Preparations take place for US President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington, Jan 8, 2021, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building. (PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP)

WASHINGTON - Democrats in the US House of Representatives will introduce legislation on Monday urging the impeachment of President Donald Trump, Representative Ted Lieu said on Saturday.

In a tweet, Lieu, who was an active participant in the December 2019 House impeachment of Trump that ultimately failed in the Senate, said there were now 180 co-sponsors for one new article of impeachment following rioting in the US Capitol on Wednesday by Trump supporters.

A copy of the measure circulating among members of Congress charges Trump with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” in a bid to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election

A copy of the measure circulating among members of Congress charges Trump with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” in a bid to overturn his loss to President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

The articles also cite Trump’s hour-long phone call with Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which he asked the state election official to “find” enough votes to overturn that state’s election, which Biden won.

Trump’s supporters, inflamed by his false claims of election fraud, stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday, smashing windows, sending lawmakers into hiding and leaving five dead.

Democratic leaders including House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Friday called for immediate impeachment proceedings if Vic-President Mike Pence and Trump’s cabinet refused to take steps to remove Trump from power.

“The president’s dangerous and seditious acts necessitate his immediate removal from office,” they said in a statement on Thursday evening, accusing Trump of inciting an “insurrection.”

Pelosi said Friday Democrats “will preserve every option” to force Trump from office, either through the 25th Amendment or impeachment. She said she’s instructed the Rules Committee to be ready to move forward with a motion or resolution, but stopped short of saying articles of impeachment would be brought for a vote.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi holds a news conference on the day after violent protesters loyal to US President Donald Trump stormed the US Congress, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan 7, 2021. (J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/AP)

Earlier in the day, President-elect Joe Biden suggested Democrats should not spend time on impeachment, saying that his inauguration on Jan 20 will be the quickest way to remove Trump from office.

“If we were six months out we should be doing everything we can to get him out of office,” Biden said. “But I am focused now on us taking control as president and vice president on the 20th.”

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Democrats “will preserve every option” to force Trump from office, either through the 25th Amendment or impeachment

As calls for his ouster mounted on Thursday, Trump released a video in which he denounced the violence that left five people dead.

The Republican president came the closest yet to conceding his loss in the Nov 3 presidential election, promising to ensure a smooth transition to a “new administration”. President-elect Joe Biden, a Democrat, is set to be sworn in on Jan 20.

READ MORE: World stunned by Trump supporters storming US Capitol

Trump’s words were in stark contrast to his speech on Wednesday, when he exhorted a crowd of thousands to descend on the Capitol as Congress met to certify Biden’s election victory.

Rioters stormed the building, overwhelming police and forcing authorities to transport lawmakers to secure locations for their own safety.

A Capitol police officer died from injuries sustained in the assault, the force said late on Thursday. A woman protester was fatally shot by the authorities, and three people died from medical emergencies.

The FBI offered a reward of up to US$50,000 for information on people responsible for placing pipe bombs in the headquarters of the two main US political parties. The agency released a picture of a suspect wearing gloves and a hoodie, carrying an object.

If impeached in the House, Trump would theoretically face trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is scheduled to be in recess until Jan 19. Aides to Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, have not said what he would do if the House approved articles of impeachment.

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The Democratic-led House impeached Trump in December 2019 for pressuring the president of Ukraine to investigate Biden, but the Republican-held Senate acquitted him in February 2020. Only two other presidents in history have been impeached, and none has ever been impeached twice.

Pelosi and Schumer called on Pence and Trump’s Cabinet to invoke the US Constitution’s 25th Amendment, which allows them to strip the president of his powers if he cannot discharge the duties of his office. Pence opposes the idea, according to an adviser.

‘Restraining Trump’

Pelosi spoke to the top US military commander on Friday about taking precautions to ensure that Trump cannot initiate hostilities or order a nuclear strike in his remaining 12 days in office.

Pelosi spoke to the top US military commander on Friday about taking precautions to ensure that Trump cannot initiate hostilities or order a nuclear strike in his remaining 12 days in office

Pelosi said in a letter to Democratic lawmakers that she spoke to Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about what measures are available to rein in the Republican president. 

“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 colleagues.

While Pelosi’s letter highlights the concern among lawmakers about what Trump may try to do during his remaining time in office, there are questions about what Milley or anyone could actually do to stop a president from using nuclear weapons.

“There is no legal way to do this. The president has sole, unfettered authority to order the use of nuclear weapons with no ‘second vote’ required,” said Jeffrey Lewis, a professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey in California.

ALSO READ: Trump pressures Georgia official to 'find' votes to upend election

Milley’s office said that Pelosi had initiated the call and Milley “answered her questions regarding the process of nuclear command authority.”

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that any use of nuclear weapons is a highly deliberative process.

Trump said earlier on Friday he would not attend the inauguration of Biden, breaking with long-standing tradition in American presidential transitions.

There have been discussions at the White House about Trump leaving Washington on Jan 19, a source familiar with the matter said. He is expected to travel to his Florida resort, the source said.

“To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” Trump wrote on Twitter.