In her press conference on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the time is now to remove the president and she urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment. If not, Democrats will try to remove him via a second impeachment effort.
BREAKING: Speaker Pelosi calls for VP Pence and the Cabinet to remove President Trump from office via the 25th Amendment, or another impeachment effort may be carried out by Democrats. pic.twitter.com/bbwTLScyWL
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 7, 2021
High profile Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) supported the speaker's demands.
"If the 25th amendment is not invoked today, Congress must reconvene immediately for impeachment and removal proceedings," she wrote on Thursday. And the effort has plenty of supporters on Twitter, judging by one of the top trending topics, #ImpeachTrumpAgainNOW.
Both Pelosi and AOC suggested that Trump is too "dangerous" and unhinged" to remain in office.
To my GOP colleagues: know that this President incited an insurrection against and incited his mob to find, harm, and possibly kill not just Democrats, but you, too.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 8, 2021
He *will* allow opportunities of physical harm against you if you aren’t sufficiently loyal to him. Remove him.
Pelosi went so far as to ask the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to prevent Trump from having his hands on the nuclear codes.
But their colleagues on the other side of the aisle are essentially asking them to calm down. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy put out a statement that reiterates that he condemns Wednesday's violence, but impeachment is not the answer.
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"Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more," he warns.
“Let me be very clear: the violence, destruction, and chaos that unfolded at the Capitol on Wednesday was unacceptable, undemocratic, and un-American. When I spoke to President Trump on Wednesday, I told him he had a great responsibility to intervene to quell the mob and start the healing process for our country. Over the coming weeks we will work with law enforcement to bring anyone responsible for the violence to justice. Lawlessness and extremism have no place in our way of life.
“Our country is not just divided. We are deeply hurt. The task ahead for the next Congress and incoming Biden Administration couldn’t be more momentous. But to deliver a better America for all, partisans of all stripes first must unite as Americans and show our country that a peaceful transition of power has occurred. Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more. I have reached out to President-elect Biden today and plan to speak to him about how we must work together to lower the temperature and unite the country to solve America’s challenges. The coronavirus is still coursing through our communities, businesses and workers are facing unprecedented stress, and children are falling behind. Threats from adversaries such as Russia, China, and Iran are increasing. As leaders, we must call on our better angels and refocus our efforts on working directly for the American people. United we can deliver the peace, strength, and prosperity our country needs. Divided, we will fail.
“Each passing day will offer us an opportunity to heal and grow stronger—a responsibility from which we cannot shrink. The United States remains exceptional and extraordinary, and in the coming weeks and months, we must work to recharge the light of our shining city on a hill.”
Several other Republicans released statements opposing the second effort to impeach Trump.
“I oppose impeachment as well as other methods of denying President Trump his lawful term in office," Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said in a statement. "Efforts to impeach or remove the president are media stunts drawn from left-wing fever dreams. January 20th will mark the transfer of power to president elect Biden.”
Following Wednesday's very late electoral college certification, confirming Joe Biden's election, President Trump tweeted that he may not agree with the results, but that there will be an "orderly transition" on January 20.
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