Schumer says he supports Pelosi’s move to impeach Trump: ‘’I don’t trust him one bit’

'I believe the president is dangerous and should not hold office,' Mr Schumer says

Danielle Zoellner
New York
Thursday 07 January 2021 20:53 GMT
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Congressman Adam Kinzinger becomes the first Republican to call for Donald Trump to be removed from office
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has thrown his support behind Nancy Pelosi in her bid for the House to impeach Donald Trump if the Constitution’s 25th Amendment is not invoked. 

“I support Speaker’s Pelosi’s move to impeachment,” he said during press conference on Thursday mere minutes after the House speaker made the announcement. 

Calls to impeach of invoke the 25th Amendment against Mr Trump surged after pro-Trump rioters breached the US Capitol on Wednesday in protest of Congress certifying the 2020 election results. 

"I believe the president is dangerous and should not hold office," Mr Schumer said. "The quickest and most effective way to remove this president from office would be for the vice president to immediately invoke the 25th Amendment."

Mr Schumer added that both he and Ms Pelosi attempted to call Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday morning to discuss the 25th Amendment. "They kept us on hold for 25 minutes and then said the vice president wouldn’t come on the phone," Mr Schumer said.

The 25th Amendment states that the vice president can take over if the sitting president is removed, resigns, or dies while in office. In order for this to be invoked, Mr Pence would be needed as well as a majority of Mr Trump’s Cabinet who are in agreement the president is unfit for office. 

If invoking the 25th Amendment was not an available option, Mr Schumer seemed adamant that the House and Senate chambers of Congress should move to impeach the president over Wednesday’s events. 

“The best thing to do is to get rid of him. I don’t trust him one bit. Impeach him if the 25th Amendment isn’t invoked. Impeach him ASAP,” he said, adding Mr Trump should not hold the office of the presidency for “one day longer”. 

Impeachment proceedings, if they were to go through in both the House and Senate, could also prevent Mr Trump from running for president again in 2024. 

"In impeachment there's a charge that allows the Congress to say ‘he can never run for office again’. That should be invoked as well," Mr Schumer said. 

Multiple Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for Mr Trump to be removed from office following the riots that occurred at the US Capitol. 

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