‘Clear and present danger’ Trump is impeached again
:: Exit before Biden inauguration unlikely as McConnell refuses to hold emergency trial in Senate
THE House of Representatives voted last night to make Donald Trump the first US president to be impeached twice, formally charging him in his waning days in power with inciting an insurrection just a week after a violent mob of his supporters stormed the Capitol.
The vote in the Democratic-controlled House was 232197 following a deadly assault on American democracy, with 10 Republicans joining the Democrats in backing impeachment.
But it appeared unlikely the extraordinarily swift impeachment would lead to Mr Trump’s exit before the Republican president’s four-year term ends and Democratic President-elect Joe Biden is inaugurated on January 20.
The Senate’s Republican majority leader, Mitch McConnell, rejected Democratic calls to convene the Senate in emergency session to begin an immediate impeachment trial.
Mr McConnell instead said his chamber would begin its impeachment trial for Mr Trump next week after the House of Representatives transmits the article of impeachment, pushing the process into the opening days of Mr Biden’s term.
The House passed a single article of impeachment – a formal charge – accusing Mr Trump of “incitement of insurrection”, focused upon an incendiary speech he delivered to thousands of supporters shortly before the pro-Trump mob rampaged through the Capitol.
The mob disrupted the formal certification of Mr Biden’s victory over Mr Trump in the November 3 election, sent politicians into hiding and left five people dead, including a police officer.
During his speech, Mr Trump repeated false claims the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol.
With a large presence of rifle-carrying National Guard troops inside and outside, an emotional debate unfolded in the same House chamber where lawmakers had crouched under chairs and donned gas masks on January 6 as rioters clashed with police officers outside the doors.
“The president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said on the House floor before the vote. “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation.”
Democratic congressman Julian Castro, a former presidential candidate, called Mr Trump “the most dangerous man to ever occupy the Oval Office”. Congresswoman Maxine Waters accused the president of wanting civil war and fellow Democrat Jim McGovern said the president “instigated an attempted coup”.
Some Republicans argued that the impeachment drive was a rush to judgment that bypassed the customary deliberative process such as hearings and called on Democrats to abandon the effort for the sake of national unity and healing. “Impeaching the president in such a short time frame would be a mistake,” said Kevin McCarthy, the House’s top Republican. “That doesn’t mean the president is free from fault.
“The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters.”
Mr Trump’s closest allies, such as Ohio Republican Jim Jordan, went further, accusing Democrats of recklessly acting out of pure political interest.
“This is about getting the president of the United States,”
said Mr Jordan, who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Mr Trump in a private White House ceremony this week. “It’s always been about getting the president, no matter what. It’s an obsession.”
A handful of Republicans backed impeachment, including Liz Cheney, the No 3 House Republican.
“I am not choosing a side, I’m choosing truth,” Republican Jamie Herrera Beutler said in announcing her support for impeachment.
In a break from standard procedure, Republican House leaders refrained from urging their members to vote against impeachment, calling the vote a matter of individual conscience.
Under the US Constitution, impeachment in the House triggers a trial in the Senate.
A two-thirds majority would be needed to convict and remove Trump, meaning at least 17 Republicans in the 100-member chamber would have to join the Democrats.
Mr McConnell has said no trial could begin until the Senate was scheduled to be back in regular session on January 19, one day before Mr Biden’s inauguration. The trial would proceed in the Senate even after Mr Trump leaves office.
Mr McConnell said in a memo to his fellow Republicans he has not made a final decision on how he will vote on impeachment.
Siege
The Capitol siege raised concerns about political violence in the United States once considered all but unthinkable.
The FBI has warned of armed protests planned for Washington and all 50 US state capitals ahead of Mr Biden’s inauguration.
Airbnb said last night it will be blocking and cancelling all reservations in the Washington DC area during the week of the presidential inauguration.
Banned from social media, Mr Trump last night released a video statement condemning violence but making no mention of his impeachment and without taking any responsibility for inciting the attack on the Capitol.
“Those who engaged in the attacks last week will be brought to justice,” he said.
Impeachment is a remedy devised by America’s 18th-century founders to enable Congress to remove a president who has, according to the constitution, committed “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.” If Mr Trump is removed, Vice President Mike Pence would become president and serve out his term.
The House impeached Mr Trump after he ignored calls for his resignation and Mr Pence rebuffed Democratic demands to invoke a constitutional provision to remove the president.
The House previously voted to impeach Mr Trump in December 2019 on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate Mr Biden and his son Hunter ahead of the election, as Democrats accused him of soliciting foreign interference to smear a domestic political rival. The Senate in February 2020 voted to keep Mr Trump in office.
Meanwhile, New York City will cut its financial ties with the Trump Organisation, the city’s mayor announced. Bill de Blasio said the city will cancel three contracts to operate a carousel in Central Park, skating rinks and a golf course in the Bronx that are worth around $17m (€14m) a year.
“The president incited a rebellion against the United States government that killed five people and threatened to derail the constitutional transfer of power,” Mr de Blasio said as he announced the decision.
“The city of New York will not be associated with those unforgivable acts.”
The Trump Organisation swiftly announced plans to challenge what it branded a politically motivated decision.