House impeaches Trump for second time

Donald J. Trump is now the only U.S. President to have been impeached twice.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted mostly along party lines to impeach the president 232 to 197, citing “incitement of insurrection” in regards to Trump’s speech preceding the mob of his supporters that stormed the Capitol building, killing five people and defacing a federal building. Ten Republicans were among those who voted in favor of impeaching Trump.

The articles of impeachment state that Trump “threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government” by encouraging his supporters to “fight like hell” and continuing to undermine the integrity of the election.

From here, the House will submit the article of impeachment to the Senate, which will hold a trial. The Senate is currently recessed, and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated he will not reconvene the body for an impeachment trial. The Senate reconvenes Jan. 19, Trump’s last full day as president. The Senate trial could continue after Trump leaves office and after Democrats take control later this month.

A conviction by the Senate could bar Trump from being eligible to run for any federal office in the future. That determination, along with stripping Trump of his post-presidential benefits, would require separate votes.