Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has added his voice to a growing chorus of calls for Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office.
Schumer called yesterday’s mob at the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters an “insurrection against the United States, incited by the president.”
He said Pence could immediately invoke the 25th, adding that Congress should impeach the president for a second time if Pence and the Cabinet “refuse to stand up.”
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi joined Schumer in calling for Trump's removal in a press conference Thursday, saying she would begin impeachment proceedings if the 25th Amendment was not invoked.
Other high profile legislators, including U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, called for Donald Trump’s removal for office, either by impeachment or invoking the 25th Amendment.
Blumenthal blamed Trump’s false and incendiary statements for inciting the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of extremists.
“I believe that Donald Trump is unfit to serve one day longer in office. The plain fact is, he is unable to discharge the duties of his office. He is a danger to Americans and American democracy,” Blumenthal said. “My call for invoking 25th Amendment is not simply symbolic, not just a message.”
Blumenthal said he thinks there’s a real possibility of Trump declaring martial law or using other extreme means to avoid ceding power.
He said his next priority is to ensure the peaceful transfer of power and there’s no violence or interference with President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and a growing list of other congressional leaders have joined the call for impeachment.
Donald Trump should be impeached, convicted and removed from office immediately.
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) January 7, 2021
U.S. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said Joe Biden should still hold a public inauguration at the U.S. Capitol after Pro-Trump extremist staged an insurrection on Wednesday.
Murphy said it’s important for the country and the world to see one administration passing power to another.
“We can’t let these terrorists win. American democracy rests on, not just the peaceful transition of power, but the public transition of power,” Murphy said.
Murphy is the top Democrat on the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees the U.S. Capitol Police. He said officials need to ensure enough security to make the inauguration as safe as possible.
Murphy also said new protocols need to be in place to defend the Capitol, because National Guard troops took hours to be deployed during the insurrection.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, on the other hand, said he does not support removing President Donald Trump from office. He said Trump has only days left in the White House.
“If you think something dangerous could be happening, I’d like to think that people would step up and not let that happen. I don't see that happening," Lamont said. "And I really want this Congress to be focused on getting our country healed and better. Both from a COVID point of view and just bring our country together.”
Lamont said it is fortunate that the storming of Congress by Trump’s supporters did not prevent lawmakers from ratifying Joe Biden as the next President of the United States.
