In an op-ed published in the Kansas City Star Wednesday night, former Republican Congressman Tom Coleman called for the removal from office of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence. He then proposed a crazy succession scheme in which the House of Representatives installs a new president by appointing a Speaker from outside the House different than Nancy Pelosi to succeed Trump.

Coleman, who served as a representative from Missouri from 1976-1993, makes his case against Trump and Pence based on the Mueller report, which cleared Trump and his campaign of allegations of colluding with Russia to steal the election and of obstructing justice.

Coleman says Pence should be removed along with Trump:

“If this process leads to impeaching Trump in the House of Representatives and also results in convicting him in the Senate, his illegitimacy would survive through Vice President Mike Pence’s succession to the presidency. Because the misdeeds were conducted to assure the entire Trump-Pence ticket was elected, both former candidates — Pence as well as Trump — have been disgraced and discredited. To hand the presidency to an illegitimate vice president would be to approve and reward the wrongdoing while the lingering stench of corruption would trail any Pence administration, guaranteeing an untenable presidency. If Trump is impeached, then Pence should not be allowed to become president. The vice president should resign or be impeached as well if for no other reason that he has been the chief enabler for this illegitimate president.”

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Coleman writes if Trump is not impeached then the 25th Amendment should be used to remove him. Coleman then goes off on a flight of fancy on presidential succession.

“In addition to these constitutional provisions, the Presidential Succession Act of 1947 sets the order of officials who are in line to succeed a president, regardless of the reason. The first three officials listed are the vice president, the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate. If the vice president were unable to ascend to the presidency for whatever reason — for example resignation or impeachment — then the speaker would become president. Today that individual is Rep. Nancy Pelosi. It is unknown whether she would agree to serve as president or that the majority of the House would want her to do so.

“The Constitution does not require the speaker of the House actually to be a member of the House of Representatives. Under these circumstances, with the specter of a national crisis looming over the vacancy of the presidency and vice presidency simultaneously, consideration should be given by House members to draft a nationally-known individual for speaker who would appeal to the vast majority of Americans. That person, after being sworn in as speaker, would ascend to the highest office in the land. Under the provisions of the 25th Amendment, the new president would nominate a vice president, who would take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both chambers of Congress.”

Coleman concludes with a warning:

…“To give up on the rule of law and democracy invites autocracy and eventually dictatorship. History has taught us this outcome. In my lifetime, it has occurred in other places including the Soviet Union and Germany, as well as in Russia and Venezuela today.”

The complete Coleman op-ed can read at the Kansas City Star at this link.

Coleman’s column was promoted by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.