By McKenzie Collins
Nation and World Editor
After the desolation of the Capitol building during a recount of votes from the 2020 presidential election on Jan. 6, the following days have brought a chaotic end to the presidency of Donald Trump.
Since the crimes began on Wednesday, there have been 4 deaths, 56 officers have been injured and 70 attendees have been arrested. While particular perpetrators were charged with trespassing, the majority were arrested for being outdoors following the implementation of a district wide curfew. Twitter reacted on Jan. 6 by suspending the President for twelve hours, which on Jan 8. led to permanent ban.
On the morning of Jan. 7, a pipe bomb was found within R.N.C. (Republican National Committee) headquarters. According to NPR, a similar package was found at the D.N.C. but had not yet been identified during a precautionary evacuation.
According to ABC news, the police reported, “The USCP Hazardous Materials Response Team determined that both devices were, in fact, hazardous and could cause great harm to public safety.”
By 12 p.m., ABC news informed the public that members of Trump’s cabinet are reportedly discussing the evocation of the 25th Amendment, which could be utilized to remove him from office. While Trump was previously impeached on Dec. 18, 2019 by the House of Representatives, his acquittal from the Senate quickly followed on Feb. 5, 2020.
While impeachment requires a trial, it does not equate removal unless the perpetrator is found guilty by the Senate. Therefore, while President Trump was impeached, he retained his position of power.
On Thursday morning, Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill). became the first Republican to call for Trump’s removal.
Kinzinger spoke via Twitter, “The president not only abdicated his duty to protect the American people and the people’s house, he invoked and inflamed passions that gave fuel to the insurrection we saw here. When pressed to move and denounce the violence he barely did so, while of course victimizing himself … all indications are that the president has become unmoored, not just from his duty, or even his health, but from reality itself.”
It’s with a heavy heart I am calling for the sake of our Democracy that the 25th Amendment be invoked. My statement: pic.twitter.com/yVyQrYcjuD
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) January 7, 2021
Other politicians such as John Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Sen. Schumer, and several other Congressmen and Congresswomen echoed this call for action. Business Insider informs readers that this number of representatives has now surpassed two dozen.
According to ABC News, Pelosi even stated, “If he wants to be unique and be doubly impeached, that’s kind of up to him and his Cabinet as to whether he should stay in office.”
While only three Presidents, including President Trump, have ever been impeached– and none have ever been impeached twice — Independent News reports that articles of impeachment are already circulating within the House.
According to NY Magazine, a total of 12 members of the Trump administration have resigned following the attacks. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao and Mick Mulvaney led the parade of resignations.
On Jan. 7, The Washington Post certified that Mark Zuckerberg has banned President Trump from both Facebook and Instagram for at least two weeks, until the transition is complete.
According to USA Today, Zuckerberg stated, “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great. Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.”
Prior to the deactivation of Trump’s account, he tweeted “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!!!”
Trump’s final tweet announced that he will not be attending the inauguration of President-Elect Biden.
While Biden takes office in a few short weeks, Americans are left questioning the stability of this transition with few reassurances, despite ongoing investigations.
According to NBC News, in Biden’s speech on Thursday, he relayed the words of his granddaughter “No one can tell me that if it had been a group of Black Lives Matter protesting yesterday, they wouldn’t have been treated very, very differently from the mob of thugs that stormed the Capitol.”
In an event in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden condemned the violent actions in a statement.
“They weren’t protesters, don’t dare call them protesters. They were a riotous mob, insurrectionists domestic terrorists. It’s that basic, it’s that simple.”