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3 UH profs sign letter demanding Donald Trump’s removal from office

President Donald Trump has come under fire after he incited a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in Washington. A group of UH professors signed an open letter condemning the president and calling for his removal. | Renee Josse De Lisle/The Cougar

President Donald Trump has come under fire after he incited a mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in Washington. A group of UH professors signed an open letter condemning the president and calling for his removal. | Renee Josse De Lisle/The Cougar

Three UH professors added their names to an open letter started yesterday calling for President Donald Trump’s removal from office by impeachment or by invocation of the 25th Amendment.  

Associate political science professors Scott Clifford and Boris Shor and public affairs professor Pablo Pinto digitally signed a document from political scientists at institutions worldwide calling on Congress, Vice President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to oust Trump from his position as the sitting president for the final two weeks of his term.

“Our profession seeks to understand politics, not engage in it, but we share a commitment to democratic values,” the letter signed by the UH professors reads. “The President’s actions show he is unwilling or unable to fulfill his oath to protect and defend the Constitution. He should be removed from office immediately before further violence takes place or further damage is done to our democracy.”

All three professors declined to or could not be reached for comment on their reason for signing. 

The letter, organized by Dartmouth College political science professor Brendan Nyhan, has garnered over 1,500 signatures as of 2:30 p.m. Thursday. It came in part as a response to Trump inciting a violent mob of his supporters to storm the Capitol building yesterday afternoon, resulting in four deaths. 

Other concerns cited include Trump’s rejection of a peaceful transfer of power, encouragement of legislators to overturn election results in their states and application of pressure to election officials to change results. 

Trump has repeatedly asserted that Biden’s presidential win is fraudulent, including in an address to the nation yesterday calling for an end to the insurrection at the Capitol.

Congress affirmed Biden’s victory at 3:40 a.m. after Congress was forced to evacuate the Capitol earlier in the day due to the threat posed by Trump supporters storming the building. 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California said Democrats are prepared to impeach Trump for a second time if Pence does not invoke the 25th Amendment, which would allow the vice president and the cabinet to take the power of the presidency from Trump. 

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