W. Paul Alexander
for
Better Call Paul Blog
[January 12, 2021 @ 11:21 PM EST | WASHINGTON, D.C.]
Yesterday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi indicated that she had given Vice President Mike Pence a 24-hour ultimatum to either invoke the provisions of the 25th Amendment and attempt to convince a majority of the cabinet to remove President Donald Trump from office just 8 days before his term is set to expire and Joe Biden becomes President of the United States.
The ultimatum was given in response to Trump's role in agitating the crowd protesting the certification of electoral votes on January 6, 2021 that devolved into a riot and insurrection as the US Capitol was breached. Government property was destroyed, laptops and documents were stolen, many were seriously injured, and at least 5 people lost their lives in the attack on one of the most important institutions of the Republic -- all done in the name of Trump.
In an example of some of the most sacrilegious acts, the Confederate Battle Flag -- the symbol of American's very definition of treason and sedition -- was carried up and down the halls of the US Capitol, as seen here:
Many were arrested and hundreds of investigations are still ongoing, but many observers that were also present during the police response to some of the left-aligned violence that occurred throughout the summer and involved some groups with larger numbers of people of color stated that the response to the pro-Trump mob was definitely toned down, while the police went out of their way to appear militarized and project a show of force when dealing with the violence over the summer. However, as this is not the point of this article, I digress.
After the assault on the Capitol, a growing number of Trump cabinet members have resigned their posts. Many commercial entities disavowed and completely withdrew their previous undying support of Trump. Pelosi issued the above-mentioned ultimatum to Pence, with a response deadline of 01/12/2021.
Well, not that long ago -- at around 8:00 PM -- I noticed a headline explaining that Pence had responded with a written letter, rejecting Pelosi's request and using her own previous statements about the 25th Amendment against her in a sharp rebuke.
The entire document in it's original PDF form can be viewed, printed, or downloaded here. In the letter, Pence states that the only time that the 25th Amendment can be used to justify removal of a President would be if a consensus of scientific medical opinions declares that the president is incapacitated or otherwise medically or cognitively unable to discharge the powers and responsibilities of the Office of the President.
Specifically, Pence states, "I will not now yield to efforts in the House of Representatives to play political games at a time so serious in the life of our Nation."
So, it seems that Pelosi has her response. She wasted no time in acting after receiving Pence's refusal, either, with the House already voting to recommend removal to the cabinet via a non-binding resolution, with a vote on impeachment coming in the next day or so, with several high-profile representatives, such as Liz Cheney, already coming out publicly supporting Trump's immediate removal from office. Reports also indicate the relationship between Mitch McConnell and Trump has completely devolved, almost to the point of hatred.
It's not often that Washington agrees about something, but when they do, they tend to come together forcefully and fast. As more and more members of his own party denounce him, one has to wonder if Trump's political capital is just about spent.
