Democrats in the House of Representatives, joined by 10 Republicans, voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time in a 232-197 vote on Wednesday. The single article of impeachment alleges that the president incited an insurrection that resulted in the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
It is also the first time in the nation’s history that a president was impeached twice. Every Democrat voted in favor of impeachment.
“We know that the president of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion, against our common country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) alleged. “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love.”
Who are 10 Republicans voting to impeach President Trump?
10 Republicans who voted to impeach the president were Republican Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), John Katko (R-N.Y.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio), Tom Rice (R-S.C.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), and Peter Meijer (R-Mich.)
Here’s the comments of some Republicans who voted to impeach President Trump:
- “Instead of moving forward as a unifying force, the majority in the House is choosing to divide us further,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said. “I can think of no action the House could take that’s more likely to further divide the American people than the action we are contemplating today.”
- “At his rally, President Trump urged attendees to ‘peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.’ There was no mention of violence, let alone calls to action,” said Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Pa.), a former Navy prosecutor. “President Donald Trump’s words would not even meet the definition of incitement under criminal statutes.”
- “That’s impeachable? That’s called freedom of speech,” Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) said, noting that the president also threatened to oppose Republicans in future elections, including McClintock, who did not support objections to slates of electors. “Well, so what? That’s called politics. If we impeached every politician who gave a fiery speech to a crowd of partisans, this Capitol would be deserted.”
- Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), the third-highest-ranking Republican in the House. Cheney had earlier said that she would vote to impeach Trump and alleged that Trump’s actions amounted to “the biggest betrayal of any president of the United States in our history.”
House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that Trump holds responsibility for the attack on Congress, but opposed a rushed impeachment.
“He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding,” McCarthy said.
President Trump has responsibility for the attack?
However, after news of the breach of the Capitol was reported, the president really issued a video message calling on the crowd to support the police and to go home. The day after, he said there will be “an orderly transition on Jan. 20.” The president later said he will not attend the inauguration.
The impeachment follows an unprecedented wave of censorship against the president by U.S. social media giants. Facebook, Twitter, and Google had all banned Trump from their platforms as of Jan. 13.
“It’s not about impeachment anymore. It’s about canceling the president and anyone that disagrees with them,” said Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
McConnell says he hasn’t decided on whether to convict Trump
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) informed Republican senators on Wednesday that he hasn’t decided whether to acquit or convict President Donald Trump on an article of impeachment.
“While the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote and I intend to listen to the legal arguments when they are presented to the Senate,” McConnell wrote in a letter to colleagues, part of which was made public by the senator’s office.
The fate of the impeachment in the Senate is unclear. The Senate will soon be split 50-50 between Republicans and Democrats. Conviction on an article of impeachment requires a supermajority. Five Republicans have expressed openness to convicting Trump, including Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted for one article when the House impeached the president last year. But 10 others have voiced opposition to the fresh impeachment, arguing it will further divide an already divided country.
(Source: The Epoch Times)
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