The United States Democrats on Monday formally introduced an article of impeachment against outgoing President Donald Trump, charging him with “incitement to insurrection” over his role in inciting the violence at the Capitol last week, The Guardian reported.
The first attempt to impeach Trump was made once by the Democrat-controlled House in December 2019 for pressuring the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to dig up political dirt on Biden. He was, however, acquitted by the Senate, where the Republican Party had the majority.
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from the top post, according to BBC. In the resolution, she asked Pence to declare to a “horrified nation” that Trump was “unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office”.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said that the Democrats were planning to vote on the article of impeachment in two days, according to The Guardian.
However, the Democrats may not send any articles to the Senate for trial until after Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office. “Let’s give President-elect Biden the 100 days he needs to get his agenda off and running,” House whip James Clyburn was quoted as saying by BBC. “And maybe we will send the articles sometime after that.”
Also read: What happens to Trump next? Will he be jailed for his actions while he was in power?
On January 7, hundreds of supporters of Trump stormed the Capitol complex in Washington DC, and clashed with the police as members of the Congress met to certify the results of the 2020 presidential elections, which Biden won. Five people died in the violence. At least 68 were arrested.
Videos on social media showed the mob shattering the Capitol’s windows and entering the building. One of the rioters even went and sat in the well of the Senate. Lawmakers put on gas masks and crouched under their desks as the police tried to secure the complex. The House was evacuated at first, but it reconvened hours later to certify Biden’s election victory.
Trump, however, conceded defeat to Biden, after peddling election conspiracy theories for months and claiming that the presidential poll had been rigged. On January 8, he said that he would not attend Biden’s inauguration on January 20.
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