User:MarkiPoli/2021 efforts to remove Donald Trump

Following the 2021 United States Capitol storming, multiple members of Congress, state Governors, media organisations, trade associations, and anonymous members of Donald Trump's cabinet have called for or speculated about removal of the sitting President of the United States, Donald Trump, under either Section 4 of the 25th Amendment or impeachment and removal, making Vice President Mike Pence assume the "powers and duties of the office" of President.

The people and organizations calling for his removal have stated that Donald Trump is unfit for office, citing his refusal to denounce the violent riots by his supporters that happened on January 6, the day of the counting of the Electoral College votes. They have stated that Mike Pence should become President until Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20.

Resignations
Multiple members of the Trump administration have resigned since the Capitol was breached, including former White House Press Secretary and First Lady Melania Trump's chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews and White House Social Secretary Rickie Niceta.

Congress
U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar and at least 36 other House Democrats, including Ayanna Pressley and Seth Moulton, called for Trump's immediate impeachment and removal by Congress. State-level officials who have described Trump's conduct as impeachable include Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford. Representatives Ted Lieu and Charlie Crist called on Vice President Mike Pence to remove Trump via the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Support for impeachment or removal
At least 44 House Democrats, including Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Trump's immediate impeachment and removal by Congress, or via the 25th amendment. State-level officials who have described Trump's conduct as impeachable include Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford.

Representatives Ted Lieu and Charlie Crist called on Vice President Mike Pence to remove Trump via the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

According to CNN, 4 "senior Republican elected officials" believe Trump should be removed via the 25th Amendment. 2 other Republican elected officials believe Trump should be removed via impeachment.

25th Amendment process
On the evening of January 6, CBS News reported that Cabinet members were discussing invoking the 25th Amendment. The House Judiciary committee sent a letter to Mike Pence, urging him to remove Donald Trump via the 25th Amendment, saying the President was "not mentally sound", both because the rioters were "egged on by the president", and because of "...his recent tweets, which Twitter has since deleted, saying the election was "stolen" and that today's riots "are the things and events that happen".

Hypothetical procedure
If Trump were to be removed in this fashion, he could transmit a letter to Congress stating that he still has the capacity to act as President. However, Pence has four days to respond to this letter again stating Trump's inability to act as President, after which Congress must decide who should act as President according to the rules of the 25th Amendment.

The rules state that unless 2/3rds of both Houses of Congress declare the original President, Trump, unable to discharge his powers and duties, he would assume the presidency again after either house's vote falls short of the 2/3rds requirement, or more than 21 days have passed since the Vice President (Pence) sent his response letter.

By simple majority vote, the Democratic controlled House of Representatives could simply delay the vote for 21 days, "running out the clock" for the rest of Trump's term, which ends on January 20, less than the maximum 21 day debate period.

State Governors
Governors J. B. Pritzker (D-IL) and Phil Scott (R-VT) called for Trump's removal.

Media organizations
Yoni Appelbaum of the The Atlantic called for the impeachment of Donald Trump a second time. Several conservative commentators, including Rod Dreher, Daniel Larison, and John Podhoretz, expressed their support for the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump. Calling the armed storming of the Capitol an "act of sedition", the Washington Post editorial board wrote that Trump's "continued tenure in office poses a grave threat to U.S. democracy" as well as to public order and national security, and called for Pence to immediately begin the 25th amendment process to declare Trump "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office" so that Pence could serve until Biden's inauguration on January 20.

Trade associations
The National Association of Manufacturers also requested Pence to "seriously consider" invoking the 25th amendment.