Democratic Congressional leaders urge Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to remove Trump

Top Democratic leadership has urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke 25th Amendment to US Constitution to remove President Donald Trump from office for his "incitement of insurrection", a day after his supporters attacked US Capitol in a violent breach. 25th Amendment allows for president to be removed from office by vice president and a majority of Cabinet.

“ president’s dangerous and seditious acts necessitate his immediate removal from office,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a joint statement on Thursday.

Earlier in day, two Democratic leaders tried to reach out to Pence on issue but were unable to talk to him. “This morning, we placed a call to Vice President Pence to urge him to invoke 25th Amendment which would allow vice president and a majority of Cabinet to remove president for his incitement of insurrection and danger he still poses. We have t yet heard back from vice president,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.

“We look forward to hearing from vice president as soon as possible and to receiving a positive answer as to wher he and Cabinet will hour ir oath to Constitution and American people,” two Democratic leaders said.

In an unprecedented assault on democracy in US, thousands of supporters of outgoing President Trump stormed Capitol building on Wednesday and clashed with police, resulting in four deaths and interrupting a constitutional process by Congress to affirm victory of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in election. On Thursday, both Pelosi and Schumer at separate news conferences said y will move impeachment proceedings in Congress if Trump was t removed from office through 25th Amendment.

“In calling for this seditious act, president has committed an unspeakable assault on our nation and our people. I join Senate Democratic leader in calling on vice president to remove this president by immediately invoking 25th Amendment," Pelosi said.

"If vice president and Cabinet do t act, Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment. That is overwhelming sentiment of my caucus and American people, by way,” she told reporters.

“Justice will be done to those who carried out se acts, which were acts of sedition and acts of cowardice. To those whose purpose was to deter our responsibility, you have failed. You did t divert Congress from our solemn constitutional purpose to validate overwhelming election of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as president and vice president of United States,” she said. Schumer told reporters that if vice president and Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress should reconvene to impeach Trump, who has less than two weeks in office.