House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a “60-minute” interview that aired on Sunday night that one of the motivating factors for some in President Trump’s new impeachment effort and removing him from office is to eliminate any chance that he has to be elected again.
Last week’s riot in the U.S. Capitol building quickly became one of the biggest challenges for Trump’s presidency. Democrats and some Republicans blame him for his exaggerated rhetoric that led to the unrest that led to five deaths and dozens of arrests.
IMPEACHMENT ARTICLE AGAINST TRUMP TO BE INTRODUCED ON MONDAY AT HOME
Leslie Stahl, the correspondent, mentioned some of the possible outcomes for Trump for Pelosi and pointed out that there is a chance that he will somehow manage to step down and run for president again.
Pelosi replied that Trump’s prospect of running for president again is one of the motivations “that people have to defend impeachment”.
She said she prefers to use the 25th Amendment “because she gets rid of it”.
“But there is strong support in Congress for the impeachment of the president a second time,” she said. “This president is guilty of inciting insurrection. He has to pay a price for it.”
Pelosi, referred to the president in a letter to colleagues as an “imminent threat” to the US constitution and democracy. In Sunday’s letter, Pelosi said the House will act with “great solemnity” with less than two weeks left before Trump leaves office.
“By protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act urgently, because this President poses an imminent threat to both,” she said. “The horror of this president’s continued attack on our democracy is heightened and so is the immediate need for action.”
NANCY PELOSI, IN AN INTERVIEW OF ’60 MINUTES ‘, SLAMS TRUMP AS’ DANGER, ‘CALL FOR’ PROSECUTION ‘
Action in the House may begin on Monday, when the pressure builds for Trump to step aside. A Republican Senator, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, joined Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to ask Trump to “resign and leave as soon as possible.”
On Monday, Pelosi’s leadership team will seek to vote on a resolution by asking Vice President Mike Pence and cabinet officials to invoke the 25th Amendment, with a full House vote expected on Tuesday.
After that, Pence and the Cabinet would have 24 hours to act before the House moved the impeachment.
Pelosi told “60 Minutes” that nothing is out of the question.
She also remembered the chaos on the Capitol when protesters broke into the building. She said she was on the podium in the Chamber and the Capitol Police pulled her aside. She said she told them she wanted to be there, and they said, “Well, no, you have to go.”
She said there were some comings and goings, but ended up agreeing.
Pelosi called the Capitol violation a “terrible violation” and blamed the president for his role.
The political consequences of the revolt seemed to cast serious doubts about Trump’s future as a leader of the Republican Party.
Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, addressed the Senate after the uproar last week, saying that Trump was a “consistent” president for four years in office “but today … tell me out. Enough. . ”
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But the president drew seven million more votes than any incumbent president in history last November. In early December, Trump told supporters at a holiday party at the White House that it was “an incredible four years”.
“We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I will see you in four years,” he said, according to two sources.
Bradford Betz, Paul Steinhauser and the Fox News Associated Press contributed