Days after US President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol, the US House of Representatives Democrats will stage a vote to impeach US President Donald Trump for his role in inciting violence, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed.
The plan, spelled out by Pelosi in a letter to fellow Democrats on Sunday evening, came as Washington struggles to decide what to do about Trump in the 10 days before Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20. In the letter, the Speaker vowed to bring a vote on impeachment in the absence of action by Pence, setting the stage for a historic first - the impeachment of a president for the second time in his tenure.
"In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both... As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action," said Pelosi in her letter.
If Pence does not respond, Democrats would proceed with impeaching the president for a historic second time.
Officials have opened at least 25 domestic terrorism investigations into Wednesday's assault on the US Capitol, a top military officer told lawmakers, according to a House Democrat. Five people died in the rampage through the seat of government by Trump's backers after a fiery speech denouncing the Nov. 3 election results by the Republican president.
Trump, who has without evidence challenged the validity of Biden's election victory, praised and egged on supporters before they laid siege to the Capitol, where lawmakers were certifying the Electoral College vote for Biden.
Lawmakers were forced to flee, as the building was mobbed by Trump supporters - wearing hats with his slogan and waving flags with his name - who overwhelmed security forces.
Aides to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. McCarthy on Friday rejected the idea of impeaching Trump, saying it would only compound divisions within the United States.
