Following the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, House Democrats introduced the articles of impeachment against former President Donald J. Trump for allegedly inciting the insurrection.
President Trump and other members of the Republican party participated in a “Save America” rally blocks away from the Capitol hours prior to storming of the Capitol.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi signed the articles of impeachment, allowing the House of Representatives to proceed to a vote to impeach former President Trump.
“As our next step, we will move forward with bringing impeachment legislation to the Floor. The President’s threat to America is urgent, and so too will be our action,” said Speaker Pelosi.
The articles of impeachment charged the President with “high crimes and misdemeanors” for the incitement of an insurrection on the federal government. The insurrection took place during the Electoral College vote count certifying President Joe Biden as the next President of the United States.
Ten Republican members broke party ranks by voting in favor of the impeachment of President Trump:
Adam Kinzinger of Illinois
Liz Cheney of Wyoming
John Katko of New York
Fred Upton of Michigan
Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington
Dan Newhouse of Washington
Peter Meijer of Michigan
Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio
Tom Rice of South Carolina
David Valadao of California
“The House of Representatives has voted to impeach the President. The Senate process will now begin at our first regular meeting following receipt of the article from the House,” stated Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader. “Given the rules, procedures, and Senate precedents that govern presidential impeachment trials, there is simply no chance that a fair or serious trial could conclude before President-elect Biden is sworn in next week. The Senate has held three presidential impeachment trials. They have lasted 83 days, 37 days, and 21 days respectively.”
This will be the second time President Trump has been impeached during his term as President and the first time in the United States history that a sitting President has been impeached twice. President Trump was first impeached by the House of Representatives on Dec. 18, 2019.
