Eight days after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in a bid to overturn the presidential election, the outgoing US president Donald Trump has been impeached for the second time. The House of Representatives on Wednesday impeached Donald Trump, the first US president to be impeached twice, charging him with "inciting an insurrection." He will now face trial in the Senate. Here’s everything you need to know about the impeachment proceeding against US President Donald Trump.
What are the charges against Trump?
The House of Representatives accused the US president of encouraging a riot with false claims of a stolen election which eventually led to a mob storming the US capitol – the seat of the US Congress. He tried to incite the supporters with a speech on Jan 6 asking them “peacefully and patriotically” to make their voices heard but also “fight like hell” against the mandate that has been stolen from them.
The democrats have also accused Trump of making false statements regarding presidential election results and initiating various attempts to overturn the election mandate by obstructing the certification of the results.
Could Trump be removed from office?
No. After impeaching Trump in the House of Representatives, the proceedings will move to the Senate for a trial. However, the Senate is not scheduled to be in session until Jan 19. This ensures that a trial will be carried out after Trump leaves office on Jan 20.
What would it take to convict Trump?
Democrats need a two-thirds majority in the 100-member body to convict Trump. This means that Democrats will need the support of at least 20 Senate Republicans. In the House on Wednesday 10 Republicans joined the entire Democratic contingent of 222 to impeach Trump.
What happens if Trump is convicted by the Senate?
Apart from the symbolic value of impeachment and trial, if convicted, Trump could be barred from running for the elected office again.
Has a US President ever been impeached twice?
No, Trump has become the first president to be impeached twice. He was impeached by the house in 2019 over his dealings in Ukraine. He was later acquitted by the Republican-led Senate in February 2020.
