{"id":61815,"date":"2021-01-07T19:10:52","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T19:10:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/07\/pelosi-democrats-call-for-trumps-removal-after-riot\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:36:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:36:57","slug":"pelosi-democrats-call-for-trumps-removal-after-riot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2021\/01\/07\/pelosi-democrats-call-for-trumps-removal-after-riot\/","title":{"rendered":"Pelosi, Democrats call for Trump\u2019s removal after riot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Top Democrats in the House and Senate have joined a growing call for President Donald Trump to be removed from office immediately, accusing the president of fomenting Wednesday\u2019s violence at the U.S. Capitol<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incoming Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith are calling on Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to remove Trump under the 25th Amendment \u2015 an unprecedented step. If not, they say Congress must pursue an extraordinary second impeachment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPresident Trump incited & encouraged this riot. He & his enablers are responsible for the despicable attack at the Capitol,\u201d Smith, D-Wash., said in a tweet Thursday. \u201cVP Pence and the Cabinet should invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump, otherwise Senate Republicans must work with the House to impeach & remove him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mob\u2019s storming of Congress has prompted outrage, mostly from Democrats but from Republicans as well, as lawmakers accused Trump of fomenting the violence with his relentless falsehoods about election fraud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president. This president should not hold office one day longer,\u201d Schumer said in a statement, adding: \u201cIf the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYesterday, the president of the United States incited an armed insurrection against the American people,\u201d said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who also called the attack, \u201can attempted coup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the vice president and the Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment. That is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus and the American people,\u201d Pelosi said, adding \u201cWhile there\u2019s only 13 days left [in Trump\u2019s term], any day can be a horror show for America.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lone Republican to call for Trump\u2019s immediate ouster, as of Thursday afternoon, was Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the Air National Guard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll indications are that the president has become unmoored, not just from his duty, nor even his oath, but from reality itself,\u201d Kinzinger said in a video posted to Twitter<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s for this reason that I call for the vice president and members of the Cabinet to ensure the next few weeks are safe for the American people and that we have a sane captain the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans have yet to back those plans, but some are casting blame on Trump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is no question that the President formed the mob. The President incited mob, the President addressed the mob,\u201d Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, a member of the House leadership, said on Fox News. \u201cHe lit the flame.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The calls came as Congress confirmed Democrat Joe Biden as the presidential election winner early Thursday, and Trump reversed his refused to concede the election. Trump said in a statement immediately after the vote that there will be a smooth transition of power on Inauguration Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEven though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th,\u201d Trump said in a statement posted to Twitter by an aide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before the riot at the Capitol, Trump urged Pence to take steps to overturn the election in a speech to supporters near the White House. Pence had written to lawmakers<\/a> confirming that he did not believe he had the \u201cunilateral authority\u201d to reject electoral votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said the president\u2019s calls had angered Pence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Mike Pence forever,\u201d Inhofe told the Tulsa World<\/a> on Tuesday night. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen Pence as angry as he was today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democrats are applying public pressure on Trump administration officials to take the extraordinary step of removing Trump preemptively.<\/p>\n\n\n\t