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Lawmakers openly discuss ousting Trump, possible impeachment

Lawmakers openly discuss ousting Trump, possible impeachment
get the facts on the 25th Amendment. The 25th outlines what happens if a president or vice president gets replaced during their term. Sections 12 and three are pretty straightforward. If a president is removed, the VP steps in. If you need a new VP, the president nominates, then both the House and the Senate have to confirm. And if the president can't fulfill their duties because of something like going under for surgery, they send Congress a letter transferring powers to the vice president. Now all of this has happened in the past, but not Section four. This lets the vice president and either a majority of the Cabinet or Congress remove a president by declaring in writing that the commander in chief quote is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. That's either for physical or mental concerns. In that case, the vice president would immediately assume the powers of acting president. The 25th Amendment was ratified in 1967 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was a way to formally outline a transfer of presidential power, helping you get the facts in Washington. I'm Jared Hill
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Lawmakers openly discuss ousting Trump, possible impeachment
Lawmakers of both parties raised the prospect Thursday of ousting President Donald Trump from office, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that if he wasn't removed, the House may move forward with a second impeachment.Though Trump has less than two weeks in office, lawmakers and even some in his administration began discussing the issue Wednesday afternoon as Trump first refused to forcefully condemn the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters, and then appeared to excuse it.Senior Trump administration officials raised the possibility of invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment 鈥� the forceful removal of Trump from power by his own Cabinet.Pelosi told a news conference she is waiting for a decision from Vice President Mike Pence and other Cabinet officials. She challenged several of them by name, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.鈥淒o they stand by these actions?" Pelosi asked. "Are they ready to say that for the next 13 days this dangerous man can do further harm to our country?鈥滿ost Democrats, and many Republicans, put the blame squarely on Trump after hundreds of protesters bearing Trump flags and clothing broke into the Capitol on Wednesday and caused destruction and mass evacuations. The president had urged the supporters to protest as Congress was counting the electoral votes that confirmed Biden鈥檚 win.Pelosi said 鈥渁 threshold was crossed of such magnitude鈥� that Trump should not allowed to make any decisions.There did to be public support for the move, for now, among members of Trump鈥檚 Cabinet, especially after Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned in protest Thursday following the Capitol attack. But officials across the government went so far as to study up on the procedures for declaring Trump 鈥渦nable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.鈥滱ccording two people involved in the administration talks, staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even parts of the White House. No member of the Cabinet has publicly expressed support for the move 鈥� which would make Pence the acting president 鈥� though several were believed to be sympathetic to the notion, believing Trump is too volatile in his waning days before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.Under the 25th Amendment, Trump could dispute his Cabinet鈥檚 finding, but the Cabinet could quickly reaffirm its position, keeping Pence in power while the question fell to lawmakers.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also called Thursday for the the Cabinet to remove him.In a statement, Schumer said the attack on the Capitol 鈥渨as an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president.鈥� He said Trump 鈥渟hould not hold office one day longer.鈥漇chumer said Pence and the Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment and immediately remove Trump from office. Otherwise, he said, it's up to Congress.鈥淚f the vice president and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president,鈥� Schumer said.As Pelosi suggested impeachment was a possibility, three Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced articles of impeachment. Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California wrote in the articles that Trump 鈥渨illfully made statements that encouraged 鈥� and foreseeably resulted in 鈥� imminent lawless action at the Capitol.鈥漈he House impeached Trump in 2019, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him in early 2020.At least one House Republican also called for Trump鈥檚 removal. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent Trump critic, said in a video on Twitter that Trump is 鈥渦nfit鈥� and 鈥渦nwell.鈥滽inzinger said the president 鈥渕ust now relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily or involuntarily.鈥滷ormer Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who鈥檚 clashed with Trump for years, said he doesn鈥檛 think invoking the 25th Amendment is realistic because of the support it would need from Cabinet members and because of the short time left in Trump鈥檚 term. But he said in an interview that he supported the decisions both by some White House and administration officials to quit and others who are remaining 鈥渢o ensure that basically the guard rails stay where they should.鈥滷lake added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got two weeks here, and let鈥檚 make sure we get to the inauguration.鈥漘__Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.

Lawmakers of both parties raised the prospect Thursday of ousting President Donald Trump from office, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that if he wasn't removed, the House may move forward with a second impeachment.

Though Trump has less than two weeks in office, lawmakers and even some in his administration began discussing the issue Wednesday afternoon as Trump first refused to forcefully condemn the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of his supporters, and then appeared to excuse it.

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Senior Trump administration officials raised the possibility of invoking Section 4 of the 25th Amendment 鈥� the forceful removal of Trump from power by his own Cabinet.

Pelosi told a news conference she is waiting for a decision from Vice President Mike Pence and other Cabinet officials. She challenged several of them by name, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.

鈥淒o they stand by these actions?" Pelosi asked. "Are they ready to say that for the next 13 days this dangerous man can do further harm to our country?鈥�

Most Democrats, and many Republicans, put the blame squarely on Trump after hundreds of protesters bearing Trump flags and clothing broke into the Capitol on Wednesday and caused destruction and mass evacuations. The president had urged the supporters to protest as Congress was counting the electoral votes that confirmed Biden鈥檚 win.

Pelosi said 鈥渁 threshold was crossed of such magnitude鈥� that Trump should not allowed to make any decisions.

There did to be public support for the move, for now, among members of Trump鈥檚 Cabinet, especially after Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned in protest Thursday following the Capitol attack. But officials across the government went so far as to study up on the procedures for declaring Trump 鈥渦nable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.鈥�

According two people involved in the administration talks, staff-level discussions on the matter took place across multiple departments and even parts of the White House. No member of the Cabinet has publicly expressed support for the move 鈥� which would make Pence the acting president 鈥� though several were believed to be sympathetic to the notion, believing Trump is too volatile in his waning days before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Under the 25th Amendment, Trump could dispute his Cabinet鈥檚 finding, but the Cabinet could quickly reaffirm its position, keeping Pence in power while the question fell to lawmakers.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also called Thursday for the the Cabinet to remove him.

In a statement, Schumer said the attack on the Capitol 鈥渨as an insurrection against the United States, incited by the president.鈥� He said Trump 鈥渟hould not hold office one day longer.鈥�

Schumer said Pence and the Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment and immediately remove Trump from office. Otherwise, he said, it's up to Congress.

鈥淚f the vice president and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach the president,鈥� Schumer said.

As Pelosi suggested impeachment was a possibility, three Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee announced articles of impeachment. Reps. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Ted Lieu of California wrote in the articles that Trump 鈥渨illfully made statements that encouraged 鈥� and foreseeably resulted in 鈥� imminent lawless action at the Capitol.鈥�

The House impeached Trump in 2019, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him in early 2020.

At least one House Republican also called for Trump鈥檚 removal. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., a frequent Trump critic, said in a video on Twitter that Trump is 鈥渦nfit鈥� and 鈥渦nwell.鈥�

Kinzinger said the president 鈥渕ust now relinquish control of the executive branch voluntarily or involuntarily.鈥�

Former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who鈥檚 clashed with Trump for years, said he doesn鈥檛 think invoking the 25th Amendment is realistic because of the support it would need from Cabinet members and because of the short time left in Trump鈥檚 term. But he said in an interview that he supported the decisions both by some White House and administration officials to quit and others who are remaining 鈥渢o ensure that basically the guard rails stay where they should.鈥�

Flake added: 鈥淲e鈥檝e got two weeks here, and let鈥檚 make sure we get to the inauguration.鈥�

___

Associated Press writer Alan Fram contributed to this report.