WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th January, 2021) US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to quickly strip President Donald Trump of executive power prior to the January 20 inauguration - a move that would effectively make Pence the acting US president.
"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," Schumer said via Twitter.
Schumer echoed calls by dozens of congressional Democrats to impeach Trump as Republican officials remained largely silent. However Congressman Adam Kinzinger became the first high-profile Republican to also call for Trump's ouster, claiming that the president's behavior indicates he has lost touch with reality and suffers from mental illness.
The amendment allows for the temporary or permanent transfer of power from the President to Vice President if a majority in the Cabinet notifies leaders in the House and Senate that the President is unable to perform his duties.
Trump remained silent much of Wednesday as his supporters occupied the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying results of the 2020 presidential election. After urging his supporters to march on the Capitol, and some entered Congress and engaged with police, Trump then issued a video calling on them to remain peaceful and go home.
