WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, along with dozens of other Democrats in Congress, are publicly calling for the 25th Amendment to be invoked and for President Donald Trump to be removed from office in response to Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol by the president's supporters.
The 25th Amendment allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the president unfit for office. The vice president then becomes acting president.
At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Pelosi said "this is urgent" and Trump is a "very dangerous person" and needs to be removed before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
Pelosi said that if Vice President Mike Pence and Trump's Cabinet don't act, then Congress may move forward with impeaching Trump again.
While Pelosi acknowledged there's just 13 days until Biden's inauguration and Trump is out of office, she said that "any day can be a horror show for America."
Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger is so far the only Republican to join the calls for Trump's removal.
Kinzinger made the remarks in a video posted to Twitter responding to the violent mob that stormed Congress on Wednesday in an attempt to stop the certification of Biden’s win over Trump.
Schumer said in a statement that "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." He added, "If the vice president and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president."
Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, unveiled articles of impeachment against the president Thursday morning. She revealed them in a Twitter post, co-sponsored by several House Democratic colleagues, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones of New York; Rashida Tlaib of Michigan; Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts; Veronica Escobar, Vicente González and Al Green of Texas; Cori Bush of Missouri; David Cicilline of Rhode Island; Ted Lieu of California and Hank Johnson from Georgia.
Who have called for 25th Amendment to be invoked
Here's a list of some of the lawmakers who have called for the 25th Amendment to be invoked or otherwise said Trump should be removed from office. (As of Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Eastern):
- Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa
- Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif.
- Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.
- Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio
- Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo.
- Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
- Rep. André Carson, D-Ind.
- Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
- Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I.
- Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn.
- Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa.
- Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.
- Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla.
- Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas
- Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif.
- Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas
- Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.
- Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
- Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga.
- Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va.
- Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio
- Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash.
- Sen. Angus King, I-Maine
- Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.
- Rep. Mondaire Jones, D-N.Y.
- Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash.
- Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif.
- Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va.
- Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif.
- Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Ga.
- Rep. Don McEachin D-Va.
- Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
- Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y.
- Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colo.
- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
- Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn.
- Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine
- Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md.
- Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va.
- Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.
- Rep. Greg Stanton, D-Ariz.
- Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash.
- Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
- Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash.
- Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.-Minority Leader)
- Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif.
- Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas
- Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.
- Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va.
- Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Ky.
