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Donald Trump warned Democrats’ efforts to impeach him a second time “sparked tremendous anger” in the United States and said he was not responsible for a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters this week last.
In his first unscripted remarks since the rampage in the nation’s capital, Mr. Trump described the decision to impeach him as “the continuation of the greatest witch hunt in political history.”
“I think this causes enormous anger. . . and a huge danger to our country, ”Mr. Trump told reporters on Tuesday as he prepared to travel to the US-Mexico border to brag about his immigration record.
“We don’t want violence,” the president added, as he defended a heated speech he gave to thousands of supporters before an angry pro-Trump mob launched an assault on the US Capitol : “People thought what I said was very appropriate.”
The president’s remarks came as the House of Representatives ready to vote on a measure that will pave the way for his impeachment unless Mike Pence, his vice president, relieves him of his functions by invoking the 25th amendment.
Mr Pence is not expected to respond to demand to invoke the amendment – which allows a president deemed unfit to be kicked out of office – paving the way for Mr Trump’s second impeachment with only a week until Joe Biden was invested as president. .
Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the Democratic House, said the lower house of Congress would vote on Wednesday to impeach the president for “incitement to insurgency” for his guilt in the attack on Capitol Hill.
As the Trump presidency comes to a dramatic end, the FBI has warned possible armed protests in state capitals, while officials in Washington stepped up security to prevent further violence at the Jan.20 inauguration. Mr. Trump declared a state of emergency in the nation’s capital on Monday.
the attack on the US Capitol resulted in a rift between Mr. Trump and Mr. Pence, who only spoke after Wednesday’s outburst at a Monday meeting, according to U.S. media.
As Mr. Pence curled up in the assault, Mr. Trump criticized him on Twitter for failing to prevent the Senate from certifying Mr. Biden’s victory.
Although Mr. Pence privately expressed reservations about how Mr. Trump handled the situation last week, he has shown no indication he will work with Democrats to impeach the president.
Several Republicans, including Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, have called on Mr. Trump to resign. Very few GOP senators have reported that they will vote to convict Mr. Trump if the Senate holds a trial after his impeachment from the House
Mr Trump has become increasingly isolated in his final days, with three cabinet secretaries and his deputy national security adviser resigning following the attack alongside a handful of administrative staff.
Twitter and Facebook have both blocked Mr. Trump from using his accounts on their platforms, depriving him of his most valuable form of communication.
Axios reported that Kevin McCarthy, the leader of the Republican minority in the House of Representatives who has been a close ally, has dismissed Mr. Trump’s claims during a phone call that the attack on Capitol Hill was carried out by antifas. Mr. Trump frequently claims, without evidence, that far-left “anti-fascist” activists are to blame for the violent protests in the United States.
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