Topline
Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, the nation’s largest industrial trade association, Democratic members of Congress and a handful of Republican politicians have called for Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to take the unprecedented step of invoking the 25th Amendment in order to remove President Donald Trump from office.
President Donald Trump arrives at a Republican National Committee Victory Rally at Dalton Regional … [+] Airport Jan. 4, 2021 in Dalton, Georgia. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
Jay Timmons, the head of the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a statement that Pence should “seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy.”
Former U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman (R-Va.) told Forbes he believes the 25th Amendment should be used to remove Trump from office, while Vermont’s Republican Gov. Phil Scott also said that Trump “should resign or be removed from office by his Cabinet.”
Former Defense Secretary William Cohen, a Republican who represented Maine in the Senate for 18 years, said on CNBC that the Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment since Trump “is no longer capable of serving the United States of America.”
Democratic U.S. Representatives Ted Lieu and Charlie Crist also said the 25th Amendment should be used to remove Trump from office.
Trump turned on Pence Wednesday, tweeting that the vice president “didn’t have the courage to do what should have been done” as Congress began deliberating the certification of Electoral College votes.
Key Background
A section of the 25th Amendment allows for the vice president, the Cabinet or another body approved by Congress to deem that “the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” but it is legally questionable whether it can be used in a situation like this.
Crucial Quote
“Throughout this whole disgusting episode, Trump has been cheered on by members of his own party, adding fuel to the distrust that has enflamed violent anger,” said Timmons, who served as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2002-2004. “This is not law and order. This is chaos. It is mob rule. It is dangerous. This is sedition and should be treated as such.”
Further Reading
Trump Says He ‘Loves’ Supporters Storming Capitol But Tells Them To Leave (Forbes)
Pence Says He Will Not Attempt To Block Certification Of Biden’s Victory (Forbes)
Here’s What The Republicans Who Pledged To Challenge Biden’s Win Are Saying Now (Forbes)