Following the brazen and violent invasion of the Capitol by President Donald Trump’s supporters, American Politicians, Celebrities, lawyers and others have called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment and remove President Donald Trump by declaring him unfit for office.
The riot which was incited by comments made by Trump at a rally, disrupted a joint session of Congress where members were counting the vote of the Electoral College to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.
That would have been the “quickest and most effective way” to oust Trump from the White House, said Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, who is soon to become the Senate majority leader. “This president should not hold office one day longer.”
But, he said, “If the vice president and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, also called for Trump’s removal at a news conference where she singled out individual Cabinet members, asking why they would not intervene.
“While it’s only 13 days left (in Trump’s presidency), any day can be a horror show for America,” Pelosi said. “Are they ready to say for the next 13 days this dangerous man can assault our democracy?”
Earlier, Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer attempted to reach Vice President Mike Pence by telephone to urge him to replace Trump immediately through the 25th Amendment to the constitution, which allows a vice president to replace a president, if they are unable to perform their duties. Pence would not take their call.
The 25th Amendment allows the vice-president to become acting president when a president is unable to continue his duties, if for example, he or she becomes incapacitated due to a physical or mental illness.
The part of the amendment being discussed is section four, which allows the vice-president and a majority of the cabinet to declare President Trump unable to perform his duties.
On Thursday, Former White House chief of staff John Kelly said that if he were a member of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet he would support using the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove him from office.
Similarly, Multiple award-winning singer, John Legend, whose wife, Chrissy Teigen, has been at loggerheads with Trump in the past said, “Thank you to the House of Representatives for doing your constitutional duty. Everyone, please call your senators and tell them to remove this evil man from office.”
“I hope we focus to impeach Trump so Congress has the constitutional authority to possibly disqualify him from future election—the #25thAmendment doesn’t disqualify him. He incited domestic terror—how much more violence needs to happen? This is terrorism,” actress and singer, Lady Gaga, said.
“It is time for the leaders of this country to invoke the 25th Amendment. Isn’t it obvious? Today has made me sad with disbelief with what is happening in my country, a country that has inspired my songs of hope and love,” veteran singer, Stevie Wonder, was quoted as saying.
While filmmaker, Ava DuVernay, tweeted, saying, “We are dressed and ready for the impeachment party. What are you wearing?”, activist and actress, Sophia Bush tweeted, “It feels like a great time for the 25th Amendment.”
Stevie Wonder posted, “It is time for the leaders of this country to invoke the 25th Amendment. Isn’t it obvious? Today has made me sad with disbelief with what is happening in my country, a country that has inspired my songs of hope and love.”
Actor Jon Cryer simply tweeted, “Impeach him. Remove him. Arrest him. Try him.”
Meanwhile, a large Washington, D.C.-based law firm is asking other lawyers to join in a call for President Donald Trump’s cabinet to oust him in response to the Wednesday saga.
The 12-member management board of Crowell & Moring LLP on Thursday contacted the nation’s top 200 law firms and asked them to join in sending a letter to Vice President Mike Pence seeking Trump’s ouster.
Crowell & Moring Chairman Philip Inglima said in an interview that the firm has received a “nice number” of responses from law firms, but wouldn’t give a number. Many applauded the firm’s stance but said they would have to confer with management committees before joining, Inglima said. In addition, more than a dozen smaller law firms have committed to the effort, he said.
The firms would sign on to a letter that Inglima plans to write to Pence urging him to take the action, Inglima said. That letter likely would be sent on Friday, he said.
Now, a growing number of House members have called for Trump to resign and some are circulating new articles of impeachment against him.
US media reported late Thursday that Vice President Mike Pence, who broke with Trump this week over the president’s demands that he seek to overturn the election result, is unwilling to invoke the 25th Amendment.
If Pence and the Cabinet don’t invoke the 25th Amendment, Democrats have been discussing a process that would allow them to bypass the committee proceedings and move articles of impeachment directly to the floor within two days.
The discussions are expected to intensify Friday, when House Democrats hold their first full-caucus call since the attack on the US Capitol as a growing number of members press for impeachment.
This call, scheduled for noon will be an important moment in terms of what’s going to transpire over the next two weeks. While House Democrat after House Democrat has backed a second impeachment, the caucus itself hasn’t gathered since the dramatic events transpired. The call will be the first opportunity for lawmakers to talk to leadership about the impeachment issue, the 25th Amendment issue and significant security concerns related to the Capitol.
Indeed, given the tight timeline, it isn’t possible to launch a formal impeachment inquiry like in 2019, an arduous undertaking that took several months.
But one option Democrats are exploring: offering articles of impeachment through a privileged resolution. That would allow the chamber to move ahead with a vote to impeach Trump within two days, skip hearings, approving an organizing resolution, an investigation and moving straight to a vote.
Top Democrats in both chambers seem to embrace this approach.