Pence keeps 25th on table to oust Trump from office
WASHINGTON: US Vice-President Mike Pence hasn’t ruled out invoking a constitutional provision to remove President Donald Trump from office, and in a sign of further estrangement from his boss, plans to attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Democrats’ move to impeach Trump gathered momentum for a scheduled launch on Monday. If they succeed, and they will because they have the vote for a simple-majority passage, Trump will go down in history with yet another ignominious entry against his name: the first American president impeached twice. Pence has not ruled out invoking the 25th Amendment of the US constitution if Trump “becomes more unstable”, CNN reported on Saturday citing sources.
WASHINGTON: US Vice-President Mike Pence hasn’t ruled out invoking a constitutional provision to remove President Donald Trump from office, and in a sign of further estrangement from his boss, plans to attend President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
Democrats’ move to impeach Trump gathered momentum for a scheduled launch on Monday. If they succeed, and they will because they have the vote for a simple-majority passage, Trump will go down in history with yet another ignominious entry against his name: the first American president impeached twice.
Pence has not ruled out invoking the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution if Trump “becomes more unstable”, CNN reported on Saturday citing sources. The provision empowers the vice-president, working with the majority of the cabinet or a body formed by Congress, to remove the president for being unfit to govern. CNN reported that Pence’s team believes there is some risk in using the 25th or impeachment to remove Trump as they may push him to rash actions. This may be the reason for Pence’s reluctance to use the provision, despite his growing estrangement from Trump.
Relations between the two men have collapsed according to reports, specially after the January 6 storming of the Capitol. Trump is livid Pence refused to block Congress from certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Pence is disappointed Trump put him in an impossible position by pressuring him to do something he could not constitutionally — block the certification. And then he did not call or inquire about his safety, and his family who were there also, when rioters overran the Capitol, with some of them chanting “Hang Mike Pence”.
Pence is reportedly planning to attend Biden’s inauguration. Trump has said he won’t, and Biden said that’s something that he agrees with his predecessor about, and has openly extended an invitation to Pence.
Top Democrats demanded that Trump should resign over the storming of the Capitol, or Pence should use the 25th Amendment to remove him. In the event that neither happens, they will move an impeachment motion as early as Monday.
“We’ve just hit 180 co-sponsors of the Article of Impeachment,” tweeted Ted Lieu, Democratic lawmaker who has co-written the draft motion. He added, “We will introduce the Article of Impeachment this Monday during the House’s pro forma session.” The motion charges Trump with “incitement of insurrection”.