As the United States reels from a violent attack on the Capitol that left five dead, Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives are pushing Republicans to take sides – for or against President Donald Trump.
Announced by Trump’s incitement to mob violence on January 6, House Speaker Pelosi said Monday that the president is an “imminent threat” to the country and “must be fired immediately”.
“The president led a deadly uprising against America that aimed at the very heart of our democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement.
The House is expected Tuesday to take a step-by-step call on Vice President Mike Pence and members of Trump’s cabinet to submit a process under the 25th U.S. Constitutional Amendment, which will allow remove any seat deemed to be unfit to carry out their duties.
Three cabinet secretaries, Elaine Chao, Betsy DeVos and Chad Wolf have resigned following the Capitol attack. But Pence and remaining cabinet secretaries, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have given no sign of taking the drastic step to oust Trump from office.
Democrats had tried the bill calling for Pence Trump to be pushed to the floor of the House with unanimous sanction Monday but were blocked by Republicans.
“Republicans of the House rejected this legislation to protect America, allowing unconstitutional, unstable and deranged harassment activities to continue,” Pelosi said.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urges Republicans to take sides for or against Trump as the country recovers from Wednesday’s attack at the Capitol [Erin Scott/Reuters]
Democrats now plan to put a vote on the step Tuesday night, a move designed to pressure Republicans and set a poll for impeachment the next day.
House Democrats filed one allegation of terrorism in an impeachment article against Trump Monday.
Gathering a crowd of angry political supporters in Washington and urging them to march on the Capitol to block Congress’ testimony about the impact of Biden’s election, Trump said “inciting unanimous violence business ”, said the article.
Trump was gravely “threatening the integrity of the democratic system, impeding the peaceful movement of power, and obstructing a coordinating branch of government”, the article continued.
Speaking to White House reporters Tuesday morning, Trump moved House Democrats to implore him as “utterly rusty”.
There is “terrible anger” among his supporters about the new impeachment campaign, Trump said and called it “a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics”.
In further comments to the media at the Andrews Air Force Base before leaving for a trip to Texas, Trump said his speech on Jan. 6 to his rally in Washington was “absolutely appropriate”.
A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday found that 52 percent of Americans think Trump should be ousted and 56 percent blamed him for the Capitol storm.
Meanwhile, the FBI has issued a warning to law enforcement agencies that social media posts attacking Trump supporters are plotting more brutal protests in Washington and state headquarters across the country. leading up to the establishment of Biden on 20 January.
The National Guard is deploying at least 10,000 troops to Washington and expects requests for another 5,000 from state governors.
For now, most Republican politicians seem to support Trump, though some have expressed a desire to resign before his term ends.
Members of the National Guard army arrive at the U.S. Capitol days after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington on January 11, 2021 [Erin Scott/Reuters]
The Republican leader of the House, Kevin McCarthy, told his colleagues Monday that he remains opposed to the president’s assault but would be open to other measures, including criticism, Bloomberg reported.
“Personally, I continue to believe that impeachment at this time would have a different impact on bringing our country together when we need to get America back on track to unity and civility. , “McCarthy said in a letter to a Republican.
A few Republicans are calling for Trump to be removed and several corporate bodies have announced that they will not support a Republican who voted against Biden’s Electoral College credentials.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger issued a statement Jan. 7 urging Pence to attack the 25th Amendment to oust Trump, while Republican Senators Pat Toomey and Lisa Murkowski have called for Trump to resign off.
Ben Sasse, another Republican grandfather, said he was open to impeachment proceedings.
Biden, meanwhile, called for accountability for all those who stormed the Capitol but said it is up to Congress to decide what to do about Trump’s imperatives.
President Joe Biden has said he does not want Trump’s impeachment test to impede progress by getting a new round of COVID-19 relief legislation or confirmation of his nominees to lead and administration. [Susan Walsh/AP Photo]
Biden said he had asked Senate leaders to consider splitting their time between any impeachment test and considering his top priorities: spending extra COVID-19 relief and confirming his nominees.
“My priority is to get an incentive bill first and secondly to rebuild the economy,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware, Monday after receiving a second dose of COVID vaccine- 19 get.
It is not clear when the Senate could take impeachment proceedings from the House. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell will oppose pressure from a majority of Republican members to stop such a move.
But Democrats plan to take control of the Senate once two Democrats who won runoff elections in Georgia sit no later than Jan. 23.
Trump would no longer be in office but the costs of House impeachment can still be tried. If convicted by the Senate, he would be barred and disqualified from running for president again in 2024.