Article of impeachment will be brought against Trump on Monday

180 lawmakers are now co-sponsoring the resolution to impeach Trump for the second time

An article of impeachment seeking to remove Donald Trump from office will be introduced on Monday, Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu confirmed on Saturday.

Lawmakers are moving to impeach the president for “inciting an insurrection at the Capitol”, according to the article of impeachment. 

There are now 180 co-sponsors to the resolution, Mr Lieu tweeted. If passed by the Democratic-controlled House, which is all but certain, Mr Trump will be the first president to be impeached twice. 

Since Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol by pro-Trump rioters, calls have been mounting for the removal of the president.

House speaker Nancy Pelosi called on vice president Mike Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution which allows the executive branch to remove a sitting president for “being unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”. This would make Mr Pence president until 20 January.

Failing that, Ms Pelosi said the House would move forward with articles of impeachment. She noted that drafts were already being written by Democrat lawmakers as they sheltered from the rioters in safe rooms or barricaded in offices.

On Saturday an administration official said that Mr Pence will attend the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden on 20 January.

Mr Lieu said that he had been in talks with some Republicans to co-sponsor the impeachment resolution.

“There will be Republicans who do vote for it,” he said on CNN.

Mr Lieu is introducing the resolution alongside David Cicilline of Rhode Island and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.

Mr Biden has remained relatively quiet on the subject of impeachment saying that he is focused on how best to implement his agenda when he takes office on 20 January.

“What the Congress decides to do is for them to decide,” Mr Biden said.

“[Donald Trump] is not fit to serve. He is one of the most incompetent presidents,” the Mr Biden said when pressed. “What happens with … 13 days left to go? I think that what 81 million people stood up and said, ‘It’s time for him to go' … The quickest way for that to happen is for us to be sworn in on the 20th.”

White House spokesperson Judd Deere said: “As President Trump said, this is a time for healing and unity as one nation. A politically motivated impeachment against a president with 12 days remaining in his term will only serve to further divide our great country.”