CNN reported that ten Republican lawmakers may vote in favor of impeaching outgoing President Donald Trump in an effort to remove him from office.
On Tuesday, President Trump stated that being banned from social media is an act that provokes "outrage." In remarks to the press before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, as reported by CNN, he claimed to still enjoy "tremendous support" following developments after the recent presidential election. Trump expressed his belief that "big tech is doing something terrible for our country," adding it would be a catastrophic mistake for them.
On another front, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ramped up pressure on Vice President Mike Pence to act to remove Donald Trump from office due to his role in the Capitol riot last week. Lawmakers are expected to introduce a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution to declare the president unfit to remain in office. If Pence refuses, Democrats will vote to impeach Trump, who encouraged his supporters to march to the Capitol building.
Democrats and a growing number of Republicans have accused President Trump of inciting the insurrection that resulted in the deaths of five people, including a police officer at the Capitol. Pelosi wrote to lawmakers stating that the House would introduce a resolution on Monday formally requesting Pence to use the 25th Amendment, allowing him to remove Trump from the White House and assume the presidency temporarily.
In her letter Sunday, Pelosi stated, “We will act swiftly because this president is a looming threat. The ongoing assault on our democracy by this president has escalated to horror, and there is an urgent need for action.”
Senior Democratic member James Clyburn had previously told CNN that the House is likely to vote on an article of impeachment against Trump this week. However, the party may not send any articles of impeachment to the Senate for trial until after the first 100 days of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Lisa Murkowski from Alaska became the first Republican senator to urge the president to resign. Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska also mentioned that he would consider impeachment if the House approves it.
Meanwhile, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger described Trump as “the worst president ever” in a social media video on Sunday. Clyburn, a congressman from South Carolina, indicated that it might not be possible to impeach the president and hold a trial before Trump leaves office in ten days.
Trump has stated he will not attend Biden's inauguration, now acknowledging his defeat in the November 3 election and promising a peaceful transfer of power while continuing to promote widespread election fraud claims.
In commenting on the impeachment decision, President-elect Joe Biden stated that the decision lies with Congress but indicated that he has believed "for a long time that President Trump is unfit for office."
