Pelosi says Trump is a 'clear and present danger' as impeachment debate begins

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) described President Trump as a "clear and present danger" to the United States and said he "must go" as debate on his second impeachment officially began.

On Wednesday, Pelosi opened debate in the House of Representatives on an article of impeachment charging Trump with "incitement of insurrection" after a mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol building last week. In her opening remarks, she urged lawmakers to "search your souls" and vote to impeach Trump again.

"The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion, against our common country," Pelosi said. "He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Pelosi went on to describe impeaching Trump and convicting him in the Senate as a "constitutional remedy that will ensure that the republic will be safe from this man, who is so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we hold dear and that hold us together." She also described those who stormed the Capitol in last week's deadly riot as "domestic terrorists" who were "sent here by the president."

The House is expected to vote later on Wednesday to make Trump the first president in American history to be impeached twice, although there may not be a trial in the Senate before President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. Brendan Morrow