House Democrats Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump
Natalie Andrews, Rebecca Ballhaus 8 mins ago
WASHINGTON—Congress careened toward a fresh showdown with President Trump, as House Democrats said they plan to vote on impeaching him Wednesday over accusations he incited supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol.
House Democrats introduced an article of impeachment on Monday morning and said they would move ahead regardless of tepid Republican support. While some Republicans have condemned the president for encouraging his supporters to march to the Capitol as lawmakers were voting to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, only a handful have backed removing him from office through impeachment or other means, while some have floated censure as an alternative.
Democrats, who have unsuccessfully pressed Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Mr. Trump from office, are expected to have enough votes to impeach in the House, which requires only a simple majority. A two-thirds supermajority in the Senate would then be required to convict Mr. Trump. The single article of impeachment alleges “incitement of insurrection.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) has said there would be no time for a trial and vote before Inauguration Day, with the Senate not set to return until Jan. 19. But incoming leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) is exploring using a little-used emergency tool to call the Senate back sooner if needed, a Senate Democratic aide said. Mr. McConnell would need to agree, and a spokesman didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Senate can hold a trial for Mr. Trump even after his presidency ends, which some lawmakers see as justified in both condemning Mr. Trump’s actions and potentially banning Mr. Trump from holding office again.
“Whether impeachment can pass the United States Senate is not the issue,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D., Md.). “The issue is, we have a president who most of us believe participated in encouraging an insurrection and attack on this building and on democracy.”
The impeachment plans were laid amid mounting security concerns in the capital. The National Guard said it would bolster its presence in the city by at least 10,000 in advance of next week’s inauguration, and the National Park Service shut down tours of the Washington Monument, citing potential threats to public safety. The governors of Maryland and Virginia issued a joint statement with D.C.’s mayor asking people to stay away from the inauguration Jan. 20.
Mr. Trump hasn’t issued any comments or appeared in public since releasing a statement criticizing Twitter for banning his account on Friday. In recent days, he has fumed to advisers about his ban from social media, the blame he has taken for the riot and what he sees as a betrayal by Mr. Pence, Mr. McConnell, Republican senators and some opinion columnists, according to a person close to the White House.
“It’s clear he’s angry,” said Trump campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley on Fox News. “Democrats came after him with a purely political impeachment not too long ago. Now they’re threatening to do it again,” he said. “The president talked about a peaceful transition. He’s going to leave office and that’s what he’s going to do.”
House Democrats Introduce Article of Impeachment Against Trump (msn.com)
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