US President Donald Trump is expected to be acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate. (AFP)
The Democratic-led House of Representatives voted on Wednesday night to impeach US President Donald Trump.
The first article of impeachment against Trump, which charges him with abuse of power, passed the House with a vote of 230-197.
Two Democrats — Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota — voted against the first article of impeachment. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, who is currently running for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, voted “present.”
The second article of impeachment, charging Trump with obstruction of Congress, passed the House after a majority of 216 lawmakers voted in favor of it. The final vote is still coming in as of posting time.
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“I come to this floor not as a Republican, not as a Democrat, but as an American,” said independent legislator Justin Amash. “Impeachment is about maintaining the integrity of the office of the presidency.”
Trump joined Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998 as the only US presidents to be impeached. Richard Nixon resigned in 1974 before he could be impeached.
As the vote unfolded, Trump spoke at a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan.
“It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached,” said Trump. “This lawless partisan impeachment is a political suicide march for the Democrat party.”
Votes of Representatives are pictured on a screen as US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi presides over Resolution 755, Articles of Impeachment Against President Donald J. Trump at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on 18 December 2019. (AFP)
Wednesday’s historic vote came after about 10 hours of debate.
Trump, the 45th US president, now faces a trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, expected to begin early next month and to produce an acquittal of the president.
A two-thirds majority vote in the Senate would be required to convict and remove Trump from office. With no Republican senators currently voicing support for impeachment, Trump appeared safe to survive.
See exact moment when Trump was impeached: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upDMbQOEQwk
“While we’re creating jobs and fighting for Michigan, the radical Left in Congress is consumed with envy and hatred and rage, you see what’s going on,” Trump seethed at the rally. “These people are crazy.” (AFP, Business Insider, Guardian)
