Donald Trump is a man who prides himself on setting records. Well, his cabinet of triumphs got a new addition, on Wednesday, when he became the first United States president in history to face impeachment twice.
Donald Trump makes history for all the wrong reasons
As reported by CNN, The House voted in favour of Trump’s impeachment, exactly a week after the president’s deranged support base infiltrated the US Capitol, in Washington DC, resulting in the death of five people, including a police officer who was bludgeoned with a US flagpole.
With less than a week left in his tenure, Democrats, and as many as 10 Republicans, moved quickly to leave a stain on Trump’s legacy. It didn’t matter that Vice President Mike Pence declined a request from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to enact the 25th Amendment.
This impeachment, Pelosi explained, is to avenge America and ensure that the Trump toxicity never sees the light of day in politics.
“He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love,” she said.
This is what Trump’s impeachment means
Naysayers of this democratic avenging have accused the Left of unnecessarily abusing powers to add salt to a wounded America. Pence asserted in his letter to Pelosi that Trump and his constituency have conceded to the election loss and will resume with a peaceful transfer of power.
“I do not believe that such a course of action is in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with our Constitution,” he wrote.
Alas, the House went ahead and impeached Trump. Does this mean he will be removed from the White House before Wednesday 20 January 2021?
Well, as reported by Sky News, it is not that straightforward of a process.
For one, the House’s impeachment on Trump still has to move up the chamber to the Senate House, where the articles of impeachment will be debated and voted on.
Wednesday’s sitting was to bring ‘high crime and/or misdemeanour’ charges against the president. The second round of debates will determine whether Trump was guilty of inciting insurrection and sedition.
Majority House Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is yet to determine the date of this crucial sitting which could result in Trump’s conviction if two-thirds of the Senate vote in favour of the articles of impeachment.
McConnell has indicated that the earliest date available is Wednesday, 20 January, the same day scheduled for president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Dems are pushing for an earlier date but it all rests in the hands of McConnell. This could end in one of two ways:
- Trump survives another impeachment and leaves his presidency with the likelihood of returning to politics in the future; or
- Dems win over the support of 17 Republicans and convict the president.
In the event of the latter, the president will never be allowed to contest for the elections in the US. He also faces the possibility of losing State protection and other perks that come with being a presidential alumni.
