President Donald Trump downplayed attempts to remove him from office nearly a week after a mob of his supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol.
During a trip to the border wall in Alamo, Texas, the embattled reality-TV-star-turned-politician, said the 25th Amendment, which could lead to his ouster if endorsed by Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of his cabinet, is “of zero risk to me, but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Trump added.
Pence reportedly has no interest in invoking the 25th Amendment, paving the way for Trump to be impeached for a second time, the first president to achieve that distinction. Trump did condemn the riot that left five people, including one member of the Capitol Police, dead.
“As I have consistently said throughout my administration, we believe in respecting America’s history and traditions, not tearing them down,” Trump said.
“Now is the time for our nation to heal and it’s time for peace and for calm,” he added, before arguing that the clashes with police officers at the U.S. capitol were antithetical to his beliefs.
“Respect for law enforcement and the great people within law enforcement … is the foundation of the MAGA agenda,” he said. “We’re a nation of law and a nation of order.”
Trump also addressed the riot after stopping to talk to press shortly before departing for Texas, when he shirked responsibility for the attempted coup that was intended to stop certification of electoral votes.
“They’ve analyzed my speech, my words,” he told reporters on the White House South Lawn. “Everybody to a T thought it was appropriate.”
Trump went on to say he wanted “no violence,” but criticized the efforts by Democrats in the House and Senate who are on the cusp of impeaching him again.
“It’s really a terrible thing that they’re doing,” he said. “For Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to continue on this path, I think it’s causing tremendous danger to our country, and it’s causing tremendous anger.”