House votes to impeach Trump a second time
The House of Representatives made history Wednesday after voting to impeach President Donald Trump one week after the assault at the U.S. Capitol. It’s the second time Trump has been impeached.
According to the Associated Press, “With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Trump. The proceedings moved at lightning speed, with lawmakers voting just one week after violent pro-Trump loyalists stormed the U.S. Capitol after the president’s calls for them to ‘fight like hell’ against the election results.
“Actual removal seems unlikely before the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican leader would not agree to bring the chamber back immediately, all but ensuring a Senate trial could not begin at least until Jan. 19.
“Still, McConnell did not rule out voting to convict Trump in the event of a trial. In a note to his fellow Republican senators just before the House was to begin voting, he said he is undecided.
“The impeachment proceedings came one week after a violent, pro-Trump mob breached the U.S. Capitol, sending lawmakers into hiding and revealing the fragility of the nation’s history of peaceful transfers of power.”
Five people died in the assault on the Capitol, including one law enforcement officer.
In a video address late Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Jeffrey A. Rosen confirmed that the Department of Justice has charged more than 70 people and opened more than 170 investigations in connection to the siege. Meanwhile, the FBI has gathered more than 100,000 digital tips from the public.
