewed their allegations publicly as they detailed their accounts of being groped, fondled and forcibly kissed by Trump before he was elected the US President. They urged Congress to investigate their stories.
Trump inflamed his critics again this week when he said in a tweet that Senator Gillibrand used to "come to my office 'begging' for campaign contributions" and that she "would do anything for them".
Harris, a potential presidential contender in 2020, said Trump's tweet "was completely inappropriate on every level".
"First of all, we know he's not going to resign," Harris said. "So let's just be clear about that. But if he were going to make a decision that was in the best interest of the country, I think he should. He should seriously consider it."
Trump has repeatedly denied accusations of sexual misconduct, taking to Twitter to deride what he called "false accusations and fabricated stories".
Harris said she believed Trump's accusers and said that there should be an inquiry into the veracity of their claims.
