Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) called for President Trump’s removal on Thursday, saying that “this president should not hold office one day longer” after his supporters stormed the Capitol Wednesday.
“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,” Schumer said in a statement. “If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president.”
He added that Wednesday’s events, which resulted in thousands of Trump supporters marching on the Capitol and halting the certification of the electoral college, “was an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president.”
Schumer’s comments come after all 17 Democrats of the House Judiciary Committee wrote a letter to Vice President Mike Pence asking him to invoke the 25th Amendment. Representative Adam Kinzinger (R., Ill.) has also called for Trump to be removed by his cabinet.
As for impeachment, at least 42 House Democrats — led by Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island — are behind the move.
NEW: I am circulating Articles of Impeachment that @RepTedLieu, @RepRaskin and I have prepared to remove the President from office following yesterday's attack on the U.S. Capitol. pic.twitter.com/b92GL9Ap33
— David Cicilline (@davidcicilline) January 7, 2021