Uneasy inauguration countdown
THE second impeachment of United States President Donald Trump this week will do little to ease the tension in the countdown to the inauguration of the next president on Thursday.
Mr Trump was impeached on a charge of incitement of insurrection for the part he played in the leadup to the storming of the Capitol by proTrump activists earlier in the month. The move has put him in the unenviable position of being the only president to have been impeached twice.
Ten Republicans joined their Democrat counterparts in the House of Representatives to vote for the impeachment, making the final vote 232 to 197.
Quite what will happen next regarding the impeachment is unclear. The next step in the process would involve the Senate and a trial in which senators are the jury. To remove Mr Trump would require a twothirds majority, something not achieved following his first impeachment.
If he were to be found guilty, separate votes would be required to bar him from future office and stop him from receiving expresidential benefits.
There is no time to hold a trial before Joe Biden takes office, but the timing of any trial will be a conundrum. Democrats will be wanting to get on with implementing their policies, but they will also want to draw a line under the Trump presidency. If the issue lingers on and on will it ramp up the proTrump supporters who will want to believe Mr Trump is a martyr?
Following the impeachment, Mr Trump released a video statement calling for calm and a united country.
He told viewers there was ‘‘never a justification for violence, no excuses, no exceptions’’.
‘‘Mob violence goes against everything I believe in and everything our movement stands for. No true supporter of mine could ever endorse political violence.”
His expression of such sentiments now must be baffling to his ardent followers who have been egged on by his inflammatory rhetoric throughout his term of office, particularly his refusal to accept the outcome of the November election and his continued baseless assertions the vote was rigged.
With mainstream social media sites moving to shut down accounts, including those of President Trump, which are peddling misinformation or seen as inciting violence, there is now concern wouldbe rioters are using encrypted sites which are harder for authorities to monitor.
The Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) has warned of plans for armed protests for Washington and 50 state capitals in the days before the inauguration. Even if these do not eventuate, nobody will be expecting the alt right activists will miraculously disappear, but will regroup and recruit using sites where their discussions can be no holds barred.
All this uncertainty and unease is swirling around the inauguration plans. Washington, with its boardedup buildings and 20,000 National Guard troops deployed there, looks more like a war zone than a preparation for an occasion usually known for its pomp and ceremony and razzamatazz.
In these circumstances, the biggest celebration for many might be if the day proceeds without violent incidents.