Donald Trump became the third impeached president in American History, following the vote of the House of Representatives on two articles of impeachment.
Members of the House of Representatives cast their votes for impeachment on Dec. 18, 2019, for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.
President Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Mich. during the casting of the votes.
“Such atrocious lies by the radical left, do nothing democrats,” the president wrote in a tweet. “This is an assault on America, and an assault on the republican party!!!!”
The first article on abuse of power accuses President Trump of attempting to corrupt and pressure Ukraine’s president into investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, his democratic political rival.
These accusations are founded on the president’s incriminating half-hour phone call with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in July.
Besides the phone call conversation with Ukraine’s leader, new details of his involvement recently surfaced on Tuesday, including handwritten notes and text messages.
The second article stemmed from President Trump’s effort to resist the inquiry request from Congress.
Retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/12/18/us/politics/trump-impeachment-vote.html
Being impeached could tarnish Trump’s campaign for potential re-election. However, it does not guarantee his removal from office. President Trump will continue to focus on his presidential duties and commitments during the trial until a final verdict is reached.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who first delayed sending the articles to senate until she had more intel on the trial’s procedure, named seven House Democrats on Wednesday to prosecute the impeachment case against Trump. They will serve as Impeachment Managers to argue for President Trump’s removal from office in the Senate.
According to the New York Times, Pelosi selected Representatives Adam B. Schiff of California, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, and Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
The other managers are Representatives Zoe Lofgren of California, Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Val B. Demings of Florida, Jason Crow of Colorado, and Sylvia R. Garcia of Texas. The house will hold a vote to approve the managers.
What will happen next:
- After the vote later on Wednesday, the impeachment managers are expected to physically deliver a bound copy of the two impeachment articles over to the Senate chamber.
- One of the managers will then read the articles aloud and in full in Senate.
- Chief Justice John Roberts, who will preside over the trial, has to swear under oath to administer “impartial justice.”
- All the senators will then follow signing their names in a book attesting to the oath.
- The trial will progress according to the set of rules and procedures agreed on by the senators through a simple majority of 51-49.
- (The case could be completely dismissed during the trial with a 51-49 majority)
- The Senate will then vote on each of the two articles of impeachment- Abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
- According to the Constitution, two-thirds of the Senate is required to convict and remove the president from office. This involves 67 lawmakers.
The Senate trial should start in the coming days. The senators will decide whether to acquit the president or to convict him based on the findings that will be presented by the impeachment managers. If the later resolution is reached, President Trump will be removed from Office. Removal from the White House is rather unpropitious as the Senate is predominantly republican-controlled.
The U.S Senate is currently in its 116th Congress (2019-2021). Over a total of 100, the Republican Party leads with 53 seats, while the democrats compromised 45 seats, and two independents.
Sources:
www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm
www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/01/14/pelosi-democrats-meet-before-sending-trump-impeachment-senate-trial/4456208002/
www.nytimes.com/2019/10/08/us/politics/trump-ukraine-whistleblower.html
www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/us/politics/donald-trump-impeachment-probe.html
Photo Credits: US SENATE / AFP and The New York Times
Alma Beauvais is The WOLF's News Director and current junior of Mass Communications at the University of West Georgia.
