Schumer among those in Congress calling for Trump’s removal from office

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 January 2021 at 3:08 pm

Charles Schumer, the Democratic Party leader in the U.S. Senate, is calling for President Donald Trump to be removed from office after a mob took over the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

“What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by President Trump,” Schumer said today. “This president must not hold office one day longer.”

Schumer said Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet should invoke the 25th Amendment to have Trump out of office today.

“If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump,” Schumer said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also wants the 25th Amendment invoked against Trump “for committing an unspeakable assault against our nation and our people.”

If the VP and Congress don’t act, Pelosi said Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment.

Congressman Brian Higgins, D-Buffalo, also is joining the calls for Trump to be ousted from office, and not wait until Joe Biden is sworn in on Jan. 20.

“We have reached a dangerous point in our democracy,” Higgins said in a statement today. “The President’s incendiary words and actions have directly resulted in the domestic terrorist mob scene that caused damage to our Capitol building – an attempted to halt the transition of power. Make no mistake, his actions would be to disrupt the transition of the President-elect.”

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao resigned from the Trump Cabinet today. Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s former chief of staff, also resigned from a diplomatic post, citing the president’s role in the Capitol siege. Stephanie Grisham, First Lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff, quit on Wednesday after the storming of the Capitol.

Trump’s Twitter and Facebook accounts have both been suspended. The White House issued this statement on behalf of the president today: “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20th. I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted. While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”