© (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 07: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi calls for the removal of President Donald Trump from office either by invocation of the 25th Amendment by Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet members or Impeachment at the U.S. Capitol on January 7, 2021 in Washington, DC. Following a rally yesterday with President Donald Trump on the National Mall, a pro-Trump mob stormed and broke into the U.S. Capitol building causing the Joint Session of Congress to delay the certification of President-elect Joe Bidens victory over President Trump. (Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
The top Democrats in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, are calling on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and immediately remove President Donald Trump after rioters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday.
At the California Democrat's press conference on Thursday, Pelosi joined a growing number of Democrats - and even one Republican - who are urging for Trump's removal, arguing that he bears responsibility for inciting violent riots that breached the Capitol, sent the complex into an hours-long lockdown and led to the death of four people.
Pelosi added that if Pence won't invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump, Congress could once again pursue articles of impeachment against the outgoing president.
"I join the Senate Democratic leader in calling on the vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking the 25th Amendment," Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol. "If the vice president and Cabinet do not act the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment."
"While it is only 13 days left, any day can be a horror show for America," she added.
Under the 25th Amendment, the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet have the authority to invoke the provision and force the president's removal. In that case, Pence would take over Trump's duties until President-elect Joe Biden was sworn into office.
Schumer, the incoming majority leader after Democrats won both Georgia Senate seats this week, tweeted prior to Pelosi's press conference that he'd support either Pence invoking the 25th Amendment or the consideration of articles of impeachment.
The New York Democrat said he also backs starting a second impeachment proceeding against the president, though he acknowledged the lengthy process, especially as Trump is set to leave office on Jan. 20. Trump was impeached in December 2019 over accusations that he pressured Ukraine's president to interfere in the U.S. presidential election but was ultimately acquitted by the Senate early last year.
"What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by President Trump. This president must not hold office one day longer," Schumer tweeted early Thursday afternoon.
"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," he added. "If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump."
In the aftermath of the riot, lawmakers have been calling for investigations into Capitol security protocols, the breach that forced the complex into lockdown and the lack of immediate backup for U.S. Capitol Police.
While congressional probes are already underway over the breach, including an internal one from USCP, Schumer announced his intention to fire Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mike Stenger, who is responsible for safety in the upper chamber, once the New York Democrat becomes majority leader.
"If Senate Sergeant Arms Stenger hasn't vacated the position by then, I will fire him as soon as Democrats have a majority in the Senate," Schumer said in a Thursday statement.
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