Democrats could move to impeach Donald Trump if Mike Pence fails to act

A workman cleans up debris outside the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

House Democratic leaders say the House could take up articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as soon as next week if Vice President Mike Pence and Mr Trump’s Cabinet do not act to remove him.

Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts says the House “can use procedural tools to get articles of impeachment to the House floor quickly”, as early as the coming week, if Mr Pence does not invoke the Constitution’s 25th Amendment to remove Mr Trump from office.

Representative James Clyburn, the number three House Democrat, says he can confirm that “we have had discussions about it”.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

The South Carolina Democrat says he hopes Speaker Nancy Pelosi “would move forward if the vice president refuses to do what he is required to do under the Constitution.

“Everyone knows that this president is deranged.”

The 25th Amendment allows for the vice president and a majority of the Cabinet to declare a president unfit for office.

That section of the amendment has never been invoked.

The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021

On Thursday, Mrs Pelosi said the House could move on impeachment if Mr Pence and the Cabinet do not remove Mr Trump before his term ends on January 20.

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

But that possibility may have faded after two Cabinet members resigned on Thursday in protest after Mr Trump egged on protesters who then mounted an assault on the Capitol the day before.

Ms Clark and Mr Clyburn spoke Friday on CNN.