Trump slams impeachment move as Democrats press ahead
Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning a vote to impeach Trump on Wednesday for “incitement of insurrection”, amid tightening security countrywide following FBI’s warning of “armed protests” at the US Capitol and all 50 state capitols.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his January 6 speech that has been blamed for storming of the US Capitol as “totally appropriate” and said a move underway to impeach him had caused “tremendous anger”. He sought to characterise it as part of the “witch hunt” that had led to his first impeachment.
Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning a vote to impeach Trump on Wednesday for “incitement of insurrection”, amid tightening security countrywide following FBI’s warning of “armed protests” at the US Capitol and all 50 state capitols in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
“If you read my speech, and many people have done it and I’ve seen it both in the papers and in the media, on television, it’s been analysed and people thought that what I said was totally appropriate,” he told reporters.
In another interaction with reporters earlier in the day, the first since the January 6 riots, he had said, “The impeachment is really a continuation of the greatest witch hunt in the history of politics. It’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”
He added: “This impeachment is causing tremendous anger … I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger. I want no violence.” He repeated several times he did not want any violence; unlike the vague appeals he had issued during the attacks.
{{/usCountry}}He added: “This impeachment is causing tremendous anger … I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger. I want no violence.” He repeated several times he did not want any violence; unlike the vague appeals he had issued during the attacks.
{{/usCountry}}The FBI warning of more attacks came in an internal memo that was widely reported in US media. “Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from January 16 through at least January 20, and at the US Capitol from January 17 through January 20,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}The FBI warning of more attacks came in an internal memo that was widely reported in US media. “Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from January 16 through at least January 20, and at the US Capitol from January 17 through January 20,” it said.
{{/usCountry}}US Secret Service’s special security arrangements for the inauguration have been ordered to be initiated a week before January 19, as a result, and National Guard forces, SWAT teams and special police squads have been deployed to secure state capitols.
{{/usCountry}}US Secret Service’s special security arrangements for the inauguration have been ordered to be initiated a week before January 19, as a result, and National Guard forces, SWAT teams and special police squads have been deployed to secure state capitols.
{{/usCountry}}“In light of events of the past week and the evolving security landscape leading up to the inauguration and at the recommendation of (the) Secret Service,” Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security said in a statement, “I have instructed the US Secret Service to begin the National Special Security Event operations for the 2021 Inauguration effective Wednesday, January 13th instead of January 19th”.
Wolf himself resigned later in the day, becoming the third member of President Trump’s cabinet to quit following the storming of the US Capitol on January 6 by rioters incited and instigated by the president’s lies about stolen elections and fraud. Six people died in the attack including two police officers.
US House of Representatives will vote on Tuesday to call upon Vice-President Mike Pence to oust President Donald Trump invoking the 25th Amendment. If he doesn’t do so in the next 24 hours, the chamber will vote to impeach Trump on Wednesday, making him the first president impeached twice. He was last impeached in December 2019, but the Senate acquitted him, letting him stay in office.
Democrats then plan to send the article of impeachment to the Senate for a trial to convict the president, either before he leaves office at the end of his term on January 20 or after.
Efforts to remove President Trump from office gathered momentum as did the investigation into the stunning breach of the US Capitol by rioters instigated by him to stop a joint of session of Congress, presided by Vice-President Mike Pence, from certifying Biden’s election victory.
More than 20 people have been arrested in the countrywide sweep by FBI and local law enforcement agencies — that include the rioters seen the most in pictures. Two officers of the US Capitol police have been suspended and 17 others are under investigation for allegedly helping the rioters.
Also supportive of the rioters were more than a dozen lawmakers from at least nine states, according to reports. They had joined the crowds, and participated in the storming of Congress. One of them, from solidly conservative West Virginia, has since resigned his seat and has been arrested.
The social media sweep of right-wing rhetoric continued. Twitter suspended more than 70,000 accounts linked to right-wing QAnon conspiracy theories and peddlers. It said the action was a fallout of the January 6 events.
Democrats had on Monday introduced a resolution urging Pence to lead the cabinet to declare Trump unfit to govern under the 25th Amendment which empowers the vie-president to sideline the president for being unfit to govern. Democrats will give him 24 hours to respond, and then will call the impeachment vote.
The article of impeachment, accusing Trump of “incitement of resurrection,” laid out the case against Trump very clearly. “Incited by President Trump, a mob unlawfully breached the Capitol, injured law enforcement personnel, menaced members of Congress and the vice-president, interfered with the joint sessions’ solemn constitutional duty to certify the election results and engaged in violent, deadly, destructive and seditious acts.” The article further said that by such conduct, he has demonstrated that “he will remain a threat to national security, democracy and the constitution if allowed to remain in office.”