WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several lawmakers from Pennsylvania are calling on the vice president and members of the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove President Trump from office.
Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, released a the following statement Thursday:
“Yesterday, domestic terrorists, inspired, encouraged and emboldened by President Donald Trump, attacked the U.S. Capitol Building in furtherance of an attempted coup.
While shocking, yesterday’s events were entirely foreseeable. They were the direct result of President Trump’s lies about the integrity of our most recent election, and his frequent incitements to violence. For weeks, the President has lied about his decisive defeat, promoting wild conspiracy theories about unsubstantiated fraud and encouraging this insurrection. But he didn’t do it alone. President Trump was aided and abetted every step of the way by a multitude of Republicans in both the House and Senate who, after four years of enabling his authoritarian tendencies, yesterday sought to invalidate the will of the very people they serve. These members of Congress, along with President Trump, are responsible for this direct assault on our democracy and on our Nation’s Capitol Building. Their collective actions and words put lives at risk, and struck at the heart of our most fundamental democratic principles.
President Trump is a threat to our domestic and national security. It is self-evident that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. I call on Vice President Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and begin the process of removing the powers of the presidency from Donald Trump. This is the quickest way to protect our domestic and national security.”
[ What is the 25th Amendment? ]
Rep. Mike Doyle, a Democrat, tweeted his support for the move.
He wrote, “I have joined @RepJohnLarson and other Members of Congress in urging @VP and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove @realDonaldTrump from the office of President in order to prevent him from causing more damage to the United States between now and Inauguration Day.”
The 25th Amendment would allow for the removal of the president if he is unable to perform his duties. It has never been used to remove a sitting president.
This browser does not support the video element.