Future of the President to be decided by Senate trial
229-198 to impeach on this charge. Democrat Jared Golden of Maine voted for the first charge but opposed this one.
No Republicans had supported impeachment, although former party member Justin Amash, from Michigan, did so.
Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard voted “present” on both charges – effectively an abstention. Two members were absent for personal reasons.
Being impeached places Donald Trump alongside presidents Andrew
Johnson and Bill Clinton. However, the Republicans have a majority in the Senate, making it almost impossible that the President will be removed from office when senators cast their votes.
And Mr Trump yesterday tweeted his confidence that there was no risk of him being convicted at the forthcoming trial.
He wrote: “100 per cent Republican Vote. That’s what people are talking about. The Republicans are united like never before!” As the House was voting to impeach him, Mr Trump went on to tell his vocal supporters at the Michigan rally: “The Democrats are declaring their deep hatred and disdain for the American voter. They’ve been trying to impeach me from day one. They’ve been trying to impeach me from before I ran.”
The President also made an extraordinary intervention on the eve of Wednesday’s vote, penning a furious six-page letter to Democrat Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi. In it, he accused her of declaring “open war on American democracy”. But in reality, Mr Trump has little to fear from the Senate trial.
Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that Republican senators would act in “total co-ordination” with the President’s team during the trial.
While the House of Representatives is now Democratcontrolled, the Republicans have a majority in the Senate.
THE fate of Donald Trump’s presidency now lies in the hands of his Republican Party allies in the Senate.
This means that in the New Year he will at some point have to face a trial.
Quite when this will happen has yet to be determined – as does who might be called to give evidence.
But Mr Trump will face two charges on abuse of power, stemming from his alleged attempt to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democrat ival Joe Biden, and obstruction of Congress.
After the trial has been held, senators will then vote on whether to convict the President. If less than two-thirds vote to convict thim, he will remain in office. If two-thirds or more vote to convict him, he will be removed from office with theVice-President taking over.
While the move to impeach is rare, US political commentators point out that the Republican Party has a majority in the Senate, making it almost impossible that the President will be removed from office.
Only two other presidents have faced the process – Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. In 1868, Johnson narrowly survived his impeachment trial while Bill Clinton, impeached in 1998 over perjury and obstruction of justice charges, allegedly lied over an affair with intern Monica Lewinsky.
The vote for a conviction fell far short of the twothirds majority in 1999.