Citing Trump’s ability to launch nuclear attacks, San Diego Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA 51), spoke on Saturday, joining the chorus of other lawmakers calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump.
Speaking in front of the Hall of Justice in downtown San Diego, Vargas called Trump “unhinged” and “extremely dangerous.” Vargas said he was more worried about Trump having access to the nuclear codes and launching nuclear attacks than whether impeachment would further divide the country.
“He's become completely irresponsible now, very angry,” Vargas said. “And at the same time, he has his hands on all of the nuclear codes. He could launch a nuclear attack tomorrow. This man is dangerous. He needs to be removed from office.”
Even with Trump having less than two weeks left in office, Vargas said Congress needs to act now to prevent Trump from doing any more damage to the nation's security.
On Wednesday, a mob of Trump loyalists broke into the U.S. Capitol as Congress was in the middle of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s election victory.
“The executive attacked the legislator. He whipped up this mob into a frenzy,” Vargas said. “He sent them down all the way to Capitol Hill and he had to invade our house to prevent us from changing government.”
Trump spent weeks attacking the validity of the presidential election, culminating in a speech Wednesday where he incited his supporters to march to the hill and take the country back.
Vargas said Trump whipped his supporters into a frenzy and prevented the peaceful transfer of power. The president’s action Wednesday makes it clear that Congress needs to act now, he added.
“He is a clear and present danger to our country, to our nation, to our society and to our world,” Vargas said. “He must be impeached, impeached immediately.”
If anything, Vargas said, impeachment would stabilize the nation and keep Trump from launching an attack against another country.
On Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the Pentagon to limit the president’s ability to use nuclear weapons in his final days in office. In a letter to House Democrats, Pelosi said with the president "unhinged," the situation “could not be more dangerous.”
Several senators and other members of Congress have separately written to Pentagon leaderships asking them to put checks on Trump’s ability to launch nuclear weapons.
Under the current law, only Trump, as president, can order nuclear strikes.
