"Trump's Term Ends Today" U.S. State Department Website Commotion

Mention of Trump Term Ending Today on U.S. State Department Website
Secretary Pompeo Orders Investigation into Hacking or Staff Error

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of State mistakenly announced on its website that President Donald Trump's term ended on the 11th.

According to the online media BuzzFeed on the 11th (local time), the State Department stated on its website that President Trump's term ended at 7:49 PM that day. It also reported that Vice President Mike Pence's term ended on the 11th. However, President Trump's term actually lasts until noon on the 20th.

The State Department's website became inaccessible around 3:50 PM. When attempting to access the site, a notice appeared stating "a technical malfunction has occurred."

It is not yet known whether this incident was caused by an internal staff error or hacking. A source revealed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has ordered an investigation into the matter.

This incident occurred amid growing calls for President Trump's suspension and impeachment following the U.S. Capitol riot. On the same day, the House of Representatives officially introduced an impeachment resolution against President Trump. If the website's statement were true, it could be interpreted as President Trump resigning.

The State Department suspects the incident was caused by internal staff rather than hacking. Two sources explained, "The system is nearly impossible to hack," but added, "Since many people have access to the system, the investigation could be difficult."

AP News reported that a day earlier, diplomats affiliated with the State Department had recommended to leadership that legal measures, including invoking the 25th Amendment to suspend President Trump's duties, should be considered.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.