DONALD TRUMP HAS become the third US president in history to be impeached by the US House of Representatives, setting up a Senate trial on removing him from office.
The House first voted to approved the first article of impeachment charging Trump with abuse of power for conditioning military aid and a White House meeting on Ukraine’s announcing investigations into Democrats ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
This was voted 230 to 197 in the Democratic-controlled House.
A majority of the House then approved the second article of impeachment facing Trump – which charges him with obstructing Congress for refusing to cooperate with the inquiry and ordering other officials not to appear.
The Republican-dominated Senate will now open a trial expected to take place in January and is all but certain to acquit the president.
Trump has repeatedly assailed the process and the Democrats conducting it.
Republicans in Congress reject the impeachment unanimously. Democrats overwhelmingly support, but leaders are concerned over the possibility that several legislators may break ranks and vote no out of fear of retribution from pro-Trump voters in swing districts back home.
‘These people are crazy’
Speaking at a rally in Michigan this evening as the vote was carried out in the House, Trump slammed the Democratic Party as being “consumed with hatred”.
“While we’re creating jobs and fighting for Michigan, the radical left in Congress is consumed with envy and hatred and rage, you see what’s going on,” Trump said.
“These people are crazy.”
Trump added that the Democratic Party was “trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans.”
No Republican voted to impeach Trump this evening.
Speaking to the press following the votes this evening, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said today is a “sad day” for the US.
“The president’s reckless activities necessitated us having to introduce articles of impeachment,” she said, before going to to thank the House committee leaders who headed the impeachment inquiry.
Jerry Nadler, the House Judiciary chair, added that “no one, not even the president is above the law”.
Includes reporting by - © AFP 2019
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say