Donald Trump becomes 3rd president in US history to be impeachedDonald Trump became only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached when the House on Wednesday approved two articles of impeachment against him.
Donald Trump became only the third president in U.S. history to be impeached when the House on Wednesday approved an article accusing him of abuse of power.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the historic and mostly party-line vote, 230-197, making it official and setting up a Senate trial in January.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., announces the passage of the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, against President Donald Trump by the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2019.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., announces the passage of the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, against President Donald Trump by the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Washington, Dec. 18, 2019.
Democrats then led the House in approving a second article they proposed accusing him of obstruction of Congress, passing that charge by a 229-198 vote, with one member voting present.
“Article II is adopted,” Pelosi announced, bringing down the speaker’s gavel.
The House then adjourned.
“After three years of sinister witch hunts, hoaxes, scams, tonight the House Democrats are trying to nullify the ballots of tens of millions of patriotic Americans,” Trump said in Battle Creek.
“Crazy Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats have branded themselves with an eternal mark of shame. It is a disgrace. Democrat lawmakers do not believe you have the right to select your own president,” Trump said.
In a late twist adding even more drama to the impeachment, Pelosi, at a news conference after the vote, declined to commit to naming the House impeachment managers — those members who would present the House case at the Senate trial.
Pelosi said she needs to know the structure of the Senate trial before naming the managers, but said what she’s heard so far sounds unfair, echoing the complaints of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer.
She said McConnell is “in cahoots with the lawyers of the accused.” The articles cannot be transmitted without impeachment managers being named.
“We cannot name managers until we see what the process is on the Senate side, and I would hope that that will be soon,” Pelosi said. “So far we haven’t seen anything that looks fair to us, so hopefully it will be fairer and when we see what that is, we’ll send our managers.”
Pelosi said she and her committee chairmen will decide as a group as to when to transmit the articles to the Senate.
