Calls surging for Trump's removal

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) joined scores of Democrats, at least one Republican and a major business association to call for the removal of President Trump today following a violent siege on the U.S. Capitol led by the president's supporters.

"President Trump incited & encouraged this riot," Smith tweeted. "He & his enablers are responsible for the despicable attack at the Capitol."

Smith said Vice President Pence and the presidential cabinet should invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump, "otherwise Senate Republicans must work with the House to impeach & remove him."

While Smith was one of more than 100 Democrats who called for Trump's removal in the waning days of his presidency, there was at least one Republican who publicly joined them.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) tweeted a video message also calling for Trump's removal from office.

"The president caused this. The president is unfit. The president is unwell," he said.

The National Association of Manufacturers has also called for Trump's removal.

"The outgoing president incited violence in an attempt to retain power, and any elected leader defending him is violating their oath to the Constitution and rejecting democracy in favor of anarchy," according to a statement from President and CEO Jay Timmons. "Anyone indulging conspiracy theories to raise campaign dollars is complicit. Vice President Pence, who was evacuated from the Capitol, should seriously consider working with the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to preserve democracy."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has also called for Trump’s removal.

“This president must not hold office one day longer,” Schumer tweeted. “The quickest and most effective way—it can be done today—to remove this president from office would be for the Vice President to immediately invoke the 25th amendment. If the Vice President and the Cabinet refuse to stand up, Congress must reconvene to impeach President Trump.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said the House would consider impeachment if Trump was not removed via the 25th amendment.

"If the vice president and the cabinet do not act, the Congress may be prepared to move forward with impeachment," she said.

The House voted to impeach Trump once already in December 2019. He was not convicted in the Senate, however.

Meanwhile, President-elect Biden is scheduled to be inaugurated Jan. 20 and Democrats, who already have a majority in the House, are now projected to also have a majority in the Senate.