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Published 08:29 IST, January 12th 2021

US State Dept website says Trump, Pence terms end; pulls down msg citing technical glitch

After US Capitol Seige, State's House Dept website says President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence terms ended, cites technical issues

Reported by: Gargi Rohatgi
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After outgoing US President Donald Trump supporters on January 6 attacked Washington's Capitol Hill, the Department of State's website on Monday displayed a curious message on the pages of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, claiming that their terms have ended, accompanied with a timestamp. Trump's biography on the website read, "Doanld J. Trump's term ended on 2021-01-11 19:46:38." Whereas Mike Pence's biography on the website read, "Michael R. Pence's term ended on 2021-01-11 19:46:38."

READ | US Capitol Police Chief Claims Request For Help Declined On Multiple Occasions During Riot

US State Dept website says terms of Trump, Pence ended

After this shocking information was displayed on the US State Department website, the reasons behind these messages are still not clear. However, after some time, these messages were removed and the site was down and displayed the following message: "We are sorry, the site is currently experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments." This incident comes when the US House of Representatives is pushing forward with articles of impeachment against Doanld Trump for his role in the violence at Capitol Hill. 

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Nancy Pelosi: 'Will act with urgency'

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said that she would push ahead with efforts to remove Donald Trump from office during the final days of his administration for his role in inciting violence at the Capitol Hill, Washington on January 6. Speaking further on the matter, US House Speaker said that the preferred response to the Capitol siege for Vice President Mike Pence is to remove the outgoing President by invoking the 25th Amendment. 

In a letter addressed to fellow Democrats, Nancy Pelosi vowed to bring a vote on impeachment in the absence of action by Pence, setting the stage for first historic impeachment of a President for the second time in his tenure. 

READ | US Congress Formally Moves Articles Of Impeachment Against Trump; May Vote On Wednesday

Pelosi's letter addressed to the Democrats read, "In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency because this President represents an imminent threat to both... As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action."

US Capitol siege by Pro-Trump supporters

On Wednesday afternoon, thousands of Trump supporters broke barricades outside Capitol Hill and marched into the building. Scaling walls using scaffolding and breaking windows to enter the building. Inside the building, rioters banged on doors, trying to push through doors and fought with police. As per reports, by 2 pm, Capitol Police ordered all staff, reporters and nearby senators into the Senate chamber, which was sealed off and put on lockdown. Visuals from inside the Capitol showed the rioters inside US Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, inside the Congress and Senate Hall as police officers deployed tear gas inside the building. 

READ | Donald Trump Might Target Twitter, Other Tech Giants In His Last Days At Office: Report

08:29 IST, January 12th 2021