WA's Democratic Congressional Delegation Supports Invoking 25th

SEATTLE — All nine of Washington's Democrats in Congress have now announced their support for invoking the 25th amendment and removing President Donald Trump from the White House.

On Wednesday, a pro-Trump mob stormed the nation's capitol in Washington D.C., ransacking congressional offices in an attempt to overturn the November General Election and President-elect Joe Biden's victory over Trump. Congress had to be evacuated for hours, and ultimately 4 people died and 69 more were arrested.

Now that the riot is over and the smoke has cleared, many say Trump himself is responsible for fanning the flames through his continued attacks on the electoral process.

The president did little to help his case Wednesday. Reports indicate he had met with and encouraged protesters to fight for him earlier in the day. And when asked to demand that the mob step down, he instead posted a short video on Twitter thanking the insurrectionists for their attack, telling them to leave the capitol but also calling them "special" and saying he loved them. The video has since been removed and Trump's Twitter account suspended for "promoting violence."

Following Trump's response to the attack, a growing number of politicians have spoken out demanding his immediate removal from office, including all of Washington's Democrats in Congress.

At 1:36 p.m. Thursday, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) posted a statement on Twitter announcing that she supported invoking the 25th amendment, making her the last of Washington's congressional Democrats to sign on for Trump's removal.

I supported impeaching the President before for his misuse of his office. And I will support impeachment again for abusing power and attempting to interfere in the election results in Georgia. My full statement pic.twitter.com/fjLNvhcuge
— Sen. Maria Cantwell (@SenatorCantwell) January 7, 2021

The 25th amendment was adopted in 1967 but has never been invoked to remove an unfit president. Invoking the 25th and removing Trump would require approval from Vice President Pence, as well as a majority of Trump's cabinet. There have been scattered reports from Washington insiders that cabinet members are considering the 25th, but so far they have not met with Pence.

President Trump has violated his oath of office. For the good of the country, the 25th Amendment should be invoked to remove him from office immediately.
— Rep. Suzan DelBene (@RepDelBene) January 7, 2021

The Vice President and Cabinet must invoke the 25th Amendment because it is the swiftest way to remove the President from office. Let’s be clear: he should absolutely be removed from office. This isn’t about politics. This is about protecting our democracy. Statement below: pic.twitter.com/IyDSLBKL3F
— Rep. Kim Schrier (@RepKimSchrier) January 7, 2021

While the nation waits to see how that effort pans out, many are considering another angle — impeaching the president a second time, and removing him that way.

In addition to calling for Pence to invoke the 25th, Washington Sens. Jayapal and Smith have signed as co-sponsors to Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar's impeachment resolution.

President Trump incited & encouraged this riot. He & his enablers are responsible for the despicable attack at the Capitol. VP Pence and the Cabinet should invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump, otherwise Senate Republicans must work with the House to impeach & remove him.
— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) January 7, 2021

I will do everything in my power to hold Donald Trump fully accountable—now AND after he leaves office. https://t.co/EViSNJ49Qh
— Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@RepJayapal) January 7, 2021

Others, like Cantwell and Murray, have also signaled that they will join in impeachment efforts.

The most immediate way for President Trump to be removed from office is for the @VP & the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment. If they don’t, to protect our democracy, our clear responsibility as members of Congress is to impeach, remove, & bar this President from future office.
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) January 7, 2021

Critics may wonder: why bother to impeach when the president's term is almost up? For impeachment supporters, the answer is twofold: to prevent any potential future attacks from far-right groups, who may have been emboldened by Wednesday's insurrection and relative lack of consequences, and to prevent Trump from running again in 2024.

The state's three Republican members of Congress, Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Dan Newhouse, and Jaime Herrera Beutler have not released statements on the issue either way.

Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers had previously signed a brief supporting a bid to overturn the presidential election in favor of Trump.

However, all three Republicans did approve of congress' confirmation of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' victory over Trump following the insurrection and all three have publicly denounced the riot in D.C.

I wholeheartedly condemn this violence. This is not who we are, and this needs to stop immediately.
— Rep. Dan Newhouse (@RepNewhouse) January 6, 2021

Related: 'Clear And Present Danger' Inslee Calls For Trump's Removal