In the first interview since the violent riots on Capitol Hill, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes about her motivations for impeaching US President Donald Trump a second time.Among her reasons for moving to impeachment, Pelosi stated that Trump should face prosecution and that if "after all of this there's no punishment, no consequences, he could run again for president."
Late Sunday, Pelosi also told lawmakers that they would first vote on a resolution this week calling on Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet to remove Trump from office before moving to impeachment.Tonight, in the first interview with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi since a mob smashed its way through the Capitol, Speaker Pelosi tells Lesley Stahl one motivation for impeaching POTUS is to assure he never runs for the presidency again. https://t.co/GB0n5UOLgK pic.twitter.com/aU6dCSO2BQ
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) January 10, 2021
The House is set to vote on Monday or Tuesday on a resolution urging Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment of the US Constitution, which allows him and the cabinet to remove the president if he is unable to discharge his official duties, Pelosi said in a letter.Pelosi added that after that, the House "will proceed with bringing impeachment legislation to the floor." Through late Sunday, 210 House members have co-sponsored the impeachment measure, or nearly a majority of the House.
Omri Nahmias contributed to this report.With just 10 days remaining in his administration, Democrats have threatened to impeach the president for a second time, following the violent riots on Capitol Hill that took place on Wednesday.
Articles of impeachment could be presented against Trump as early as Monday, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) told ABC. Pelosi, along with several Republican lawmakers, called on the president to resign “immediately.”
“But if he does not, I have instructed the Rules Committee to be prepared to move forward with Congressman Jamie Raskin’s 25th Amendment legislation and a motion for impeachment,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Accordingly, the House will preserve every option – including the 25th Amendment, a motion to impeach or a privileged resolution for impeachment.”
Democrats, who said a House vote on impeachment could come by mid-week, hope the threat will intensify pressure on Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment before Trump’s term ends in less than two weeks.
It is unclear whether lawmakers would be able to remove Trump from office, as any impeachment would prompt a trial in the Senate, where his fellow Republicans still hold power and two-thirds of the 100 members must vote to convict for his removal.
The White House rejected the calls for Trump to either resign or to be removed from office. “Impeaching President Donald Trump with 12 days remaining in his presidency would only serve to further divide the country,” said White House spokesman Judd Deere.
Trump’s role in encouraging Wednesday’s chaos has opened a growing rift within the Republican Party.