A race by Democrats to remove President Donald Trump from office is gaining momentum as some of his fellow Republicans begin to break their ranks.
The House of Representatives’ third-highest-ranking Republican, Liz Cheney, said she would vote to accuse Trump of storming Congress last week.
Earlier, the president claimed no responsibility for the riots, which led to five deaths.
He will be succeeded on January 20 by Joe Biden, a Democrat.
The House plans to vote Wednesday to charge Trump with inciting insurgency, while Democrats said the president encouraged his supporters to storm the Capitol building during a speech before the riot.
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Can Trump be removed or banned from politics?
- How many arrests so far due to riots in Capitol?
- FBI fears armed protests ahead of Biden’s inauguration
Mr. Trump could become the first US president ever to be charged twice. He becomes the third president to be arrested in December 2019 on charges of violating the law by asking Ukraine to ask Mr. Pray in the election to investigate.
What did Republicans say?
Me. Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, has vowed to return charges, the first time a leader of the president’s own party has done so since Richard Nixon’s tenure.
“There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” the Wyoming representative said, adding that Mr. Trump “summoned this crowd, gathered the crowd, lit the flame of it”. attack “.
Two other members of the Republican House, John Katko and Adam Kinzinger, said they would also vote for indictment.
U.S. Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, an ally of Trump who said he opposed the accusation, decided not to ask members of the party to vote against the measure.
According to the New York Times, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell told confidants that he was glad the Democrats wanted to accuse the president of believing it would free the Republican Party from Trump.
On Tuesday night, Republican House Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania filed a resolution calling for Mr. Trump, condemning a reprimand from Congress less serious than accusation.
The measure accuses Trump of “illegally trying to overthrow the result of the November election and of endangering an” equal branch of government. “
What happens to the 25th Amendment and Accusation?
The House passed a 223-205-vote resolution on Tuesday calling on Vice President Mike Pence to help Trump oust the 25th Amendment, which would allow the cabinet to remove the president if he is unable to do so. to fulfill his duties.
But Mr. Pence has already rejected the Democrats’ resolution and said in a letter to Nancy Pelosi of the House: “Under our Constitution, the 25th Amendment is not a way to punish or use. To the 25th Amendment on such a would set a terrible precedent. “
The refusal of Mr. Pence to go along means the Democrats will move to an accused vote in the House. If Trump is charged, he will be tried in the Senate to determine his guilt.
A two-thirds majority in the upper house is needed to convict Trump, which means at least 17 Republicans must vote for conviction. About 20 Senate Republicans could convict the president, reports the New York Times.
The Senate may also use an indictment to hold a vote, which Mr. Trump, who has indicated he plans to campaign in 2024, will be barred from ever running again.
What did Trump say?
In his first public appearance since the riot, Mr. Trump showed no reflection on remarks he made to supporters before the violence, when he also reiterated unfounded allegations of voter fraud.
“What I said was completely appropriate,” he said. Trump said. “I do not want violence.”
He also said, “This accusation is causing tremendous anger, and you’re doing it, and it’s really a terrible thing they’re doing,” adding that the ‘real problem’ was rhetoric used by Democrats during Black Lives Matter. protests and violence last year.
Trump’s iron grip loosens
In the time it took Air Force One to fly Donald Trump back from the Texas border on Tuesday, the political ground crumbled under his feet. Mitch McConnell’s signals that he is “pleased” with Democratic efforts suggest that the political calculation for Republican leaders in Congress is changing.
A growing number believe that the unrepentant president’s actions last week not only threatened American democracy but also their personal security.
And even before the riot at the American Capitol, Mr. Trump is increasingly seen as a political responsibility with dwindling power. His scorched earth challenge for the election results has likely cost Republicans two Senate seats in Georgia, and there has been little evidence that Trump will increase the party’s election chances if his name is not on the ballot.
Mr. McConnell, among others, is pondering whether a clean break with Trump is better for their political future, even if it means working with Democrats to get the job done.
What’s the latest in the riot investigation?
So far, 170 individuals have been identified and 70 people charged, the FBI said. Hundreds more are expected to be charged and those convicted of sedition and conspiracy could face up to 20 years in prison, the agency said.
Rioters are urged to turn themselves into police while a social media campaign is underway by members of the public to identify people from photos.
The FBI also said investigations have concluded that two pipe bombs found near the political party offices in DC contain explosive lighters and timers.
Meanwhile, US media reported that the FBI had released an internal report a day before the riots warning that extremists were planning to travel to Washington DC to commit violence. The document, from an FBI office in Virginia, showed plotters sharing maps of the tunnels under the Capitol.