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Donald Trump must be impeached 'as soon as possible', says former US Labour Secretary

Reich branded Trump a 'howling manchild' in wake of Charlottesville violence: Win McNamee/Getty Images
Reich branded Trump a 'howling manchild' in wake of Charlottesville violence: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Donald Trump must be impeached as soon as possible, a former US labour secretary has urged.

Robert Reich said Mr Trump represents a "clear and present danger to America" and must be removed from office.

His comments followed the former real estate mogul's divisive campaign rally in Arizona that saw him attack the "fake media" and "truly dishonest " journalists, who he claims misrepresented his comments on Charlottesville.

Surrounded by his core base, he claimed his response to the Virginia protests was "perfect" in a rambling and wide-ranging speech.

Mr Reich branded Mr Trump a "howling manchild" in the wake of the Charlottesville violence, and said the criticism of the US President's response could help to make him "irrelevant".

"It’s unlikely Trump will be impeached or thrown out of office on grounds of mental impairment. At least any time soon," he wrote in an op-ed on his website.

"Yet there’s another way Trump can be effectively removed. He can be made irrelevant.

"It’s already starting to happen. The howling manchild who occupies the Oval Office is being cut off and contained."

He said Mr Trump's widely condemned response to the Charlottesville protests - in which he blamed the violence that killed one counter protester on "both sides" - had allowed Republicans to criticise him more openly than before.

"We’re not out of danger. Trump will continue to rant and fume. He’ll insult. He’ll stoke racial tensions. He could still start a nuclear war," he said.

"But, hopefully, he won’t be able to exercise much presidential power from here on. He’s being ostracised like a obnoxious adolescent who’s been grounded. When the media stop reporting his tweets, his isolation and irrelevance will be complete."