The House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, on two charges: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. This makes Trump the third US president to be impeached, after Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.
The impeachment charges stem from Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump withheld military aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in an effort to get Ukraine to investigate Biden.
The House voted on the two articles of impeachment along party lines, with all Democrats and two independents voting in favor of impeachment and all Republicans voting against it. The vote on abuse of power was 230-197, and the vote on obstruction of Congress was 229-198.
The impeachment now goes to the Senate, where a trial will be held. The Senate will need a two-thirds majority vote to convict Trump and remove him from office. It is unlikely that Trump will be convicted in the Senate, where Republicans hold a majority.
However, the impeachment is still a significant event. It is the first time in over a century that a US president has been impeached for abuse of power. The impeachment is also a sign of the deep political divisions in the United States.
The impeachment of Donald Trump is a historic event that will have far-reaching consequences. It is a reminder that the US government is not above the law, and that even the president can be held accountable for his actions. The impeachment is also a sign of the deep political divisions in the United States, and it is unclear what the long-term impact of the impeachment will be.
