An increasing number of Republican Senators are joining in the chorus to impeach Trump.
The House of Representatives voted 223-205 a few minutes ago to impress upon Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, after compelling speeches on both sides of the motion to remove Trump from office. Pence has already dismissed the demand.
The article on impeachment is founded on the accusation that Trump incited an insurrection—a violent uprising against a government. The Insurrection Act of 1807,, framed during Thomas Jefferson’s period, empowers a president to send military forces to quell unrest to support civil law enforcement. But the current situation is tricky because a sitting President—albeit outgoing—is himself charged with fueling insurrection.
VP will not invoke 25th Amendment to remove President from office
Invoking the amendment would render Trump incapable of functioning as the head of state. However, Vice President Mike Pence, who met with the President yesterday, has already rejected the proposal to invoke the 25th Amendment.
The Democrats have gone all guns blazing against President Donald Trump after last week’s alarming turn of events, when Trump supporters invaded the US Capitol. Monday’s stunning warning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) that extremists may launch attacks in all 50 states has provided more ammunition to those in favor of removing Trump. As we have reported earlier, Twitter cancelled Trump’s account, in part because the social media platform suspected that his words may be instigating his supporters to raid federal and state capitols on January 17.
House Democrats have been arguing that Trump is a threat to the sovereignty of the nation itself—one House member today even called him “a clear and present danger” to the nation.
A small number of Republicans turned on Trump today. Only four GOP members of the Congress have so far expressed willingness to impeach Trump, but that number is expected to grow. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell himself said Tuesday that he believes Trump has committed impeachable offenses. Republican Senator and former Vice President Dick Cheney has said he would vote to impeach. At least 17 GOP votes in the Senate could pass the motion to impeach.
But many Republican members in the House have contended that an impeachment would be an exercise in futility. The fact that the Senate is not scheduled to meet until the 19th also weighs against any real outcome from an impeachment.
Trump himself has termed the move to impeach him “ridiculous.” Pence may not favor impeachment, either.
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