U.S. House of Representatives has urged President Donald Trump to “incite revolution” after many of his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol last week last year, marking the first time in U.S. history that a president has been inducted twice.
The House resolution, which went through a vote of 232-197 on Wednesday afternoon, says Trump’s actions and comments ahead of a Capitol building storm in Washington, DC provoked protesters.
“Today, in a bipartisan way, the House showed that no one is above the law – not even the President of the United States,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi while signing the impeachment article after her vote.
The measure, Pelosi said, also makes clear “that Donald Trump is a clear and immediate threat to our country”.
U.S. President Donald Trump, in a video message released via Twitter on Wednesday, said he condemned last week’s violence at the Capitol [The White House via Twitter/Handout via Reuters]
Ten Republicans joined 222 Democrats in voting to impeach Trump, making the vote a bipartisan retaliation of the president’s efforts to reverse the results of the 2020 primary election.
The riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 left five people dead and inflicted dramatic blows across the U.S. and the world, forcing Democratic Party lawmakers to launch an impeachment push against Trump. in his last days in the White House.
The Capitol was taken by storm after Trump gave a lively speech to a crowd of his supporters who had gathered to protest Congress’ confirmation of the impact of U.S. President Joe Biden’s election.
Violence ‘unfairly criticizes
The impeachment article states that, in the months leading up to January 6, Trump again made false claims of a broad election poll and said the results should not be accepted.
He also made “deliberate statements that prompted – and resulted in – lawless action at the Capitol, such as: ‘if you don’t fight like hell you won’t get a country anymore,” the article saying.
Pro-Trump protesters storm into U.S. Capitol during clashes with police on Jan. 6 [File: Shannon Stapleton/Reuters]
Trump did not immediately comment on his summit.
But in a video posted on the White House Twitter account on Wednesday night, he criticized the attack on the Capitol and said there is no excuse for violence.
“I want to be very clear, I vaguely condemn the violence that we saw last week. Violence and vandalism are nowhere to be found in our country and have no place in our movement, ”Trump said.
The president had remained defiant on Tuesday, dismissing the Democrats’ impeachment attempt as dangerous and “continuing the largest and most brutal witch hunt in our country’s history”.
Senate Test
The House has announced managers to file a lawsuit against Trump in a Senate lawsuit, which is not expected to begin until after Biden’s inception.
That is when the Democrats are ready to take control of the Senate. At least two Republicans in the Senate have called for Trump to resign, and a third have said they would consider voting for a referendum.
“Make no mistake, there will be an impeachment lawsuit in the United States Senate,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement after the House vote.
“There will be a vote to condemn the president for heinous crimes and misconduct. And if the president is convicted, a vote will be barred from running again, ”Schumer said.
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Wednesday the Senate would not take action until Biden is sworn in, however.
“It will be better to serve our country if Congress and the executive branch spend the next seven days fully focused on enabling the safe establishment and orderly transfer of power to the Biden administration. that comes in, “McConnell said.
While some Republicans have tried to distance themselves from Trump over the past few days and called for his resignation, many were still defending him Wednesday by calling the impeachment process unnecessary at a time when the US needs to heal.
“In seven days, power will be transferred peacefully as it has always been in our country, but Democrats are urging President Trump again. This does not unite the country, ”said Republican spokesman Jim Jordan.
Demanding accountability
But Democrats said healing cannot begin without accountability for the attack on the Capitol.
“The constitutional crimes perpetrated by an out-of-control president, motivated by his hatred and the big lie he told, cannot be ignored,” the Democrat said. Hakeem Jeffries through Wednesday ‘s debate.
Speaking to Al Jazeera after the vote, Democratic Congressman Ilhan Omar said “to the American people and to the world it is clear why we had to make sure [Trump’s] actions had consequences ”.
She described his impeachment as an “act of accountability” that would pave the way for justice and unity in the USA.
“This is a president who has been a threat to our democracy, to our government – but he has been a president who used astronomy to divide our country. And once we can remove it we can begin the healing process, ”said Omar.