Watch live: Pelosi holds weekly press conference following Schumer’s call for Trump’s removal
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Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is holding her weekly press conference Thursday following Wednesday’s violent insurrection on Capitol Hill led by extremists supporting outgoing GOP President Donald Trump.
The briefing comes as Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called for Trump’s immediate removal from office in a statement Wednesday morning. Schumer said Vice President Mike Pence should invoke the 25th Amendment or Congress should impeach the president.
Trump rallied protesters in D.C. Wednesday to oppose the presidential election results, then rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building as lawmakers tallied electoral votes confirming Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Trump has for months falsely claimed that the election was rigged through debunked conspiracies of widespread voter fraud.
After the Capitol Building was secured Wednesday evening, lawmakers finished counting electoral votes and affirmed Biden’s win. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are set to be sworn into office Jan. 20, Inauguration Day.
Some lawmakers worry another two weeks of Trump’s presidency could further erode American democracy or lead to more loss of life after four people died during the Capitol attack Wednesday.
More than 100 lawmakers have called for the president’s removal through the 25th Amendment, impeachment or resignation, according to an NBC News tally. Only one of those — Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois — is a Republican.
Though Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff are projected to win their Jan. 5 runoff races in Georgia and thus solidify the Democratic caucus’ control of the Senate, Schumer will not become majority leader until that election is certified. GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConell followed precedent during Trump’s first impeachment and took up impeachment once the House did.
