Politicians, business leaders call to revoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump

The top Democrats in Congress called for President Donald Trump’s removal Thursday, a day after a mob spurred by the president overran the Capitol as lawmakers tallied President-elect Joe Biden’s presidential win.

Both Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called on Vice President Mike Pence and Trump’s Cabinet to remove the president from office by invoking the 25th Amendment. Both said they could move forward with impeachment if the vice president and secretaries do not act.

In a statement earlier Thursday, Schumer said Congress “should reconvene to impeach the president” if Pence and the Cabinet do not invoke the 25th Amendment. Pelosi said lawmakers “may be prepared” to take the step if executive branch officials do not try to remove him. She added that the move would have “overwhelming” support within her caucus.

Both Democratic leaders said Trump would endanger the country even in the two weeks he has left in office.

“Each and every one of those days is a threat to democracy,” Schumer told reporters Thursday afternoon outside his New York City office. “The quickest and most effective way to remove this president from office is to invoke the 25th Amendment.”

Schumer and Pelosi said Trump incited an “insurrection” against the country. The speaker added that “any day can be a horror show for America” as long as Trump remains in office.

Biden will become president on Jan. 20 after Trump for months spouted conspiracy theories that widespread election fraud cost him a second term in office. More lawmakers have warned that another two weeks of Trump’s presidency could further erode American democracy or lead to more loss of life after four people died during the Capitol attack Wednesday.

More than 100 lawmakers have called for the president’s removal through the 25th Amendment, impeachment or resignation, according to an NBC News tally. Only one of them — Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — is a Republican.

Congress adjourned for at least the rest of the week after it counted Biden’s electoral victory early Thursday. It is unclear if either chamber would return in time to vote to remove the president in the 13 days before the inauguration. While Schumer’s Democrats will control the Senate in coming weeks after Senators-elect Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia take office, Republicans will hold the chamber until they are sworn in.

Asked Thursday about the timing of possible impeachment proceedings, Pelosi said, “I don’t know how quickly [Pence] might respond. We’ll see.”

Schumer told reporters he and Pelosi tried to reach Pence on the phone to urge him to remove Trump from office. He said the vice president’s staff kept the Democrats on hold for 25 minutes, then told them he would not come to the phone.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not weighed in on whether to expel the president after the Capitol breach. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Schumer’s statement.

Biden did not personally address the question of invoking the 25th Amendment before he introduced his Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland on Thursday. Biden transition spokesman Andrew Bates later told NBC News that the president-elect “will leave it to Vice President Pence, the Cabinet and the Congress to act as they see fit.”

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[MindTheLongterm]

*invoke, not revoke. I had to look twice when I saw the headline.

[Seanpfree]

You knew who he was both times you voted for him and supported him with your money in your own self interest. Now his term is done NOW you want to come out against him to get on the right side of history... you get what you deserve

[dementeduncle]

The verb is "invoke" as in invoke the 25th amendment. No typos remove him correctly.

[spartaxjp]

edit the damned title and get a dictionary

[markgibson]

Chau has resigned as Transportation Secretary so she won't embarrass her husband Moscow Mitch by going on record if 25th is brought to a cabinet vote. Resignation is no longer a protest, it's a cowardly way out, Elaine, so we see what you are doing

[reesekolcow]

CNBC - check your headline - revoke doesn’t mean invoke.

[thedemocraticchristian]

A daily reminder that *121* American Fascists in the House of Representatives voted “Yay” to the opposition of Arizona *after* the Siege on the Capitol.

Furthermore, although the seditious Senators who co-signed the oppositions of Georgia, Michigan, and Nevada withdrew their signatures, American Fascist Senator Josh Hawley kept his on the Pennsylvania objection.

Also, 71 American Fascists in the House kept their signatures on the opposition of Georgia and Michigan. 56 on the opposition of Nevada. 81 on the opposition of Pennsylvania.

Please remember this was all *after* the Siege of the Capitol.

[arnoldfernbladst]

*REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE BEFORE HE CAN PARDON ANY MORE CRIMINALS, CROOKS OR CRONIES (or himself)*

[joemac]

Where was this outrage when the mobs burned the downtown of my city?

[leeali]

Did they outsource captions to China? Revoke is entirely different from invoke.

[theepsteindiaries]

Once again I would just like to commend all the photographers on the scene for the monumental thumbnails they were able to capture amidst all this chaos. Never before has a natural gathering of people produced such jaw-dropping and captivating imagery. Bravo 🌹

[furlycee]

not to be that person but it's *INVOKE*... come on cable news

But yes with the message, I totally agree. He must be removed this has gotten dangerous and ridiculous.

[LydiaSings]

CNBC, you meant "invoke, " right?

[gracefern]

Impeachment again!? What are you thinking!? If you can get it done in 2 weeks, then Pelosi will want to keep the paperwork close to her heart ❤ for a month or two, then all the pomp, and on and on...
Meanwhile who is doing the work that you've neglected for the last 4 years? Not us. We're unemployed because we can't get out of the house. Are you going to use our stimulus money?

[CasualMisinformationSpreader]

I wonder if we will ever again be able to elect a president who supports American people. Seems unlikely with all that foreign money in D.C.

[markgibson]

Watching the coup participants and their police assistants was like watching the movie Gremlins, only the Gremlins are real.

[Rotarun]

I mean, there's only less than two weeks right ? What could possibly go wrong ?

[basook]

only if GOP leaders have courage to stand up to Trump, and calls for 25th Amendment

[andresd]

Let's hold all the politicians accountable kick them all out of office and ban them and there family from politics

[lindarockafellow]

13 days to wreck whatever he can? Needs to go now!