Justified outrage over the treasonous capital riot incited by comments made by lame-duck President Donald Trump continues to boil over in the hours and days after. Americans of all political bents are openly questioning the safety of allowing Trump to finish out the last two weeks of his presidency in light of recent events.

Presidentially Sanctioned Treason

If you somehow missed the events that transpired at the halls of Congress in Washington D.C. Wednesday, January 6 it is likely you have heard about them by now. If not, let us enlighten you.

The Electoral Count Act of 1887 sets aside January 6 at 1 p.m. as the date and time that Congress officially counts and records the votes of the Electoral College and the sitting vice president declares the winner. It is generally considered a ceremonial event with little to no real consequence.

That all changed thanks to the efforts of Donald Trump to continue his unsubstantiated claims that he won the 2020 presidential election. At yet another MAGA rally held just down the road, Trump again shouted to his sycophants about how the election was stolen.

He went on to implore attendees to march to the halls of Congress using incendiary language that implied force would be needed. While he promised to join them, Trump then retired into his chambers at the White House to watch the fall out on television.

The rally-goers – many of which were members of known white supremacist groups like the Proud Boys – did exactly as their leader – Donald Trump – instructed. They marched up to the front door of the U.S. House of Representatives and began trying to force their way inside to seize control of the government.

Make no mistake, this was an armed insurgence into the United States government orchestrated by the head of that government.

The word treason is being rightfully batted around in the wake of this unprecedented event.

Emergency Removal from Office

It is little wonder that Democrats and Republicans alike are scrambling to form an appropriate response to Donald Trump's role in these events. There is no doubt he is culpable and that there needs to be a definitive response to his effort to circumvent the very democratic republic he swore to protect and defend.

A growing body of lawmakers and others in positions of power are calling for Donald Trump's immediate removal from office. Even former allies have been forced to realize how dangerous it is to allow a man who is bent on causing as much damage as possible to remain in power for even another day … let alone the almost two weeks he has left in office.

Now they are rushing to find a way to protect the United States from its president.

Impeachment

Before the dust at the Capital had even settled, Democrats in the House began planning a second impeachment of the 45th President of the United States. This time, however, they had the support of several of their Republican colleagues.

While impeachment is the go-to method for removing a sitting president, it is unlikely to be effective. Although this event seems to have lit a fire under Congress and gotten it to move with a speed rarely seen, it is not very likely that all the steps necessary for impeachment could be completed as quickly as they need to be in this instance.

The goal is to remove Donald Trump as quickly as possible and this will not do that.

25th Amendment

Another option that is being batted around is implementing the fourth section of the 25th Amendment.

That Amendment essentially states that the vice president – in this case, Pence – can declare the president unfit and take power. It also requires a majority of either Congress or executive department heads to agree to the declaration and sign on to its written form.

While this power is generally only used when the president undergoes medical procedures or in similar situations, it can be used to take Trump out of power until President-elect Joseph R. Biden can be sworn in on January 20. There are few department heads left to sign on – most have already quit or been fired for refusing to follow Trump's directives – but many Senators have already voiced their willingness to aid Vice President Pence should he invoke the amendment.

The Bottomline

Never before in American history has a sitting president incited a group of citizens to overthrow the United States government. The very idea seems ludicrous. However, like most events of this presidency, the laughably unbelievable is a horrifying reality.

The first step to healing the nation is removing Donald Trump from power.