Donald Trump has become the first President to be impeached twice. As I write this, the vote appears to be 231 votes in favor of impeachment, including 10 Republicans versus 197 against (all Republican) and 5 not voting. Following is the text of the Impeachment Resolution:
Resolved, the Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the United States Senate:
Article of impeachment exhibited by the House of Representatives of the United States of America in the name of itself and of the people of the United States of America, against Donald John Trump, President of the United States of America, in maintenance and support of its impeachment against him for high crimes and misdemeanors.
ARTICLE 1: INCITEMENT OF INSURRECTION
The Constitution provides that the House of Representatives “shall have the sole Power of Impeachment” and that the President “shall be removed from Office on Impeachment, for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Further, section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution prohibits any person who has “engaged in insurrection or rebellion against” the United States from “hold[ing] and office … under the United States.’ In his conduct while President of the United States — and in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, provide, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed — Donald John Trump engaged in high Crimes and Misdemeanors by inciting violence against the Government of the United States, in that:
President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the results of the 2020 Presidential election. Those prior efforts included a phone call on January 2, 2021, during which President Trump urged the secretary of state of Georgia, Brad Raffensperger, to “find” enough votes to overturn the Georgia Presidential election results and threatened Secretary Raffensperger if he failed to do so.
In all this, President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government. He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to the manifest injury of the people of the United States.
Wherefore, Donald John Trump, by such conduct, has demonstrated that he will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office, and has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. Donald John Trump thus warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust, or profit under the United States.
It’s clear that the facts stated in bold are true and that they are impeachable offenses. Trump intentionally incited a mob, and it was entirely foreseeable that they would act violently.
A very troubling part of this is how deep did things concerning the activities of the 6th really go as to potential involvement of some members of congress and the capital police. How deep set is the whole Trump cult. Are the actions/reactions of some being done because the really believe Trump was cheated out of election and how much is fear of not seeming to go along with the idea.
Frankly, Jack, I don’t care if someone shoots and kills my wife because he’s vindictive or because it’s a botched robbery. He did it. It’s twisted.
By now, anyone who is lucid understands what a danger to the republic Trump has been. This has resulted in good people thinking seriously about what should be done who look carefully at how this government is run and consider what needs to be changed so we don’t have another, smarter, even more dangerous populist demagogue who is out to destroy us. Hopefully, our more aware Congressmen are already looking at that and are willing to work across the aisle for the sake of the country. Already, there are political scientists, aware that this needs to be a bipartisan effort, who are publishing rational and doable recommendations. There is the book by Willian G. Howell (U of Chicago) and Terry M. Moe (Stanford/Hoover Institution), “Presidents, Populism, and the crisis of Democracy”. I’m sure there are others. Our representatives need to become leaders who will protect us from another, more dangerous, populist demagogue and prevent that person from completely destroying the republic.
Time was people were executed for treason.
When someone breaks into the Capitol to murder a congressman and overthrow the government, I’d like to know why deadly force is not appropriate.
There is so much I don’t understand why everyone in the Capitol wasn’t immediately arrested.
I don’t understand why Trump wasn’t impeached THE NEXT DAY.
And I don’t understand why Congress hasn’t expelled everyone who voted against accepting the election results after the coup attempt.
If we are to have a country, Trump’s Big Lie needs to be shouted down on a bipartisan basis, and loudly so.
There are some unconfirmed reports that members of congress or their staff were giving tours of the capital building to the alleged protesters (reportedly they were casing the place) the day before the rioting took place. Lets hope this isn’t true, if so I can think of many inappropriate words to describe how WRONG this would be. A planned insurrection against the United States government, throw everyone in jail who would off been a part of it.. Whenever Trump did something way out of the norm, I would tell myself this is it he can’t top it. Boy was I wrong! Six days and counting..
Right on, Phil. This is a guy where you say, “He can’t do anything more outrageous than this”, and sure enough, he does. If people don’t get the message that he sends daily that he is depraved and has no business in that job, I can’t imagine what else he can do to prove it. I just hope he doesn’t decide to pardon the rioters. A huge message to Congress to change the system.