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For the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the third in line to power in the United States, calling for the immediate removal of the President was an impressive statement about the crisis of democracy in the United States.
In the Congressional television studio where Nancy Pelosi made her announcement, it was an impressive moment in 24 hours of unprecedented developments.
The veteran Democrat put aside questions about how realistic it would be to impeach Donald Trump in the remaining days of his presidency.
“This is urgent,” he said.
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‘Trump committed an unspeakable assault on our nation’
You’re unlikely to get the answer you want from Vice President Mike Pence – that he’s ready to invoke the 25th Amendment and get Trump out of the Oval Office.
It is perhaps equally unlikely that Congress will be able to kick-start the impeachment machine, for the second time in the case of Donald Trump, in the space of two weeks.
But it is sheer anger on the part of members of Congress that is fueling these movements, because the violence this week came directly to their doorstep.
Senator Mark Warner was visibly shocked as he surveyed the damage inside the Capitol building. In his view, the broken windows, defaced statues, broken door frames and graffiti were directly Trump’s responsibility.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a man who has gone from being a fierce critic of Trump to his weekend golf buddy, spoke chillingly about the possibility that the protesters “could have killed us all.”
The fact that debris from the uproar still littered the hallways a day later was an illustration of an institution still shaken by what happened. The reinforced and nervous security officers were giving the impression of being extremely nervous.
The president’s video message, Released more than 24 hours after the violence subsided, it did at least finally contain some kind of concession, but edits to the video suggest it said more than was posted.
The promise of a peaceful transition to Joe Biden will be welcomed amid troubling unrest over all things American politics.
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WH’s press secretary quickly escapes from the podium
Whether Trump remains in the message for the rest of his presidency is something that no one can take for granted.
When even John Kelly, the retired US Marine Corps general who served as Trump’s loyal chief of staff, says cabinet members should meet to discuss his impeachment, and that he would vote “Yes” if he were there , you already know the country is in uncharted waters.
