President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday night, becoming only the third American chief executive to be formally charged under the Constitution’s ultimate remedy for high crimes and misdemeanors. The historic vote split along party lines, much the way it has divided the nation, over the charges that the 45th president abused the power of his office by enlisting a foreign government to investigate a political rival ahead of the 2020 election. The House then approved a second charge, that he obstructed Congress in its investigation.
The articles of impeachment, the political equivalent of an indictment, now go to the Senate for trial. If Trump is acquitted by the Republican-led chamber, as expected, he would have to run for reelection carrying the enduring mark of impeachment on his purposely disruptive presidency.
Meanwhile, Trump expressed his feeling while the impeachment hearing was underway.
“It doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached," Trump said as he opened a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan, on Wednesday night.
Back in Washington, the House of Representatives was nearing a historic vote to impeach him.
Trump appeared on a stage flanked by two Christmas trees after he walked through a makeshift brick fireplace. He pumped his fists for the audience standing behind him on stage.
After a few words about Christmas, Trump said to thousands packed into the Kellogg Arena: “By the way, it doesn’t really feel like we’re being impeached.”
The president cited “tremendous support” for him in the Republican Party and said the country is “doing better than ever before.”
Aides had said Trump would wait to see the vote in the House before coming out to address the rally, but he came out early and promised “the best speech you’ve ever heard.”
The House impeachment resolution laid out in stark terms the two articles of impeachment against Trump stemming from his July phone call when he asked the Ukraine president for a “favor” — to announce it was investigating Democrats ahead of the 2020 election. He also pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to probe unsubstantiated corruption allegations against Joe Biden, the former vice president and 2020 White House contender.
Republicans argued that Democrats are impeaching Trump because they can’t beat him in 2020.
“This vote is about one thing, and one thing only: They hate this president,” said Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah. “They want to take away my vote and throw it in the trash.”
But Democrats warned the country cannot wait for the next election to decide whether Trump should remain in office because he has shown a pattern of behavior, particularly toward Russia, and will try to corrupt U.S. elections in 2020.
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