US President Donald Trump has been impeached in the House of Representatives for the second time on Wednesday in a swift vote that accused him of inciting the riots and violence that left five people dead at the Capitol last week.

A week before Trump leaves office, a bipartisan majority composed of Democrats and Republicans voted 232 to 197 to impeach Trump after pro-Trump supporters stormed the chambers by which US legislators are confirming the votes of his rival and now President-elect Joe Biden.

As a result of the congressional vote, Trump becomes the first president in the United States history to be impeached twice in the House of Representatives.

While the first impeachment vote did not prosper after falling short of the two-thirds supermajority requirement needed to convict him, this time around could spell different for the 45th president of the United States.

Even if the U.S. Senate votes after Trump’s term ends, several senators including from the president’s own Republican party mates have expressed their disappointment at Trump’s moves that incited the January 6 riots at the Capitol.

In the House votes, at least 10 Republicans joined all Democrats to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection.”

The lower chamber also charged Trump with high crimes and misdemeanors for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that has caused numerous deaths and injuries.

The four-page article of impeachment the House approved on contends that Trump fed his supporters months of false claims that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election, then urged them to contest the results before they marched to the Capitol and disrupted Congress’ count of President-elect Joe Biden’s win.

Among the Republicans who voted for Trump’s impeachment was Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican and daughter of Dick Cheney, George W Bush’s vice-president. Cheney also issued a blistering statement announcing her decision, in which she said that there had “never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States” than Trump’s conduct that incited the January 6 riots.

“He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to manifest injury of the people of the United States,” the House’s charging document reads as reported by CNBC.

After the House impeachment vote, the single article of impeachment will be sent to the Senate where members are sworn in as the jury in a trial, with “impeachment managers” functioning as prosecutors. According to a Washington Post report during this trial, witnesses can be called, evidence can be submitted, and impeachment managers and counsel for the accused give opening and closing statements before the senators’ vote whether to acquit or convict.

However, the Senate impeachment trial won’t be before the end of Trump’s term and after President-elect, Joe Biden is sworn into office. Political insiders, however, claim the Senate is not scheduled to reconvene until January 19 or before Biden’s official oath-taking ceremonies.

Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said a trial couldn’t start until shortly after the January 20 inauguration with senators deciding in order for the chamber to consider any other business — including votes on Biden’s cabinet nominees or early legislative efforts — during the duration of the trial.

While Trump’s removal from office will already be moot if ever the Senate decides on his impeachment, many political analysts claim that if found guilty and convicted by the impeachment court, senators could also vote to disqualify the outgoing president from serving in future federal office, which would take only a simple majority. Trump had earlier floated the idea of running for the presidency again in 2024.


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JM Agreda
JM Agreda is a freelance journalist for more than 12 years writing for numerous international publications, research journals, and news websites. He mainly covers business, tech, transportation, and political news for Businessner.