US Vice President speaks out against rumors of 'usurping' the White House

A US Democratic congressman believes that US Vice President Mike Pence is preparing for the impeachment of President Donald Trump and planning to take office, the UK's Independent newspaper reported. In response to this rumor, Mr. Pence spoke out.

US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence (left). (Photo: Getty)

IndependentOn July 30, it was reported that Maxine Waters, a US Democratic congresswoman, unexpectedly posted a comment on social media last weekend that attracted attention.

On his personal Twitter account, Congressman Waters wrote: “(Vice President) Mike Pence is planning an inauguration. Priebus and Spicer will lead the transition team.

The congresswoman was referring to the recent resignations of former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.

One official who has been in the spotlight amid the current White House crisis is Vice President Mike Pence, who has reportedly sought to distance himself from the crisis. Pence was once rumored to be Trump's successor if he were impeached.

Comments by Congresswoman Maxine Waters. (Photo: Twitter)

Amid speculation about a White House “usurpation,” Vice President Mike Pence said, “I know this kind of backbiting in Washington. But that’s not the way President Donald Trump is.”

“I think one of the most admirable qualities of the President is his candor,” he added. “He doesn’t try to hide his feelings. He’s very direct about his disappointment and says, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens.’”

“The vice president is not interested in stories surrounding the election, especially stories that took place before he entered the race,” said a spokesman for Mr. Pence.

NewspaperNewsweekpointed out that Vice President Pence remains loyal to President Trump even as the White House faces accusations of “collusion” with Russia.

Most recently, it was Mr. Pence who spoke out to defend President Trump against public criticism related to Mr. Trump's public criticism of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

In addition to speaking out in defense of President Trump, Mr. Pence is said to continue to fulfill his role as the president's closest advisor. Last week, Vice President Pence traveled to Estonia, held talks with Prime Minister Juri Ratas, and announced support for NATO allies to prevent Russian interference in the region.

Ms. Waters was the first American politician to allege that there was an exchange of information between President Trump and the Russian side. She has also repeatedly called for Mr. Trump's impeachment along with two other Democratic congressmen, Al Green and Brad Sherman.

These lawmakers accused President Trump of “obstruction of justice” when he fired FBI director James Comey, who was in charge of the investigation into suspected Russian interference in the US presidential election.

However, an impeachment trial against the head of the White House can only take place with the approval of a majority of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate. Meanwhile, the Republican Party currently controls both houses until at least November 2018, so this scenario seems unlikely.

In American history, only two presidents have been impeached: Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson. In addition, President Richard Nixon voluntarily resigned after the Watergate scandal to avoid impeachment. 14 vice presidents have later become president, of which 8 were succeeded by the death of the incumbent president, 5 were succeeded by the end of the president's term, and the remaining was due to the resignation of the president.

According to Dan Tri