Trump's Removal From Office 'Must Be Immediate': Underwood

ILLINOIS — Aurora-area U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood joined the growing number of federal lawmakers urging President Donald Trump to resign or be removed from office for inciting violence Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

President-elect Joe Biden is set to take over the office at noon Jan. 20, but Underwood and many of her colleagues are saying that’s too long to wait after what many have called an attempted coup.

Illinois Lawmakers Condemn Trump For ‘Coup Attempt’ At U.S. Capitol

The “violent, treasonous attack on the United States Congress was incited by the President of the United States,” Underwood tweeted late Wednesday night. “By his own admission, he sought to overturn an election and the will of the American people.”

“Our democracy is at stake and we cannot wait until Inauguration Day to see him removed from office — it must be immediate,” Underwood said.

Insurrectionists loyal to the president stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday afternoon as lawmakers were inside certifying Biden’s Electoral College victory over Trump. The lawmakers paused the vote and were quickly locked in safe areas before being evacuated as violence escalated in and around the building.

Trump Mob Attacks Capitol; 4 Deaths; 69 Arrests; FBI Seeks Tips

Police shot and killed a 35-year-old California woman who was part of the mob inside the Capitol building Wednesday, according to multiple media reports. Her social media accounts show she was a passionate supporter of Trump and QAnon, a far-right group based around a debunked conspiracy theory, the Washington Post reports.

Three others died Wednesday from “medical emergencies” at the U.S. Capitol Complex, police have said.

The U.S. Senate and House restarted their Electoral College certifications around 7 p.m. Central Time after police and National Guardsmen secured the Capitol. Both chambers finished certifying Biden as the country’s next president nearly eight hours later, the Associated Press reported.

'The President Is Unfit:' Kinzinger Calls For 25th Amendment

Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger on Thursday morning became the first Republican lawmaker to call for Trump to removed via the 25th Amendment.

Kinzinger, of Channahon, has long been one of Trump’s most outspoken critics in the Republican Party, and on Wednesday afternoon, he called for Republicans to cut ties with the president and “forcefully denounce his actions.”

Less than 18 hours later, Kinzinger was calling on Vice President Mike Pence and Cabinet members to invoke the 25th Amendment and strip Trump of power after Wednesday’s insurrection at the Capitol.

“Sadly, yesterday it became evident that not only has the president abdicated his duty to protect the American people and the people's house, he invoked and inflamed passions that only gave fuel to the insurrection that we saw here," Kinzinger said.

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"Here's the truth: The president caused this,” Kinzinger said. “The president is unfit, and the president is unwell."

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-10th District) is also calling for the 25th Amendment to be used to remove Trump from power with less than two weeks left in his term.

Schneider Calls On Invocation Of 25th Amendment to Remove Trump

More than 40 Congress members have called for Trump to be impeached, including Illinois Reps. Sean Casten (D-6th District), Marie Newman (D-3rd District), Danny Davis (D-7th District) and Chuy Garcia (D-4th District).

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