Trump says 25th Amendment 'zero risk to me'

WASHINGTON

President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed the 25th Amendment to the Constitution that seeks to oust a president through his vice president, saying attempts by Democrats to invoke the rule will not harm him.

"Free speech is under assault like never before. The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me but [I] will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration. As the expression goes: ‘Be careful what you wish for,’" Trump said at a news briefing in the state of Texas.

Democrats in the House of Representatives are planning to introduce a resolution later in the day, demanding Vice President Mike Pence invoke the amendment to remove Trump from office after his supporters stormed the US Capitol last week. At least 5 people were killed in the chaos.

The violence is blamed on the outgoing president, as pro-Trump protestors broke into the Capitol building where lawmakers were counting President-elect Joe Biden's Electoral College votes.

Democrat representatives vow to move ahead with impeachment on Wednesday if Pence fails to act.

At his speech at the US-Mexican border, Trump called attempts to impeach him "a witch hunt" and said the move is "causing tremendous anger and division and pain far greater than most people will ever understand."

Trump said "now is the time for our nation to heal, and it’s time for peace for calm," calling for respect for law enforcement.

"And we’re a nation of law and we’re a nation of order," he added.