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Impeach Trump, several Florida Democrats say after his supporters take over Capitol

South Florida Sun Sentinel / Anthony Man / January 7, 2021

Even though he leaves office on Jan. 20, several congressional Democrats from Florida said after a mob of President Donald Trump's temporarily supporters took over the U.S. Capitol that he should be impeached.

U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who represents South Broward and Miami-Dade County, was the first, raising impeachment Wednesday night. She was joined Thursday by several other Democrats.

Wilson said she'd prefer that Vice President Mike Pence invoke procedures to remove Trump under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution, but doesn't believe Pence has the courage to do what's necessary.

"Trump must be removed from office. For his role in inciting today's insurrection, I am calling on VP Pence and the president's cabinet to invoke the 25th amendment. Because I fear that Pence lacks the courage for such bold action, I am also cosponsoring articles of impeachment," Wilson wrote Wednesday evening on Twitter.

U.S. Rep. Val Demings, an Orlando Democrat, said on Twitter she'd come to the same conclusion.

"Impeachment, 25th Amendment, this president must go, and then must face criminal charges. Everybody counts, but everybody is accountable," Demings wrote.

Many Florida Democrats placed blame for the day's events squarely on incitement by Trump. Others didn't go as far as Wilson and Demings in calling for impeachment, though several called for invoking the 25th Amendment. Under the 25th Amendment, if a the vice president and a majority of the cabinet concludes the president is unable to discharge the duties of his office, the vice president becomes acting president.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, D-St. Petersburg, a former Florida governor, called for invoking the 25th Amendment on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon, the 25th Amendment idea was supported by eight of the state's 11 Democratic members of Congress. Besides Crist, Demings and Wilson, they included South Florida U.S. Reps. Ted Deutch, Alcee Hastings and Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

If the 25th Amendment isn't used, six Florida Democrats were supporting impeachment by Thursday afternoon, including South Florida's Deutch, Hastings and Wilson.

Deutch is a member of the House Judiciary Committee.