On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump. This is the second time that President Trump has been impeached during his time in office.
Impeachment is a two-part process, so the House’s decision doesn’t have any real significance just yet. President Trump’s impeachment case will now enter the Senate, but no date has been set for his trial.
First US President Impeached Twice
Trump was charged with “incitement of insurrection” by the House of Representatives. He was accused of only this one Article of Impeachment.
The House cited a speech that Trump gave earlier this month as the reasoning for his impeachment. Representatives believed that this speech caused a riot at the US Capitol last week.
The House voted 232-197 to impeach President Trump. Ten Republican representatives went against their party’s leader and joined Democrats to confirm the impeachment of President Trump.
There have never been 10 representatives from the incumbent’s party who have voted against their leader in the history of United States impeachment trials.
The House Minority Leader, Republican Kevin McCarthy, played a role in this landmark party crossover. McCarthy didn’t support the incumbent.
Instead, he told his fellow representatives that President Trump is fully responsible for the deadly event that took place at the US Capitol last week.
To the Senate
An impeachment trial is a two-part process. The House of Representatives charges and the Senate convicts.
The House of Representatives completed its half of the trial very quickly. This swiftness will not occur in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said that he will not bring senators back to their chamber until the final day of President Trump’s term on Jan. 19. He said the impeachment trial would begin that day, but it would have to continue after President Trump left office.
The trial isn’t a one-day process. In fact, this trial could take weeks to complete.
The required vote to convict Trump is two-thirds of the senators who are present. If 100 senators are present during the trial, it would take 67 votes to convict President Trump.
However, the two new Georgia Democrats may not be seated for the trial. Also, Republican senators have the option to remove themselves from the vote. Only 17 Republicans are required to take part in the trial.
Why Impeach President Trump Now?
Many people have been wondering why would Congress impeach President Trump when he is about to leave office. The main punishment for an impeachment is removal from office. This is already taking place by default as his term is almost over.
Trump is currently eligible to run in the 2024 Presidential Election. His opposition is trying to prevent this from happening.
Indications were leading to President Trump running again in 2024. Nevertheless, if he was convicted, he would lose his future ability to lead the country.
This would be the most devastating punishment of the impeachment trial for President Trump. He would also lose some of his post-presidential benefits, like his six-figure pension.
President Trump didn’t take a salary, so this is in the back of his mind. However, if he ever wants to hold office again in the future, the Senate vote must end in his favor.
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