In landmark move, Trump will face second impeachment trial – Telam

Trump faces second impeachment trial

In record time, the Lower House of the United States Congress approved, with the support of the Democratic majority and a handful of Republican lawmakers, the opening in the Senate of a second impeachment trial against President Donald Trump, a decision unprecedented in history. of the country and just seven days after the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

After a tense session which ended with a marathon of speeches lasting up to 30 seconds to allow the greatest number of parliamentarians, for and against, and with an unusual passion, to express themselves, the Chamber Bass approved by 232 votes in favor and 197 against the indictment for “incitement to insurgency” in the attack on Capitol Hill that led to thousands of his supporters last week.

The approval far exceeded the 218 votes needed and 10 Republican congressmen voted alongside the Democrats – something that had not happened in 2019 when the first impeachment trial opened – one of them , Liz Cheney, daughter of former George Bush vice president Dick Cheney, and current number three party in the Lower House.

The four-page text with the indictment focuses on Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations of fraud in the Nov. 3 election and his Jan. 6 speech encouraging his supporters to come to Congress for a few hours before them. stormed the Capitol, clashed with police, wreaked havoc, and managed to put off the official proclamation of Biden’s electoral victory for a few hours.

Unlike what happened at the end of 2019, when the Democratic majority approved Trump’s first impeachment trial in the Lower House, this time the debate lasted less than a full day, the speeches were sometimes so short that they were limited to proclamations. lit and there were no witnesses or prior public hearings.

Trump is the first president to be tried twice by Congress

Most Republicans complained about the rush, and Democrats argued that, on the one hand, an investigation was not necessary as everyone saw the chaos and violence of the past week live on, and, of on the other hand, Trump’s continuity in power poses “a clear danger,” according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

As approval to open the second impeachment trial against the president already seemed imminent, Doug Andres, press secretary to Majority Caucus Leader Mitch McConnell, announced on Twitter that the Senate will not be summoned. until after his current suspension. Tuesday 19, that is just a day before Biden’s inauguration ceremony.

After announcing this gesture, which ended up clearing the possibility of a rapid withdrawal from Trump, McConnell deepened the ambiguous position he has maintained since the president does not accept his defeat and denounces electoral fraud without evidence.

“While the press has been full of speculation, I have not made a final decision on how I will vote (on impeachment) and intend to hear the legal arguments when they appear at the Senate, ”McConnell told his caucus colleagues.

Even if some Republican senators could vote against Trump in this new impeachment, it seems unlikely that the Democratic opposition will get the special majority needed to impeach him.

However, the situation is not the same as it was in early 2020, when Trump was acquitted in the first impeachment trial.

Approval far exceeded the 218 votes needed

Not only have many of the Republican senators who will vote against criticize the president for his actions before and during the attack on Congress, but also Trump arrives weakened in the face of this possible impeachment, after losing the elections last November and also the Republican majority. in the Senate, in two recent ballots in the state of Georgia.

With this scenario in the background and in the face of increasing militarization of Congress and the U.S. capital for fear of further protests and chaos during Biden’s inauguration, Trump called for further action to be avoided for the first time. of violence.

“In view of the reports of new demonstrations, I tell you that there must be no violence, no violation of the law, or vandalism of any kind. It is not what I stand for and it is not what the United States stands for. I call on everyone Americans must help reduce tensions and calm people down, ”the president said in a brief statement issued by the White House.

Fear of a new attack or new scenes of violence is such that the Department of Defense today authorized the use of weapons by the 15,000 members of the National Guard deployed in Washington to ensure the security of the Capitol during of the impeachment debate, as reported by Captain Chelsi Johnson, spokesman for the National Guard in the capital.

As of this morning, dozens of Camouflage-clad National Guard members could be seen in some side corridors of the Capitol sleeping or resting on the ground, an image that describes the climate in Washington in the days leading up to the inauguration of Biden.