Donald J. Trump is the first president in history to be impeached twice by the U.S. House. New York Democratic Representative Sean Patrick Maloney says it’s a sad and historic day.
The final vote was 232-197. Ten Republicans joined Democrats in approving the latest impeachment resolution. The resolution accuses the President of inciting the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol last week. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Trump provoked an armed rebellion against democracy. The California Democrat also called the Capitol siege an act of domestic terrorism. Pelosi labeled Trump a desperate President who knows his power is slipping away.
We show you different sides so you can decide.
On the other side, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said impeachment is divisive and argued that it will further fan the flames of partisan division in the U.S. The California Republican acknowledged that the President bears responsibility for the attack on the Capitol.
McCarthy also said Trump is being denied due process.
The House first impeached the President in late 2019 over the Ukraine scandal and he was subsequently acquitted by the Senate. Impeachment goes to the Senate again and a trial is not expected to happen until sometime after Trump leaves office. His term expires next week.
New York Representative Sean Patrick Maloney says this impeachment is different than the first one.
So, now what?
The focus switches to the Senate now that the U.S. House has voted to impeach President Trump. NBC News’ Garrett Haake says the Senate impeachment trial will be different than the first one.
House Democrats say they will send the article of impeachment against Trump to the Senate immediately. However, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will not reconvene to have a trial before January 19th. That means no trial will take place before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
It’s unclear if the Democrat-controlled Senate will take up the issue immediately, with some Democrats concerned it will take attention away from Biden’s agenda.
