The case will be sent to the Senate to convict the outgoing president for inciting violence and damaging democracy
Outgoing U.S. President created history by becoming the first president to be impeached twice. The lower house impeached Trump for the second time in less than twelve months after ten Republican members joined Democrats in voting yes. The impeachment procedure began after the president made an inflammatory statement leading a group of rioters to take over the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Five people, including a law enforcement official, died as a result. The first impeachment could not be successful in the Senate. This time around, however, it could be different.
Discrediting elections hurts Trump
The impeachment resolution strongly criticized Trump’s actions for threatening the integrity of the democratic system and putting the elected representatives in harm’s way.
“President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government,” the impeachment resolution said. “He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.”
Pelosi comes all guns blazing
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while opening the debate severely criticized the outgoing president for his actions in the office after losing the election in November 2020. She said that Trump incited an armed rebellion and is a clear and present danger. He sowed doubts about the democratic process to simply benefit himself and even tried to influence the officials to change results.
“We know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion against our common country. He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation,” Pelosi said. “Since the presidential election in November, an election that the president lost, he has repeatedly lied about the outcome. Sowed self-serving doubts about democracy, and unconstitutionally sought to influence state officials to repeal reality,” she added.
What’s next?
The case will now move forward to the Senate which did not convict Trump the first time. However, this could be different this time around. A two-thirds majority is needed to impeach the president in a trial that is presided over by the chief justice of the United States. A number of Republican senators are willing to impeach the ongoing president. The trial, however, is expected to take place after Donald Trump leaves office since Joe Biden is set to take office in less than a week.