Ayanna Pressley Calls Pence a Coward for Not Using 25th Amendment to Remove Trump
'Squad' member said that Pence's decision displayed 'pure cowardice'
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Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., accused Vice President Mike Pence of being a coward following his decision not to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove President Donald Trump.
Pressley said that Pence's decision displayed "pure cowardice."
Pressley wrote on Twitter:
"We must impeach and remove Trump from office immediately."
Pure cowardice.
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) January 13, 2021
We must impeach and remove Trump from office immediately. https://t.co/dd3MyMX5vr
Pence refused to remove Trump by invoking the amendment, which caused a massive backlash among Demoncrats.
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Such a move is used where a president is medically incapacitated.
Pence argued the case for his decision by pointing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to her own statements that utilizing the amendment's relies on "science and facts," and be "based on a medical decision."
Earlier this week, Pelosi said the key motivator behind impeachment was to block Trump from being elected again in the future.
In a "60 Minutes" interview that aired Sunday night, Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) said that Democrats are seeking to eliminate any chance Trump has of taking back the White House in four years.
"Madam Speaker, you were right," Pence wrote in a letter to Pelosi Tuesday night.
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"Under our Constitution, the 25th Amendment is not a means of punishment or usurpation. Invoking the 25th Amendment in such a manner would set a terrible precedent," Pence said.
The Vice President added that it wouldn't be "in the best interest of our nation or consistent with the Constitution."
According to sources, House Republican leaders have said they will not lobby members to oppose the action.
Five members have already said they will vote to remove Trump, they include:
- Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo
- Reps. Fred Upton R-Mich
- Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill
- Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Wash
- John Katko, R-N.Y
The Senate would need about a third of Republican senators to vote against Trump to be successful.
