Politics

Do you think President Trump is unfit to remain in office until the inauguration?

Following Wednesday's events at the U.S. Capitol, lawmakers from both parties are calling to invoke the 25th Amendment.

U.S. President Donald Trump departs on the South Lawn of the White House, on December 12, 2020 in Washington, DC. Photo by Al Drago/Getty Images

By Maddie Mortell

2 minutes to read

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On Jan. 6, the U.S. Capitol was stormed for the first time since 1814 by British forces. This time it was not foreign attackers that breached the citadel, but an insurrection comprised of American Trump supporters, sent there at the President’s direction to delay the electoral college count that would certify his loss of the election to President-elect Joe Biden.

What would unfold following Trump’s 70 minute speech: chaos. Hundreds pushed past Capitol police to loot, destroy property, pose for photographs in the Senate chamber, break into Nancy Pelosi’s office, and scuffle with police that resulted in armed standoffs, leaving four dead, including one woman who was shot and killed. As the insurrection continued, Biden and lawmakers pleaded with Trump to condemn the violence and tell his supporters to stop. Trump delayed calling the National Guard, and released a pre-taped video message to Twitter that seemed to still encourage his supporters, telling them he loved them. He later tweeted, “These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace. Remember this day forever!” Facebook and Twitter both removed the posts and locked the President’s accounts for violating policy rules.

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Now, a day later, senior administration officials and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are discussing calling on Vice President Pence and Cabinet officials to invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office with just two weeks left in his term.

Senior officials have discussed removing Trump under the 25th Amendment. Here’s how that could work.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), wrote to Twitter on Thursday, “What happened at the U.S. Capitol yesterday was an insurrection against the United States, incited by President Trump. This president must not hold office one day longer. The quickest and most effective way—it can be done today—to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump.”

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Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Richard Neal are among Massachusetts leaders calling for Trump’s immediate impeachment. GOP congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), released a video on Twitter, calling to invoke the 25th amendment and “end this nightmare.”

So, we want to know what you think. Do you believe the president is fit to hold office for 13 more days, or has this gone too far? We also want to know what you thought of yesterday’s events. Let us know by emailing [email protected] or by responding to the survey below and we’ll include a roundup of your responses in a follow up article on Boston.com.

 

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