Democratic megadonor Haim Saban urges Trump's removal via 25th Amendment
Billionaire media investor Haim Saban, a longtime Democratic megadonor who gave more than $4 million to the party’s campaign committees over the 2020 cycle, on Monday threw his support behind a push for the removal of President Donald Trump via the 25th Amendment.
Saban, a power broker often aligned with the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, urged the dramatic action as the House readied to vote on a measure Tuesday that calls for the invocation of the 25th Amendment by Vice President Mike Pence.
Trump bears blame for the siege of the Capitol and “should be held accountable,” Saban told Yahoo Finance’s Editor-in-Chief Andy Serwer on Monday.
“He’s the one who has fomented this hate and division in the American people for four years, and it culminated in him calling on them to go to the Capitol,” Saban says. “In every single way, he’s responsible.”
“After what he did and after the way he treated the very loyal lieutenant [Pence], I really think that Pence should call for the 25th Amendment,” Saban adds.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) on Monday tried to pass the measure that calls on Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment through an expedited procedural avenue that required unanimous support from the chamber. But Rep. Alex Mooney (R-WV) blocked the legislation, prompting a House vote set for Tuesday night.
The House will proceed on Wednesday with impeaching Trump for a second time if Pence has not moved forward with removal under the 25th Amendment, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said on Monday.
‘No rhyme or reason’
Pence is “highly unlikely” to invoke the 25th Amendment but has kept the option on the table, CNN reported on Saturday.
“It would make sense for [Trump] to go play golf in Florida and leave us alone — that’s what I believe,” Saban says. “But apparently, Pence is not ready to do that.”
Saban spoke to Serwer in an episode of “Influencers with Andy Serwer,” a weekly interview series with leaders in business, politics, and entertainment.
Known for his entertainment industry savvy, Saban rose to prominence in the 1990s with the creation of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers,” which led to a joint production venture with News Corp. called the Fox Family Channel that later sold to Disney (DIS). Currently Saban serves as Chairman and CEO of the private investment firm Saban Capital Group, which specializes in media and entertainment.
Before lawmakers assembled last Wednesday for a joint session of Congress to certify the 2020 election, Trump delivered a 70-minute speech to his supporters in Washington D.C. He described the election results as an “egregious assault on our democracy,” and said his supporters should “walk down to the Capitol.”
After his supporters had later broken into the Capitol, Trump released a video urging them to “go home,” but also praising them as “very special” and repeating baseless allegations of a stolen election.
On Thursday, Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger became the first Republican member of Congress to back the removal of Trump through the invocation of the 25th Amendment. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi also backed the use of the 25th Amendment.
Saban described Trump’s actions last Wednesday as unlawful.
“I’m no lawyer but it sounds to me like incitement to commit a crime,” Saban says. “There is no rhyme or reason to have somebody who committed a crime, [and] to let that person off the hook.”
Read more:
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Trump voters chose ‘the economy' over confronting ‘white supremacy’: Michael Eric Dyson
Trump’s refusal to concede ‘hurts the economy’: LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman
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