Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called on President Donald Trump’s Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove him from office, after a pro-Trump rally devolved into chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.
“What 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,” Schumer said in a statement.
“The quickest and most effective way — it can be done today — to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president,” he added.
Several Democrats have encouraged Pence to betray Trump and meet with other Cabinet officials to discuss invoking the 25th Amendment after Wednesday’s fiasco.
House Judiciary Committee Democrats sent Pence a letter urging him to remove Trump from office immediately, accusing Trump’s supporters of attempting “an insurrection, illegally storming and breaching the U.S. Capitol building to stop the certification of President-elect Biden’s victory.”
“For the sake of our democracy, we emphatically urge you to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing President Trump from power. President has shown time and again that he is unwilling to protect our Democracy and carry out the duties of the office,” the Democrats wrote.
NEW: I am sending a letter with @RepTedLieu and our colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee, calling on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office after today’s events. pic.twitter.com/5VK8DLTLn4
— David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) January 7, 2021
According to reports, a few Cabinet officials are seriously considering taking steps to remove Trump.
But the discussions among Trump administration officials appear to be limited, and it is unlikely they would be able to convince a majority of Trump’s Cabinet plus Pence to turn against the president.
Schumer is the highest-ranking Democrat to openly call for Trump’s removal.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has not yet said whether she would support an effort to invoke the 25th Amendment.
