Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on Sunday called President Trump “deranged” and “unhinged” and said Congress would act to impeach him for “incitement of insurrection” if Vice President Mike Pence fails to act.
On Monday, a resolution was introduced in the House of Representatives urging Pence to “convene and mobilize” the cabinet to activate section 4 of the 25th Amendment, an action that would declare Trump “incapable of executing the duties of his office” and make Pence acting president. A majority vote of the cabinet is required.
If Pence and the cabinet fails to take action, then the House will impeach Trump a second time, making him the first president to be impeached twice, Pelosi said. A vote on impeachment is expected mid-week, according to the Associated Press.
The “incitement of insurrection” article of impeachment charges Trump with inciting the mob that attacked and entered the Capitol building. Five people, including a police officer, died.
If Trump is impeached and convicted, he would be unable to run for president again.
“The person who's running the executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous, president of the United States,” Pelosi told CBS’ 60 Minutes Sunday.
The article says Trump “willfully made statements that encouraged – and foreseeably resulted in -- imminent lawless action at the Capitol.”
“In all of this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government,” the article says.
House Majority Whip Rep. Jim Clyburn, (D-S.C.) said Sunday the House could wait until after President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days to send the article to the Senate so as not to distract from legislation.
Unlike Trump’s last impeachment – in which no House Republicans voted to impeach and only one GOP senator voted to convict – the vote this time could be more bipartisan.
Last week, GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois urged Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Trump, saying he was “unwell.”
Over the weekend, Republican Sens. Pat Toomey (Pa.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) called on Trump to resign. Kinzinger, Toomey and Murkowski all stood by Trump during the first impeachment.
On Sunday, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican who endorsed Trump in 2016 and helped him prepare for debates, said Trump should be impeached.
“If inciting to insurrection isn’t [an impeachable offense], then I don’t really know what is,” Christie said.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said he opposes impeachment.
“Impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more,” he said Friday.
Related:
Pence Was a 'Profile in Courage' for Pushing Back against Trump, Newt Gingrich Says
God Is Challenging Us to Not Idolize' America and Politics, Lecrae Urges
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Chip Somodevilla/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
