WASHINGTON, DC — Just days after insurrectionists loyal to Donald Trump stormed Capitol Hill, Democratic lawmakers are moving forward with a lightning-fast attempt to remove the president from office.
Some are calling it a political stunt. Others say it's a necessary step — a final effort to remove an "unhinged" commander in chief from office.
Meanwhile, President Trump is growing more and more isolated as his loyal inner circle shrinks and social media companies take away his direct access to millions of ardent supporters.
With only two weeks left of his term, House Democrats laid out their plan on Friday for a swift impeachment of Trump. By Saturday, they had 180 co-sponsors signed on to introduce Articles of Impeachment on the House floor.
A draft of the Articles accuses Trump of abuse of power, saying he "willfully made statements that encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — imminent lawless action at the Capitol," a source told The Associated Press.
The articles are expected to be introduced on Monday, with a House vote expected as soon as Wednesday.
If their efforts succeed, Trump will be the only U.S. president to be impeached twice. He was impeached by the House in December 2019 but was acquitted by the Senate in February 2020.
If convicted by the Senate, Trump would be prohibited from running for president or ever holding public office again.
Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly told his caucus that the earliest the Senate could take up an impeachment trial is Jan. 19, a day before Joe Biden will be inaugurated.
Talk of impeachment started just a day after supporters loyal to Trump stormed Capitol Hill, taking part in a riot that temporarily suspended Electoral College proceedings to confirm Joe Biden as the nation's 46th president and also contributed to the deaths of five people.
Among them was Ashli Babbitt of California, who was shot in the neck inside the Capitol building. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick also died from injuries sustained during the riot.
Police on Thursday identified the others who died on Capitol grounds Wednesday due to what it said were medical emergencies: Rosanne Boyland, 34, of Kennesaw, Georgia; Kevin Greeson, 55, of Athens, Alabama; and Benjamin Phillips, 50, of Ringtown, Pennsylvania.
The prospect of removal from office by impeachment seems unlikely; however, some Republicans are voicing their support for removing Trump from power. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska said she wants Trump to resign now, The AP reported.
"I want him out," she said in a telephone interview with the Anchorage newspaper.
Another leading Republican critic of Trump, Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, said he would "definitely consider" impeachment.
The White House, meanwhile, called the entire move "politically motivated." Republican Minority Leader and staunch Trump ally Kevin McCarthy also spoke against removing the president, saying that "impeaching the President with just 12 days left in his term will only divide our country more."
While Biden has said he believes Trump isn't "fit for the job," the president-elect has repeatedly refused to endorse growing Democratic calls to impeach him a second time.
President's Support Wanes
The president, meanwhile, appears more isolated and vulnerable as the number of people in his inner circle continues to dwindle.
Two top Trump officials, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, resigned following Wednesday's violence.
Mick Mulvaney, former White House chief of staff and director of the Office of Management and Budget, also resigned from his post as U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland.
In an interview with CNBC, Mulvaney said he told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: "I can't do it. I can't stay."
Two of first lady Melania Trump's top aides resigned Wednesday night, according to CNN. Stephanie Grisham, a longtime Trump family loyalist who served as White House press secretary and most recently as the first lady's chief of staff; and Anna Cristina Niceta, the White House social secretary, separately announced their resignations.
While the president normally would turn to his Twitter account to find support and validation, that option is also off the table following unprecedented action taken by the social media company.
On Friday evening, Trump's account was permanently suspended by Twitter, whose safety team made the decision due to the "risk of further incitement of violence." Twitter had locked Trump out of his account for 12 hours following the Capitol riot, adding that future violations could result in a permanent suspension.
Facebook this week took a more immediate stance against the president's rhetoric. In a statement posted on his personal page Thursday morning, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company was banning Trump from using the platform "indefinitely."
Federal Charges Filed, Arrests Made
By Saturday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, D.C. had filed federal charges against 17 people involved in Wednesday's riot.
Among them is Derrick Evans, a newly elected member of the West Virginia House of Delegates. Evans was arrested Friday after he livestreamed himself rushing into the U.S. Capitol with other pro-Trump supporters.
Authorities on Saturday also arrested Jacob Anthony Chansley of Arizona, who goes by the alias Jake Angeli or "QAnon Shaman" to his followers.
Chansley — photographed in the Capitol with a painted face, fur hat, and a helmet with horns — was arrested Saturday. He is facing federal charges of knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, as well as with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds.
More than 80 people have been arrested this week by the D.C. Metro police, Capitol Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation in connection with Wednesday's insurrection.
Thirteen people were charged with federal crimes on Friday and three were charged on Saturday. At least 40 others are facing charges in D.C. Superior Court for offenses including unlawful entry, curfew violations and firearms-related crimes.
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Resign Or Be Impeached: Lawmakers Want Trump Out Now - Patch.com
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