For a group that proclaimed to be deeply troubled about the undermining of democracy, Democrats and their faithless Republican allies seemed to go out of their way to suppress dissenting viewpoints following a citizen-takeover of the US Capitol on Wednesday.
On Thursday, they rushed to permanently neutralize future political challenges from out-going President Donald Trump by any means necessary.
Democrats have openly celebrated prior “occupy” efforts, including the “summer of love” in Seattle, where radical leftists barricaded six blocks of prime downtown commercial real estate, ostensibly in the name of social justice.
But in the aftermath of Thursday’s protest, the newly emboldened Left—fresh off its latest round of dubious election victories in Tuesday’s Georgia Senate runoffs—not only pinned blame on Trump and his backers for daring to question the results of an unprecedentedly irregular election, but also sought to punish their right-wing political opponents.
Faithless Republicans—some of whom, like Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, had long expressed loyalties to Trump—joined in the effort, fearing his influence over the party might otherwise extend well beyond the Jan. 20 inauguration that they helped deliver to Democrat Joe Biden.
But leading the charge were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and soon-to-be House Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY.
The duo moved to attempt a long-dreamed-of coup in which they would persuade Trump’s own Cabinet to oust him by declaring him “unfit” for office under the 25th Amendment.
Barring the success of that, Pelosi pledged that she would attempt yet another impeachment do-over, which would seek not only to oust Trump but to prevent him from holding office again.
It was unclear whether she would be able to reach the two-thirds majority needed in either chamber to succeed in such an effort, although she appeared to be banking on the threat of repercussions for Trump’s congressional supporters as a means of coercion.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Pelosi made clear her intentions, the Gateway Pundit reported:
“Yesterday, the President of the United States incited an armed insurrection against America,” claimed the unhinged San Francisco liberal—whose own house was vandalized by leftist radicals a week prior.
“The gleeful desecration of the U.S. Capitol, which is the temple of our American democracy, and the violence targeting Congress are horrors that will forever stain our nation’s history—instigated by the President of the United States,” she continued.
Her rhetoric closely mirrored that she has used to characterize other Trump smears over the course of his presidency, including last year’s failed effort to remove him over a phone call with the Ukrainian president.
Pelosi then presented the two options to vanquished Republicans for how Trump might be dispatched.
“In calling for this seditious act, the President has committed an unspeakable assault on our nation and our people,” she said.
“I join the Senate Democratic Leader in calling on the Vice President to remove this President by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment,” she continued. “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.”
Several radical House Democrats—including members of the so-called Squad—already had prepared two articles of impeachment—one attempting to link Trump to the protest at the Capitol, and another that related to a leaked phone call in which he pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to investigate evidence of vote fraud.
The articles proposed banning Trump from holding federal office if convicted, although the sentencing decision ultimately would rest with the Senate.
Any actions they hoped to take while Trump remained in office would involve a likely GOP majority or—at best—an even split.
However, with some GOP members having joined in denouncing Trump on Wednesday and falsely accusing him of having incited violence, the odds of an acquittal would be less certain.
