Donald Trump is impeached again by the Democratic-led House of Representatives. This is the first time in US history that any president is impeached twice. In 2019, he was impeached for charges like abuse of power, but later, he was acquitted by the Republican-led Senate.
The 45th president of the US is now impeached again for inciting the ‘lawless action’ that happened at the Capitol on 6 January 2021. Moreover, 10 Republicans joined Democrats during the vote for impeachment charges.
However, there are so many rumors and misconceptions going on about Trump’s second impeachment.
What’s the meaning of impeachment?
A common misconception about impeachment is that it directly means the removal of the president. However, impeachment only refers to the House of Representatives to bring charges to the president who is engaged in a high crime, treason, or bribery. In case any president is found guilty, then the US Constitution says that the president shall be removed from office.
What happens next?
After the House of Representatives’ charges, the process will now move on to the Senate, the upper chamber. For conviction, a two-thirds majority of the Senate would have to vote for it. Thus, in a 100 member chamber, at least 17 Republicans would be required for the president’s conviction.
Is it any different from the 2019’s impeachment?
Yes, in 2019, the president was accused of his connections with Ukraine. But, this impeachment involves a domestic attack on the Capitol in Washington DC. The dangerous attack on US democracy resulted in the death of five people. Above all, this is the first time in US history that a president is accused of inciting violence.
During the 2019’s Senate trial, Trump was able to clear his charges like abuse of power and obstruction by 52-48 votes. It took almost 48 days to reach the legal decision in 2019. But, the process might take a bit longer this time.
After the impeachment, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that ‘no one is above the law.’ Moreover, three Republican House members, Fred Upton, John Katko, and Adam Kinzinger, confirmed that they would vote for impeachment.
