Donald Trump Is Officially Impeached

On Wednesday (December 18), the Residence of Representatives voted to impeach President Donald Trump for abuse of power. The 230-197 vote makes Trump just the third U.S. President to ever be formally impeached, joining the ranks of former Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Richard Nixon also faced impeachment, although he resigned before the Home voted.


The vote on abuse of power was split almost exactly along party lines. Two Democrats, Collin Peterson (MN) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ) voted no, bucking a nearly unanimous vote from their party. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) indicated she was present, nevertheless did not cast a vote. And alone among the Republicans and independents was Justin Amash (I-MI), who voted to impeach the President. Three other representatives were not present for the vote.


"This impeachment is permanent," Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) mentioned in the debates prior to the official vote, the New York Times reported. "It will follow [Trump] around for the rest of his life and history books will record it. And the people will know why we impeached. It’s all very simple. No one is above the law"


Trump was at a rally in Michigan any time the vote cementing his impeachment came in; per NBC News reporter Shannon Pettypiece, he was boasting about the U.S. Air Force.


But because Trump has been impeached doesn't mean he'll be removed from office just nevertheless. Impeachment is simply the House voting to officially charge the president with misconduct — in this case, he was charged with abuse of power and obstructing congress. Right now the impeachment inquiry heads to the Senate as soon as they return from holiday break.


The Senate has several options. They can hold a trial before voting whether to remove the president from office,  or acquit him, thereby dismissing the charges; they can also force a vote without hearing a trial at all. Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell has mentioned he supports a trial, albeit a short one, while Trump has allegedly been pushing for a longer process that would let him to make an aggressive defense against the vote, according to CNN. Senate Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer, presented a letter to McConnell on December 15 asking for a lengthier trial with the ability to call more witnesses  that the White Residence has previously prevented from testifying, and receiving more documents that have nevertheless to be released, the New York Times reported.


"Senate Democrats believe strongly, and I trust Senate Republicans agree, that this trial must be one that is fair, that considers all the relevant facts, and that exercises the Senate’s ‘sole power of impeachment’ under the Constitution with integrity and dignity," Schumer wrote in his letter, adding: "The trial must be one that not only hears all the evidence and adjudicates the case fairly; it must also pass the fairness test with the American people. That is the good challenge for the Senate in the coming weeks."


No matter how the trial is handled, two-thirds — or 67 of 100 senators — will have to vote in favor of convicting the president for him to be removed from office. Since Republicans have a lead in the Senate, all the Democrats and Independent Senators will have to be joined by 20 Republicans to vote for impeachment for Trump to be convicted — a long shot to mention the least. If fewer than two-thirds of the members present vote to convict him, he'll live in office, just like former President Clinton, who was acquitted.


so far, though, there isn't much to do besides enjoying your holiday and waiting for Senate to return to session.