US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined calls for the immediate removal of President Donald Trump and may support impeachment.
(Photo: New York Times)
NBC News reported that Ms. Pelosi has joined the call of the new Senate Majority Leader – Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer – to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to act.
Mr. Schumer will become Majority Leader after the Democratic candidates who won the Georgia Senate election officially took office. With the victory in the two Georgia Senate seats, the Democratic Party won 50 seats in the Senate, thereby gaining majority control in both the Senate and the US House of Representatives, alongside Mr. Joe Biden holding the White House in the next term.
Ms. Pelosi and Mr. Schumer called on Mr. Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to immediately remove Mr. Trump from office, because they believe that the White House owner incited a crowd of supporters on the afternoon of January 6, leading to violent protesters storming the Capitol building, forcing the US Congress leadership to evacuate and interrupting the joint session of the two houses to confirm the US election results.
Pelosi said that if Vice President Pence does not act, the House – controlled by Democrats – will consider impeachment to remove Mr. Trump from office. According to NBC, this move is largely symbolic because there is very little time left for the Senate to conduct an impeachment trial, while President Trump’s term ends in 13 days.
“What happened at the Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against America, incited by the President,” Schumer said in a statement on the morning of January 7 (Eastern time). “This President should not serve another day in office.”
“The quickest and most effective way – which can be done within a day – to remove the President from office is for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th Amendment… If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to act, Congress will convene to impeach the President.”
Ms. Nancy Pelosi criticized President Trump as “a dangerous person who should not continue in power”.
“This is urgent. This is an emergency of the highest order,” the US House Speaker said at a press conference on the afternoon of January 7.
“I join Senate Democratic Leader [Chuck Schumer] in calling on the Vice President to remove the President from office by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet fail to act, Congress is ready to move forward with impeachment.”
“With only 13 days left [of the Trump administration], any day could be a horror show for America.”
Under the provisions of the 25th Amendment, the Vice President – with the support of a majority of the Cabinet – can invoke the Amendment and declare the President unfit to continue serving, thereby allowing the President to be removed from office early. Under this scenario, the Vice President would immediately assume the position of President pro tempore.
Pelosi admitted that her phone has been “blowing up” with calls about impeachment. The House speaker said she has no immediate plans to push the idea because she hasn’t slept since the US election certification session ended around 4am on January 7.
The attack on the Capitol came hours after Mr Trump addressed supporters and urged them to march to Congress. “You will never take back your country with weakness, you must show strength and be strong,” the President said at noon on January 6.
