DONALD TRUMP may be impeached for a SECOND time today as Nancy Pelosi slammed a "deadly incitement" and several Republicans have jumped ship on the president.
Trump facing a second impeachment comes following the US Capitol riots – despite Vice President Mike Pence backing the president.
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Trump faces a charge of inciting insurrection following his January 6 speech where he told rally-goers in Washington DC to march to Congress and "fight like hell."
Members of the House will begin impeachment proceedings at 9am EST on Wednesday – with a vote to follow.
"Donald Trump’s incitement of a deadly insurrection against the U.S. Capitol is without precedent in our nation’s history and an egregious violation of his oath of office," Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Wednesday morning.
"Fulfilling our oath to defend our Constitution requires that we act to remove him from office immediately," she added.
The second round of impeachment proceedings comes after members of the House on Tuesday passed a resolution calling on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office.
Pence said in a letter to Democratic Pelosi, however, that he would not do so, saying it would set a "terrible precedent."
Despite Pence's saying he would not oust Trump, many top Republicans have jumped ship on Trump and say they will vote to impeach him.
"The president of the United States summoned this mob, assembled this mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing," Wyoming Rep Liz Cheney said in a statement.
"None of this would have happened without the president. I will vote to impeach the president," the third-ranking Republican added.
Rep John Katko of New York said he will also vote to impeach Trump in a statement on Tuesday night, saying the president "encouraged this insurrection" as he spoke of the GOP riots.
"To allow the President of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy. For that reason, I cannot sit by without taking action," Katko said.
"I will vote to impeach the President."
Although many Republicans have said they will vote to oust Trump, some have said they will not.
House Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana slammed House Democrats for "divisive actions" that he dubbed "sheerly political."
"I will not vote in support of these divisive actions," Scalise said in a statement.
"While it is clear we must address all the actions that motivated last week's anarchists to riot at the Capitol, a rushed impeachment that hasn't even had a single hearing is clearly not the appropriate or practical way to do so and would set a dangerous precedent," he added.
Reps Fred Upton of Michigan, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois all also indicated in statements on Tuesday that they would vote to impeach Trump.
If Trump's impeachment is passed in the House, it will move forward to the Senate, where hearings would kick off early next week.
As the Senate is not scheduled to meet next until January 19 – the day before president-elect Joe Biden's Inauguration – a source told ABC that there will not be a hold up in Trump's impeachment.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could call the Senate back to meet earlier, kicking off the process in the Senate even sooner.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump slammed the impeachment as "ridiculous" and said his speech prior to the riots was "totally appropriate."
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