- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tore into President Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers during a “60 Minutes” interview for refusing to accept the election results in light of last week’s deadly Capitol siege.
- House Democrats are seeking to pursue impeachment proceedings against Trump if Vice President Mike Pence doesn’t support invoking the 25th Amendment, which would allow Pence and the Cabinet to depose Trump.
- “Sadly, the person running the executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States, and we’re only a number of days until we can be protected from him,” Pelosi said. “But he has done something so serious that there should be prosecution against him.”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi excoriated President Donald Trump and House Republicans over last Wednesday’s deadly siege at the US Capitol.
In a “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday, the House speaker reflected on her experience as pro-Trump rioters broke into the Capitol and ransacked her office.
Pelosi said Trump, who had urged supporters at a rally earlier Wednesday to advance on the Capitol and protest, should be held accountable through impeachment for inciting violence.
“Sadly, the person running the executive branch is a deranged, unhinged, dangerous president of the United States, and we’re only a number of days until we can be protected from him,” Pelosi said. “But he has done something so serious that there should be prosecution against him.”
She described the riot as a “terrible, terrible violation of the Capitol, of the first branch of government — the legislative branch — by the president of the United States.” Trump supporters broke into the Capitol as lawmakers were certifying the results of the 2020 election, causing the chamber to temporarily halt the count and take cover.
The congressional session resumed within hours — with Vice President Mike Pence presiding — and lasted until 4 a.m. on Thursday as dozens of GOP lawmakers continued to object to certifying the election results in a handful of states. None of the objections were sustained.
“Shame on them, and shame on two-thirds of the Republican caucus in the House supporting the — so these people are enablers of the president’s behavior,” Pelosi said. “I remember when Republicans in the Senate went to see Richard Nixon and said it’s over, and that’s what needs to happen now.”
Some Republicans who before the Capitol attack had planned to object, including Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, walked back their decision when Congress reconvened.
House Democrats are now seeking to remove Trump — whose term expires January 20 — through impeachment proceedings while also urging Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which would allow him and a majority Trump’s Cabinet to depose the president.
Pelosi wrote in a letter obtained by CNN that impeachment proceedings could be set into motion as early as this week if Pence did not respond to calls to invoke the 25th Amendment.
—Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) January 11, 2021
Nancy Pelosi
60 Minutes
Capitol Siege
Impeachment
