Schatz and Kahele Call for Impeachment and Removal of President Trump

Three of Hawaiʻi’s congressional leaders have released statements calling for the removal of President Trump through impeachment.

US Senator Brian Schatz and US Congressman Kaialiʻi Kahele voiced their concerns today following yesterday’s US Capitol riot. Congressman Ed Case also joined in with similar sentiments on Thursday evening.

“Trump is a danger to democracy itself,” Sen. Schatz said in a statement. He continued saying:

“I took an oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We must both initiate impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives and invoke the 25th Amendment. Our vigilance must increase, not wane, in the final days.”

Congressman Kahele (HI-02) also called for the immediate removal of President Trump from office, saying he fully supports the President’s removal by either invoking the 25th Amendment or bringing forth articles of impeachment. The rest of his statement is as follows:

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“We have seen the enormous damage Trump can do just in a short amount of a time since the 2020 presidential election. We cannot have a sitting president in office who incites violence among the people, or who tries to upend the American people’s democratic process and right to a just election. His deplorable abuse of power urging Georgia’s Secretary of State to find votes, and his remarks in front of an agitated mob of his supporters yesterday that roused civil indignancy at the grounds of the U.S. Capitol are unforgivable. President Trump is a disgrace to the office he holds and to the American people. Every day he remains in the White House is another day America is unsafe. 

“Whether it’s the 25th Amendment or impeachment, Donald Trump must be held accountable for his actions. This cannot wait. Congress must take action to impeach President Trump or remove him from office immediately.”

Congressman Kahele is a co-sponsor to two resolutions of impeachment authored by fellow US Members of Congress; one resolution sponsored by Representatives David Cicilline, Ted Lieu, and Jamie Raskin, and another by Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. 

The impeachment resolution by Representatives David Cicilline, Ted Lieu, and Jamie Raskin offers a single article of impeachment alleging abuse of power covering both allegations of (1) inciting violence against the United States as well as (2) President Trump’s urging of Georgia’s Secretary of State to find votes.

Representative Ilhan Omar’s impeachment resolution contains two articles of impeachment: allegations of (1) abuse of power and (2) unlawful attempts to overturn the November 2020 Presidential election; and his abuse of power to incite violence and orchestrate a coup against our Country. 

US Rep. Ed Case released the following statement:

“The President’s recent actions, including his flagrant attempted subversion of our election process and his incitement of yesterday’s violent attack on our US Capitol, cross any reasonable line into an assault on our very foundations.

“They demonstrate that the President is an immediate danger to our democracy, our country and our citizens, justifying his removal from office for inability to discharge his duties under our Constitution.

“That his Administration will end in thirteen days is no reason not to remove him now. The power of the Presidency is immense, and its continued abuse cannot be risked. And the precedent of acceding to such abuse cannot be accepted.

“I urge Vice President Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to our Constitution, which provides an expedited procedure to remove the President for such disability.

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“I am also reviewing specific impeachment proposals if the 25th Amendment is not invoked.”

On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump denounced the US Capitol violence calling it a “heinous attack” and turned his focus toward a “smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power” in a video address. This was in contrast to his video statement on Wednesday regarding the crowd that gathered in which he said, “We love you… You’re very special.”

In Thursday’s address he said:

“Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem. I immediately deployed the National Guard and federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders. America is and must always be a nation of law and order.

“The demonstrators who infiltrated the Capitol have defiled the seat of American Democracy. To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay.

“We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high, but now tempers must be cooled and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America.

“My campaign vigorously pursued every legal avenue to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American Democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in all future elections.

“Now congress has certified the results A new administration will be inaugurated on Jan. 20. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation.

“2020 has been a challenging time for our people. A menacing pandemic has upended the lives of our citizens, isolated millions in their homes, damaged our economy, and claimed countless lives. Defeating this pandemic and rebuilding the greatest economy on Earth will require all of us working together. It will require a renewed emphasis on the civic values of patriotism, faith, charity, community and family. We must revitalize the sacred bonds of love an loyalty that bind us together as one national family.

“To the citizens of our country, serving as your president has been the honor of my lifetime. And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning. Thank you. God bless you. And God bless America.”