House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that she spoke with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley to find out what was being done to block an “unhinged” and “unstable president” Donald Trump from accessing nuclear launch codes.
“The situation of this unhinged President could not be more dangerous, and we must do everything that we can to protect the American people from his unbalanced assault on our country and our democracy,” Pelosi said in a letter to the House, per CNBC News.
During a meeting, Pelosi reportedly told lawmakers that Milley guaranteed that they would prevent Trump from ordering a nuclear launch. The section of her letter that discusses her call with Milley is titled, “Preventing an Unhinged President From Using the Nuclear Codes.”
“This morning, I spoke to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike,” Pelosi wrote.
She referenced that many lawmakers—herself, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and other Democrats—demanded Trump be removed from office, either through the Constitution’s 25th Amendment or impeachment. She also cited President Richard Nixon as an example, when almost 50 years ago, Republicans in Congress told the “rogue” president that “it was time to go.”
“Today, following the President’s dangerous and seditious acts, Republicans in Congress need to follow that example and call on Trump to depart his office—immediately. If the President does not leave office imminently and willingly, the Congress will proceed with our action.”
She continued, “As you know, there is growing momentum around the invocation of the 25th Amendment, which would allow the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to remove the President for his incitement of insurrection and the danger he still poses.”
The 25th Amendment permits the vice president and a majority of the executive cabinet to eject the president by proclaiming that he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” If that happens, then the vice president will take over.
Pelosi’s letter arrives two days after a mob of violent Trump insurrectionists swarmed the U.S. Capitol and gained entry into the building. Trump is credited with inciting the riots, encouraging the MAGA cult members to help him fight against Joe Biden’s certification as the next president of the U.S.
