Washington – In a highly unusual move, American diplomats drafted two cables condemning President Trump’s incitement to the deadly attack on the Capitol and asking government officials to possibly support the invocation of the 25th Amendment to remove him from office.
Using what is known as the State Department’s “channel of dissent”, foreign career and civil service officials said they feared last Wednesday’s siege could seriously undermine America’s credibility to promote and defend democratic values abroad .
“Failing to hold the president publicly responsible would further damage our democracy and our ability to effectively fulfill our foreign policy objectives abroad,” according to the second of the two cables, which circulated among diplomats at the end of last week and were then sent to the State Department Leadership.
The cable asked Pompeo to support any legal efforts by Vice President Mike Pence and other Cabinet members to protect the country, including through “possible implementation of the procedures provided for in Article 4 of the 25th Amendment, if appropriate.” The amendment allows the vice president and the majority of the Cabinet to declare a president unfit for the post, and the vice president then becomes interim president.
The telegrams were an extraordinary protest by American diplomats against an incumbent U.S. president, who have long complained that the Trump administration ignored and diminished his role and experience. The dissent channel is normally used to oppose specific foreign policy decisions. The two most recent telegrams appear to be unprecedented in their scope and characterization of the president as a danger to the country.
The telegrams also reflect anger over the mutiny of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a loyal Trump ally.
Pompeo condemned the violence on Capitol Hill, but did not address the role Trump played in encouraging his supporters who broke into the building. Nor did Pompeo address the consequences or acknowledge that American diplomats abroad may now face new difficulties in promoting democracy.
Trump himself criticized what he considers disloyalty in the State Department. He once referred to this publicly – and in front of Pompeo and reporters – as “the deep State Department”, a reference to what Trump and his supporters believe is a conspiracy of entrenched bureaucrats intent on subverting his policies.
It was unclear how many diplomats signed the telegrams, both seen by The Associated Press.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“It is essential that the State Department explicitly denounce President Trump’s role in this violent attack on the U.S. government,” said the first of the two cables, who added that the president’s own comments should not be used “because he is not reliable voice on this matter. “
“Just as we routinely denounce foreign leaders who use violence and intimidation to interfere in peaceful democratic processes and override the will of their voters, the department’s public statements on this episode must also mention the name of President Trump. It is critical that we communicate to the world that , in our system, no one – not even the president – is above the law or immune to public criticism ”.
“This would be a first step towards repairing the damage to our international credibility,” said the document. “This would allow the beacon of democracy to shine despite this dark episode. It would also send a strong message to our friends and opponents that the State Department applies an ethos of integrity and objective standards when it condemns attacks on democracy at home or abroad.”
He also said that Pompeo should support any efforts by Vice President Mike Pence and other Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office.
Pressure is growing on Pence and the Cabinet to remove the president from office, although it is not clear whether such a move would have the support of the majority of the Cabinet. House Democrats plan to seek unanimous consent in a resolution from Maryland Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, who asks Pence to invoke the 25th amendment and remove Trump from office. If Pence refuses to act, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will bring impeachment articles to the floor.
Raskin’s resolution calls for Pence to use his powers under the 25th Amendment to convene the Cabinet to declare that Mr. Trump is unable to successfully fulfill his duties and transmit to the mayor and the Senate pro tempore president that Pence will serve as acting president.