Feels like something is in play tonight
As Congress finishes up its certification of the election tonight, some have commented that House and Senate Democrats are being a little too business as usual when it comes to their remarks. Why aren’t they passionately demanding that Donald Trump resign, or similar rhetoric?
Let’s take a look at what else is going on this evening. Multiple cabinet members are not only discussing the 25th Amendment, they’re leaking to CBS News that they’re considering it. Trump cabinet secretary Elaine Chao is suddenly leaking that she’s considering resigning, seemingly trying to get out the door before she has to vote on the 25th, which could blow back on her spouse Mitch McConnell.
Meanwhile Mike Pence is acting as if he already is President, including reportedly signing off on sending the National Guard to retake the U.S. Capitol after Trump refused to sign off on it. And now Trump’s National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien is basically pledging his allegiance to Pence, which stands out as curious for its timing.
This comes even as the Democratic-controlled House Judiciary Committee just sent Mike Pence a letter, formally asking him to invoke the 25th Amendment and remove Donald Trump. So the Democrats are demanding Trump’s removal from office tonight, they’re just not doing it with their floor speeches. It feels as if the Democrats are trying to let this be seen as Pence’s decision, so it’ll look less partisan.
Of course if Mike Pence doesn’t invoke the 25th Amendment within the next 24 hours, we expect the Democrats will sharply change their tone. But it feels like the Democrats know something is in play with the 25th tonight, and that they think there’s a chance it might get somewhere. This is all developing by the hour if not the minute, so we’ll see where it goes. But things are moving remarkably fast.
