U.S. Riots: Pelosi Seeks to Curb Trump’s Nuclear Power, Impeachment Discussed

The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, spoke with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday (Saturday NZT) about how to prevent a “deranged” president, Donald Trump, from ordering military action, including a possible nuclear attack in his last days in the White House. .

Pelosi said in a statement to her colleagues that she spoke with General Mark Milley “to discuss the precautions available to prevent an unstable president from launching military hostilities or accessing launch codes” for a nuclear war. She said Milley assured her long-standing safeguards are in place.

The president has exclusive authority in the United States government to order the launch of a nuclear weapon. But a military commander could reject the order if it is found to be illegal. Trump has made no such threats.

Pelosi said the situation of “this unhinged president could not be more dangerous.”

Pelosi met with the Democratic House caucus on Friday to consider impeachment proceedings against the president next week after the deadly siege of the U.S. Capitol by a pro-Trump mob that shocked the nation and the world.

Top lawmakers are sounding alarms that while Trump will leave office on January 20 when Democrat Joe Biden is sworn in, he could do great damage in his departure. And if Trump were impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate, he could be prevented from running for president again in 2024 or from holding public office again. Trump would only be the president accused twice.

Conviction in the Republican Senate at this late date would seem unlikely. But it is a measure of his uncomfortable position that fewer Republicans speak out against his impeachment.

A Trump ally, the representative of Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, said “impeaching the president with only 12 days left in office will only further divide our country.”

McCarthy said he reached out to Biden and plans to speak with the Democratic president-elect about working together to “lower the temperature.”

The final days of Trump’s presidency turn to a chaotic end as he takes refuge in the White House, abandoned by many aides, prominent Republicans and members of the Cabinet. He tweeted again after his Twitter account was restored, reverting to an aggressive statement that his followers should not be “disrespected” after he posted a calmer video Thursday denouncing the violence.

Calls for legal action are mounting after the Capitol attack, in which a protester was shot and killed by Capitol Police and Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick was killed. Three other people died of “medical emergencies” during the demonstration.

Strong criticism of Trump, who urged protesters to march on Capitol Hill, continued unabated.

“Every day that he remains in office, he is a danger to the Republic,” said Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California.

Schiff, who led Trump’s impeachment in 2019, said in a statement that Trump “lit the fuse that exploded on Capitol Hill Wednesday.”

Articles of impeachment are expected to be presented Monday, with a House vote as early as Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the planning and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called on Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to force Trump out of office. It is a process to remove the president and install the vice president to take office.

Biden’s transitional spokesman, Andrew Bates, has said that the president-elect is preparing to take office and will “let Vice President Pence, the cabinet and Congress do their best.”

But Pence or Cabinet action now seems unlikely, especially after two top officials, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao suddenly resigned in the wake of the violence on Capitol Hill and would no longer be on the job. cabinet to present such a case. .

Trump had encouraged loyalists at a rally Wednesday at the White House to march to the Capitol, where Congress certified the Electoral College recount of Biden’s election.

Pelosi discussed the possibility of impeachment with her leadership team Thursday night, hours after announcing that the House was willing to act if Pence and other administration officials fail to invoke Section 4 of Amendment 25: impeachment. by Trump’s force of power by his own Cabinet. .

Rep. James Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, told CNN: “Everybody knows this president is crazy.”

One of Trump’s leading Republican critics, Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, said he would “definitely consider” impeachment.

Schumer said he and Pelosi tried to call Pence early Thursday to discuss the 25th Amendment option, but were unable to reach him.

Most Democrats, and many Republicans, directly blamed Trump after swarms of protesters carrying Trump flags and clothing stormed the Capitol, causing destruction and evacuations.

Three Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee began circulating articles of impeachment on Thursday. Representatives David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Jamie Raskin of Maryland, and Ted Lieu of California wrote in the articles that Trump “deliberately made statements that encouraged – and predictably resulted in – impending illegal actions on Capitol Hill.”

The House impeached Trump in 2019, but the Republican-led Senate acquitted him in early 2020.

Pelosi said “a threshold of such magnitude was crossed” that Trump should not be allowed to make any decisions.

During a new conference Thursday, he challenged several members of the Cabinet by name, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steve Mnuchin.

“Do you support these actions?” Pelosi asked. “Are you willing to say that during the next 13 days this dangerous man can do more damage to our country?”

Pence has not publicly addressed the possibility of invoking the 25th Amendment.

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Alexandra Jaffe contributed to this report.