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| House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds the signed article of impeachment |
One week after the attack on the Capitol, the House of Representatives has impeached Trump for "incitement of insurrection" in a 232-197 vote that included 10 Republicans. The article will now go to the Senate, which is expected to reconvene next week. Trump has made history for being the first president to be impeached twice and for having the most members of his own party vote to impeach him. Congressional Republicans are split on the future of the party as a Senate vote to bar Trump from running for future office looms. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has not ruled out voting to convict Trump, and although they may face isolation, other Republicans are considering it as well. Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said he thinks "There's a pretty significant chance that the Senate does vote to remove President Trump" because "every day that goes by, there's going to be people regretting their 'no' vote as more information comes out." Because the trial probably won't begin until President-elect Biden is in office, impeachment will also complicate Biden's agenda as he attempts to confirm his Cabinet nominees and press for coronavirus relief. Biden has said he will try to simultaneously advance the trial and hold the Cabinet hearings. Lastly, January 6th has changed the US Capitol forever—now, there are new security measures, like magnetometers and the National Guard, as well as heightened partisan tensions. Several Democrats have accused Republicans of playing a role in the attack, and in the future, bipartisanship will be even more difficult due to the increasing lack of trust in and isolation from members of the opposite party.
I am so happy that Trump has been impeached again, and I hope he is deemed guilty in the Senate impeachment trial so he won’t be able to run for President in 2024. I also want Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr. to face charges for inciting the Capitol attack. I hope that they will be held responsible for their actions, and that this will teach members of the Republican Party that denial won’t change the truth. It’s frustrating that Mitch McConnell says he believes that the attack was provoked by the President, yet he still won’t make a clear statement; this is just another example of Republican leaders trying to hang onto their political platforms and please their constituents. No matter what, I think current Trump supporters will still be racists and believe in election fraud because it’s so deeply ingrained in their minds and hearts. I definitely think that the attack took some planning and inside help, but right now there are only accusations while the investigation is still going on.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr both played important roles in inciting the attack, and that they should be prosecuted for this. It's clear that although McConnell and other Republicans are willing to accept that Trump incited violence, it's much more difficult for them to decide to punish him for this and risk losing support from Republican voters. I also think that Trump supporters won't be swayed from their views even if the Senate convicts him, because then they will choose to see Trump as a martyr rather than a criminal. Unfortunately, lies and misinformation (especially about election fraud) have become a huge part of Trump's administration, and this will definitely continue to impact Republican voters, even after he's left office.
DeleteThere's already been swift move from GOP leaders like Mitch McConnell to disassociate the Republican Party from Trumpism, which is important to the future and stability of our country. It is also creating a larger schism in the party. They have a lot of mending ahead of them, which makes Biden's goal of "unity" even more pressing and important. The blatant aggression from the democrats is justified, but it is also increasing both the partisanship and the GOP divide. I hope this impeachment in the house sets the precedent that there's a new era of politics, where racism cannot be sugarcoated in congress.
ReplyDeleteI think the most important test for the GOP is the Senate impeachment trials, because if they truly want to put the violence, racism, and lies behind them, they will have to ensure that Trump is convicted and cannot run again. I agree that whichever direction the GOP chooses to go in will impact America's stability. I hope that Democrats and Republicans will be able to come together to condemn Trump's actions, signalling a commitment to bipartisanship and justice. Biden being in office will definitely help this--I especially appreciate how he's committed to being an American president, not just a Democratic one, who will work to serve everyone, whether they voted for him or not. I could never imagine Trump saying either of those things.
DeleteI think Trump’s second impeachment is deserved. He clearly engaged in sedition when he told his followers to march and storm the Capitol building on January 6, deliberately inciting violence on the day in which the electoral votes were to be counted. Donald Trump, our (now former) president, was the cause of an attack against the Capitol, against America, and against democracy. Under no circumstances should he be able to run for president again. As for GOP members and the impeachment, I don’t think Republican senators will vote to convict Trump. After the Capitol attack, some Republican senators held Trump accountable, but I believe that this was in the heat of the moment. I think that the Republicans are afraid of the consequences of voting to convict Trump. If they vote to convict Trump, who will vote for them in their respective elections? In states like Nebraska, where there are larger concentrations of Republicans, losing votes from Trump supporters ends your career. As it has been said, the Republican party has become the Trump party; the Republicans allowed Trump to take over, and now they are suffering the consequences.
ReplyDeleteI believe Trump deserved to have his second impeachment as he has been encouraging harmful ideas and actions during his time as president, which should not have been allowed in the first place. I also hope that he will be found guilty and be banned from running in the election again. After his participation on January 6th, I believe he has shown that he is definitely not suitable for the position, and shouldn't be tasked with being in charge of the U.S. I have a feeling that if Trump is allowed to run again, he will be a somewhat popular candidate like before because of his strong base of supporters, and I believe they would try to deflect any blame that has been placed on him and defend him against all claims. I don't think many of their opinions will change because they are so devoted to him and they might even try to blame others for Trump's actions.
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