US Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on January 6, 2021 during the electoral college vote count.

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Erin Schaff / AP / SIPA

Donald Trump's term ends in 13 days, but for Nancy Pelosi, it's 13 days too long.

In the aftermath of the violence that shook the Capitol in Washington, the Speaker of the House spoke in favor of the impeachment of the American president via the 25th Amendment, or by impeachment if necessary.

In total, more than 100 elected Democrats declared themselves in favor, as well as a Republican representative.

But even if there was the political will - which is far from guaranteed on the Republican side - the very tight schedule seems insurmountable.

Dismissing Donald Trump is an "emergency of the utmost importance," Pelosi insisted, accusing him and his supporters of having participated in an "attempted coup".

She urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke "immediately the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to declare Donald Trump" unfit "to govern, saying she hopes to have his answer" today ".

If it does not act, Congress "may be ready to move towards impeachment proceedings," she added.

Even if the elected Ilhan Omar is already writing articles of impeachment, the procedure is long - we saw it at the end of 2019-beginning of 2020. It could go quickly in the House, but to remove a president, he have to organize a trial in the Senate, which lasts several weeks.

Six weeks had passed between the presentation of the articles of impeachment for abuse of power and the acquittal of Donald Trump by the Senate last February.

A backdoor to play time with the 25th amendment

We explain it to you in this article, the 25th Amendment has already been used to temporarily transfer the powers to the Vice President for medical reasons in the event of general anesthesia, in particular from George W. Bush to Dick Cheney.

The situation here would be different.

Mike Pence could, if he is supported by the majority of Donald Trump's cabinet, declare the president "unfit" (for example for "incitement to violence" or having hung out to send the National Guard).

Donald Trump could then appeal and recover his presidential powers.

But Mike Pence and the cabinet could bypass it by asking Congress to vote within four days.

A two-thirds majority of the House and Senate is required for impeachment.

Given the support from many loyalists of the US president in the House over objections to the certification of the vote on Wednesday, this would no doubt be complicated.

Game over?

Not necessarily.

As the

Washington Post

explains

, there is a backdoor: Congress has 48 hours to meet, then ... 21 days to vote.

And while waiting for the vote, it is the vice-president who has the presidential powers.

So Congress could, in theory, play the clock and let Trump's term expire with Pence at the helm.

Faithful to Trump for four years, Pence distanced himself by refusing to bypass the process in Congress on Wednesday, which infuriated the US president.

According to American media, the two men did not speak to each other on Thursday, and the vice president's chief of staff, Marc Short, claims to be persona non grata in the White House.

The next two days promise to be crucial.

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