Lawmakers urge Pence to remove Trump from office

WASHINGTON: A group of Democratic House members on Wednesday urged US Vice-President Mike Pence to invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump from office amid protests, Anadolu Agency reported.

The group, led by David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Ted Lieu of California, said Trump has shown he is unwilling to protect democracy and carry out duties of the presidential office.

“For the sake of our Democracy, we emphatically urge you to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing President Trump from office,” said the lawmakers in the le er.

“Dear @VP @Mike_Pence: You need to start the 25th Amendment. @realDonaldTrump is detached from reality,” Lieu wrote on Twi er earlier.

The request came amid violence in the US capital of Washington, DC a er Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building.

According to the amendment, in case of the removal of the president from office or of his death or resignation, the vice president shall become the president. The president can be removed if the vice president and a majority of the cabinet determines he or she is ‘unable to discharge the powers and duties’ of the office.

Separately, another Democratic House member, Ilhan Omar, said Trump should be removed from office and she will initiate procedures towards that end.

“I am drawing up Articles of Impeachment. Donald J Trump should be impeached by the House of Representatives & removed from office by the US Senate. We can’t allow him to remain in office, it’s a ma er of preserving our Republic and we need to fulfill our oath,” Omar wrote on Twi er.