What has Donald Trump been impeached for?
Donald Trump: House reaches votes for presidential impeachment
Donald Trump is the 45th US President and has just days left in his first term. But now he may be unable to ever seek another term after the House of Representatives voted in favour of impeaching him for a second time. But what has the US leader been impeached for?
Donald Trump has made history today by becoming the first US President to be twice impeached.
Impeachment essentially means being charged with crimes by Congress.
He will now face trial in the Senate and if convicted, he could face being banned from ever holding Presidential office again.
The US leader is due to leave office on January 20 after which time, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th US President.
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Six Republicans said they would support the Democratically-controlled House to impeach Mr Trump.
However, the majority of conservatives remained loyal to Mr Trump.
If impeached, it is unlikely Mr Trump will have to leave the White House before his term ends in a week.
Last week, 139 Republicans voted against accepting the result of the 2020 election and Mr Trump’s defeat.
What has Donald Trump been impeached for?
The US Congress certified Mr Biden’s victory on January 6 and in protest of this sanctifying of Mr Trump’s loss, his supporters broke into the US Capitol.
Lawmakers were forced to suspend their activity and resumed only once the police managed to remove the mob.
Following Mr Biden’s confirmation, Mr Trump said there would be an orderly transition on January 20 and he said he completely disagreed with the outcome of the election.
His statement said: “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of the election, and the facts bear me out, nevertheless there will be an orderly transition on January 20.
“I have always said we would continue our fight to ensure that only legal votes were counted.
“While this represents the end of the greatest first term in presidential history, it’s only the beginning of our fight to Make America Great Again!”
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President Trump called on his violent supporters to go home, but repeated false claims the election had been stolen which many said helped to incite further violence.
In the wake of the attack, millions of people called for his removal from office.
US Congressman Ted Lieu tweeted: “He is why the 25th amendment exists when the president has ‘lost it.’ If Trump doesn’t resign, then [vice president] Mike Pence needs to start the process to remove [Donald Trump] ASAP.”
Mr Lieu later tweeted: “Leadership in the Senate and House are misreading the situation if they simply adjourn after we accept the electoral college results. There is much anger among the members and the American public. We cannot just leave without holding Trump accountable. That will only embolden him.”
In a statement after the attack, the Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark said: “Despite the seditious attempt to overthrow our democracy, we in Congress will fulfil our duty to ensure the will of the people and the integrity of our democracy are upheld.
“But the next days and weeks remain dangerous. Donald Trump is a traitor to our country and our Constitution. He must be removed from office and prevented from further endangering our country and our people.”
Mr Trump has been charged with inciting the storm of the Capitol on January 6.
The article of impeachment stated that Mr Trump “repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted”.
The impeachment article outlines Mr Trump repeated his claims and “willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol”, leading to the violence and loss of life.
The article reads: “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government.”
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