Donald Trump is now officially the first president to be impeached twice.
Moments ago, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump 232 to 197 on the charge of inciting an insurrection following the events last Wednesday at the Capitol. 10 Republicans joined 222 Democratic representatives in voting for the impeachment. 217 votes were necessary in order for the House to impeach.
“We must say enough — enough! He has betrayed our national security, and he will do so again,” Democratic Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) said in his closing statements. “He has compromised our elections, and he will do so again. You will not change him. You cannot constrain him. He is who he is. Truth matters little to him. What’s right matters even less, and decency matters not at all.”
Prior to the vote, seven Republicans, including the third-ranking Republican in the House Liz Cheney, had publicly stated that they would vote for impeachment. Three additional Republicans also cast votes to impeach.
Now that the House has impeached President Trump, a trial will take place in the Senate. CNN reports that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will not reconvene the chamber before January 19, closing down the possibility of a speedy trial which some Democrats had been hoping for. Instead, Trump is likely to serve the remainder of his term, and will be tried in the early days of Biden’s administration.
