Nancy Pelosi gives Vice President Mike Pence 24 hours to invoke 25th Amendment to oust Donald Trump

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday night said she would give Mike Pence, Vice President, 24 hours to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from office before launching impeachment proceedings.

Ms Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in the House, said in a letter to colleagues that she believed the president represents an" imminent threat" to democracy.

“The horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action," he said.

On Monday, House leaders will work to swiftly pass legislation to do that. If it is blocked by Republicans, which is almost certain, the House will convene for a full House vote on Tuesday.

Ms Pelosi explained that the resolution calls on Pence “to convene and mobilise the Cabinet to activate the 25th Amendment to declare the President incapable of executing the duties of his office.” Under the procedure, the vice president “would immediately exercise powers as acting President,” she wrote.

While it is unlikely Mr Pence would invoke the 25th Amendment, according to CNN sources, the vice president has not ruled it out and wants to preserve the option in case Mr Trump becomes "more unstable".

Invoking the amendment would require Mr Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to vote to remove Mr Trump from office due to his inability to "discharge the powers and duties of his office" - an unprecedented step.

The president could dispute their move with a letter to Congress. Mr Pence and the Cabinet would then have four days to dispute him and Congress would then vote -  it requires a two-thirds supermajority, usually 67 senators and 290 House members to permanently remove him.

Pressure was mounting for Mr Trump to leave office even before his term ended amid alarming concerns of more unrest ahead of the inauguration. The president whipped up the mob that stormed the Capitol, sent lawmakers into hiding and left five dead.

With the January 20 inauguration of Joe Biden fast approaching - and with the country hit by a surging pandemic, a flagging economy, and searing division - resignation "is the best path forward," Republican Senator Pat Toomey said, adding, "that would be a very good outcome."

Mr Toomey said that since losing the November 3 election, Mr Trump had "descended into a level of madness and engaged in activity that was absolutely unthinkable, and unforgivable."