'Dangerous person': Calls to boot Trump from office 'immediately'
The top two Democrats in Congress have called for President Donald Trump to be removed from office, one day after his supporters stormed and vandalised the US Capitol in a harrowing assault on American democracy.
With 13 days left in Trump's term, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer both said Vice President Mike Pence should invoke the 25th amendment of the US Constitution to remove him from office before then.
If not, they said Congress should move quickly to expel him through the impeachment process.
Pelosi described Trump as “a very dangerous person who should not continue in office”.
“We are in a very difficult place in our country as long as Donald Trump sits in the White House,” Pelosi said at a news conference on Thursday (local time).
“Yesterday, the President of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America.
“The gleeful desecration of the US Capitol and the violence targeting Congress are horrors that will forever stain our nation’s history, instigated by the President. That’s why it is such a stain.
“In calling for this seditious act, the President has committed an unspeakable assault on our nation and our people. I join the Senate Democratic Leader in calling on the Vice President to remove this President by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment.
“If the Vice President and Cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment. That is the overwhelming sentiment of my caucus.”
Trump faces staff exodus
Members of Trump's Cabinet and allies of the Republican president have discussed invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution which allows them to remove a president who is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, a source familiar with the situation said, though another source said that was unlikely.
Congress formally certified Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory early on Thursday (local time) after they were forced into hiding by hordes of rioters who overwhelmed police and invaded the building.
More than half of the House Republicans and eight senators voted to challenge the election results.
During the proceedings, Pelosi pulled Pence off the House floor to talk.
Meanwhile, Trump faced a staff exodus. One Cabinet official, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, who is married to top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, said she would resign, citing the violence.
Other Trump officials, including top Russia adviser Ryan Tully and envoy Mick Mulvaney, Trump's former chief of staff, also quit. More departures were expected.
'Trump incites mob': Newspapers mark historic day for America
TikTok video shows shocking police act ahead of Trump Capitol riot
Biden blamed the president for the attack, but declined to say whether he should remain in office.
“He unleashed an all-out assault on the institutions of our democracy from the outset. And yesterday was but the culmination of that unrelenting attack,” he said at a news conference.
Facebook, a key social media platform for Trump, also said it would ban the US president’s posts until Biden’s January 20 inauguration. Online retailing platform Shopify said it would take down Trump stores.
Dozens of Democrats have called for Trump to be removed through the 25th Amendment or impeachment.
Second attempt to remove Trump from office
At least two Republicans, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and US Representative Adam Kinzinger, of Illinois, also said he should go.
But several Republican sources said the 25th Amendment effort was unlikely to go anywhere, given Trump’s short time remaining in office.
Democrats’ drive to remove Trump through impeachment fell short in February 2020, when the Republican-led Senate voted to acquit him on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress after Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate Biden.
Trump pledged in an early-morning statement an “orderly transition” ahead of Biden’s inauguration, in part to prevent more staffers from leaving. Yet Trump has stood by the false charge the election was stolen from him.
Trump has not condemned the extraordinary violence that unfolded after he encouraged supporters on Wednesday (local time) to march to the Capitol, despite pleas from senior members of his administration.
The assault on the Capitol was the culmination of months of divisive and escalating rhetoric by Trump and his allies around the November 3 election, with the president repeatedly making false claims the vote was rigged and urging his supporters to help him overturn his loss.
Rioters broke windows and besieged the House chamber while lawmakers were inside, banging on its doors. Security officers piled furniture against the chamber's door and drew their pistols before helping lawmakers and others escape.
The FBI asked the public for tips identifying people involved in the mayhem in which four people died.
On Capitol Hill, new fencing was being installed around the Capitol ahead of Biden’s inauguration.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
