While Donald Trump announced Friday that he would not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, Democrats continue to demand that the current president be declared unfit for office.

But they only have 12 days left to initiate a second impeachment procedure.

The smooth transition he promised will ultimately happen without him.

US President Donald Trump is preparing to break a historic tradition by announcing that he will not attend the inauguration ceremony of his successor, Joe Biden, on January 20.

An exceptional event, but not unprecedented since in 1869, Andrew Johnson had shunned the investiture of Ulysses S. Grant.

In the case of Donald Trump, after the invasion of the Capitol by his supporters, another question arises: will he still be president at the time of the inauguration?

Indeed, the Democrats are doing everything to ensure that the current president is declared unfit.

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The 25th Amendment: The Quickest, But Least Likely Procedure

Democratic Party leaders urge Vice President Mike Pence to trigger Section Four of the 25th Constitution Amendment.

According to the Democratic leader in the Senate, this is the fastest procedure.

For that, the vice-president and the cabinet must vote to declare the president unfit for his functions.

The vice-president must then address a written declaration to the presidents of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

It is up to Congress to entrust him with the interim presidency, by a two-thirds vote of the two chambers.

An option that is unlikely, according to sources close to Mike Pence.

Towards a second impeachment procedure?

However, Democrats have another option: the impeachment procedure.

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, has indicated that if the 25th Amendment is not passed, Congress will move in this direction.

But this procedure is longer.

Indeed, it requires the vote of both houses of Congress, and the 12 days remaining to Donald Trump at the head of the country are in his favor.

On Friday morning, Nancy Pelosi's assistant told

CNN

that a House of Representatives vote is possible as early as next week before a second Senate vote.

If that were the case, that would make Donald Trump the first president to be twice targeted for impeachment.