WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th January, 2021) US President Donald Trump said he was outraged by the violence on Capitol Hill and vowed to ensure a smooth transition in power after a slew of resignations from his administration while lawmakers and officials in both parties called for his removal.
On Wednesday, according to a police statement, thousands of Trump supporters violently stormed the US Capitol where they attacked officers with metal pipes, chemical irritants and other weapons. Many forced their way into the building in a bid to enter the House chamber. The protesters tried, but failed, to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election victory.
The attack came after Trump in a fiery speech near the White House urged his supporters to keep fighting to overturn the outcome of the vote.
The riots, which marked the most significant breach of US capitol grounds since the British set fire to it in 1814, sparked a slew of resignations on Thursday along with calls for impeachment.
Many called for top security officials to resign in light of the failure to prevent the violence. One woman was shot and killed by a police officer. In all, at least five people have died including a Capitol police officer in connection with Wednesday's unrest, CNN reported on Thursday.
US Capitol Hill Police Chief Steven Sund said he submitted his letter of resignation on Thursday, effective January 16, after a chorus of calls to step down by congressional leaders. This came after a number of other officials quit, including Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
"Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed," Chou said in a letter to her colleagues. "As I'm sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I cannot simply set aside. Today, I am announcing my resignation as US Secretary of Transportation, to take effect on Monday, January 11."
Others who have stepped down since Wednesday include Stephanie Grisham, former chief of staff to First Lady Melania Trump; Matt Pottinger, the deputy national security adviser; Sarah Matthews, deputy White House press secretary; Anna Cristina "Rickie" Niceta, social secretary at the White House; Ryan Tully, the National Security Council's senior director for European and Russian Affairs; Tyler Goodspeed, acting chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers; and John Costello, deputy assistant secretary for intelligence and security at the Commerce Department.
House Judiciary chairman Jerrod Nadler said he supports bringing impeachment charges against Trump immediately and removing him from office for inciting his supporters to attack the US Capitol.
Several lawmakers and officials, including Republicans, urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke constitutional powers to have Trump removed.
"Donald Trump has flagrantly abused his power and tarnished the office he holds. Now he's incited bloodshed in the halls of your Capitol. We cannot endure this nightmare for a second longer," US Congressman Gerry Connolly said in a tweet on Thursday. "If his Cabinet won't exercise the 25th [Amendment to the Constitution], he must be impeached and removed from office."
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, during a news conference said America would be better off if Trump resigned or was removed from office.
Acting US Attorney General Michael Sherwin said in a call with reporters that he does not rule out charging Trump with inciting a riot on Capitol Hill.
US Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, however, said impeachment or invoking the 25th amendment was not appropriate at this point.
Trump in a video message on Thursday said he was outraged by the "violence, lawlessness and mayhem" that took place at the Capitol Building on Wednesday, adding that those who broke the law will "pay."
"A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power," Trump said in a pre-recorded video on Thursday.
Trump added that he still strongly believes the US election laws must be reformed to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure confidence in future elections.
Trump told his supporters that their journey is just beginning, but did not give further details about the matter.
The president was criticized for not doing more to halt his supporters from stopping the violence. In a video message the day before, he told supporters to go home but in a tweet suggested the riots were a result of the fraudulent election.
Every US election security agency and Trump's own Justice Department have refuted the president's allegations of voter fraud. The Trump campaign and its allies also lost more than 60 court challenges to reverse the results, including before the Supreme Court.
Some experts believe that changing the Constitution of the United States to enable effective transfers of power is necessary but practically impossible.
Constitutional historian Dan Lazare told Sputnik the amending clause set forth in Article V requires a two-thirds majority in each house plus approval by three-fourths of the states for the Constitution to be changed. As a result, the US political system is growing more rigid and change-averse rather than less making a violent breakdown eventually inevitable, Lazare said.
"In effect, the United States is doomed to follow the same course as the French monarchy, the Russian empire, and other such entities, which is to grow ever more frozen until the structure shatters like glass. That's the long and the short of it," he said.
California State University Emeritus Professor of Politics Beau Grosscup thinks impeachment could be rushed through, but the new Senate was unlikely to be able to gather the two-thirds majority needed to impeach Trump if the House of Representatives once again passed impeachment articles against him.
Although some were calling for charges of sedition against the rioters, Grosscup found it unlikely. The rioters could now be charged with trespassing, destruction of government property for sure, resisting arrest and insurrection, but direct political charges would be avoided, Grosscup predicted.
"The government is very good at coming up with charges depending on the politics of the offenders. Given the right-wing politics here, terrorism is clearly off the table," Grosscup said.
