WASHINGTON – Donald Trump became the first president in United States history to be impeached twice as House of Representatives voted to charge him with inciting last week's mob attack on Congress.
Democratic Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, today, US demonstrated that no one is above the law, not even the president.
The vote in the Democratic-controlled House was 232-197 following the attack on Congress, although it appeared unlikely the swift impeachment would lead to Trump’s ouster before his four-year term ends and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20.
Mitch McConnell, Senate’s Republican majority leader rejected the call for a quick impeachment trial, saying there was no way to conclude it before Trump leaves office. But even if he has left the White House, a Senate conviction of Trump could lead to a vote on banning him from running for office again.
President-elect Biden said it was important that a Senate impeachment trial in the early days of his term not delay work on his legislative priorities, including Cabinet confirmations, and urged Senate leaders to find a way to do both at the same time.
The House passed a single article of impeachment accusing Donald Trump of “incitement of insurrection,” focused on an incendiary speech he delivered a week earlier to thousands of supporters shortly before the mob rampaged through the Capitol.
Earlier, Trump survived the first impeachment almost exactly a year ago when the Senate acquitted him of abusing his office to try and get dirt on Biden's family before the polls.
This time, the impeachment was triggered by a speech he delivered on January 6, telling the voters that Biden had stolen the presidential election and that they needed to march on Congress.