US: New York Democrats demand Donald Trump's impeachment over Capitol unrest

The members of the New York' Congressional delegation on Saturday, January 9, demanded the removal of President Donald Trump from office. During a news conference, City Hall Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said Trump presents "a clear and present danger to the health, safety and well-being of the American people and our democracy”. The Democrats have also laid out plans for swift impeachment of President Donald Trump as an aftermath of the riots at the Capitol. 

Impeachment of Trump 

Also, top Democratic leadership has urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution to remove Trump from office for his "incitement of insurrection". Along with the Democrats, at least one Senate Republican has also said that he would consider supporting a possible effort by congressional Democrats to impeach Trump. While speaking to CBS News, Ben Sasse said that he would "definitely consider" any article of impeachment because the president "disregarded his oath of office". 

Trump is set to leave on January 20 when Democrat President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated. Even with just days left for his term to end, Democrats are discussing whether to act quickly to impeach Trump as soon as next week if his Cabinet doesn’t first try to remove him after he encouraged his supporters to ransack the Capitol building in a siege that has left five people dead. The US President, on the other hand, has denounced the violence but calls have mounted for Trump to be removed. 

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Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a joint statement, said that the President’s "dangerous and seditious acts necessitate his immediate removal from the office". The two added that they look forward to hearing from Pence as soon as possible and to receiving a positive answer as to whether he and the Cabinet will honour their oath to the Constitution and the American people. Further, Pelosi even said that Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment should the Vice President and Cabinet not invoke the 25th Amendment which allows for the President to be removed from office by the Vice President's majority cabinet. 

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Moreover, leaders including Ted Lieu, David Cicilline, Jamie Raskin, and Ilhan Omar have drafted articles of impeachment. The resolution cites Trump’s interaction with the rally in Washington DC on January 6. They suggest that the President’s statements encouraged the chaos that unfolded, as Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol.

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(Image Credits: AP)