Sen. Al Franken has announced his resignation just one day after the majority of his Democratic peers in the Senate called for him to step down as a representative of the state of Minnesota.
A number of women have come forward in recent weeks to accuse Franken of groping and misconduct. Those allegations have led to increased scrutiny and calls for him to vacate his position.
So, during a speech on the Senate floor on Thursday, Franken announced that he will be stepping down in the coming weeks — and expressed his initial reaction to hearing the allegations waged against him.
“I was shocked. I was upset,” he said. “But in responding to their claims I also wanted to be respectful of that broader conversation, because all women deserve to be heard and their experiences taken seriously.”
Franken went on to say that not all of the allegations against him are true, but that he plans to leave his post “in the coming weeks.” The senator also took a moment to hit back at President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Roy Moore.
“I am of all people am aware that there is some irony in the fact that I am leaving, while a man who has bragged on tape about his history of sexual assault sits in the Oval Office,” he said. “And a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls campaigns for the Senate with the full support of his party.”
Watch Franken’s statement below: