A bipartisan coalition in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a single charge of incitement of insurrection stemming from the deadly violence by a mob of his supporters at the U.S. Capitol last week.
The historic vote meant that it was the second time in as many years that Trump has been impeached by the House. It was also the first time in U.S. history that a sitting president has ever been impeached twice. It was also the most bipartisan impeachment vote ever, as 10 Republicans voted against the leader of their own party.
The vote passed with 231 Representatives voting in favor of the impeachment and 197 voting against it, with five people not registering a vote at all.
While the House managed to bring the impeachment vote in seemingly record time, don’t expect the Senate to move as swiftly for Trump’s impeachment trial. The House first has to deliver the article of impeachment to the Senate.
‘He is the Most Honest Person I’ve Ever Met’
While Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Trump should be impeached, he never said he would vote to convict him and announced Wednesday that the Senate would take up the impeachment trial after Joe Biden is inaugurated on Tuesday.
That means Trump will not be in office when his impeachment trial takes place.
Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., called for a prompt Senate trial.
“We call on the Senate to immediately consider the article of impeachment against the president, and vote to convict and remove him from office immediately. Mr. Trump has repeatedly demonstrated that he represents a grave threat to the integrity of our democracy and to the nation as a whole,” Ifill said in a statement emailed to NewsOne. “Every moment that he continues to remain in office puts this country and our democracy in increased danger. The Senate must uphold its obligation to protect and defend our democratic values, and strip Mr. Trump of the presidency before he causes any further damage to our institutions, our lives, and our welfare.”
Source: House Votes To Impeach Donald Trump A Second Time, A First For A U.S. President
