Advertisement

What happens now Donald Trump has been impeached for second time?

Donald Trump (AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump (AFP via Getty Images)

The historic impeachment trial of Donald Trump has begun after he became the first US president to be impeached twice.

Three previous impeachments - of Presidents Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and Trump - took months before a final vote, including investigations and hearings.

This time it took just one week.

Mr Trump, 74, is accused of inciting the US Capitol riots that left five dead, including a police officer.

On Monday, senior Democrats marched solemnly through the iconic Washington DC building to deliver the sole charge of “incitement of insurrection” against the now ex-president.

His sucessor Joe Biden has insisted the trial “has to happen” but predicted that not enough Republican senators would vote to convict their former leader.

So what can we expect from this second impeachment and what impact will it have on the MAGA commander in chief?

Firstly, what are the basics of impeachment?

In normal circumstances, there would have been an impeachment investigation. Evidence would be sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which would hold hearings, draft articles and send them to the full House.

That's what happened in 2019 when the House impeached Mr Trump over his dealings with the president of Ukraine. It took three months.

But these are unprecedented times. With so few days to act before MrTrump left office, Democrats felt there was little need to investigate what happened. Most members of Congress heard him address his supporters and were in the Capitol when the mob broke in.

The impeachment charge went straight to the House floor for a vote.

What happens next?

The 100 senators are due to be sworn in as a jury on Tuesday with trial arguments due to start on February 9.

Mr Trump will be issued with a week to answer the charge against him.

No decision has yet been made on whether witnesses should be called to support the key accusations that Mr Trump encouraged the mob violence on January 6 and sought to overturn Mr Biden’s victory in the state of Georgia through coersion.

The Senate will then cast final votes on whether to convict or aquit Mr Trump. This is what happened in February last year after Mr Trump was impeached the first time.

House Speaker Nancy PelosiEPA
House Speaker Nancy PelosiEPA

What charges does Trump face?

The House voted for a single impeachment charge alleging “incitement of insurrection”.

Democrats David Cicilline of Rhode Island, Ted Lieu of California and Jamie Raskin of Maryland’s four-page impeachment article reads: “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of Government.

“He will remain a threat to national security, democracy, and the Constitution if allowed to remain in office.”

The article says Mr Trump’s behaviour is consistent with prior efforts to “subvert and obstruct” the results of the election with baseless claims of widespread fraud.

It also references his recent call with the Georgia secretary of state in which he said he wanted him to find him more votes after losing the state to Biden.

Mr Trump’s false claims of electoral fraud were repeatedly echoed by congressional Republicans and the insurgents who descended on the Capitol.

Just before the riots, Mr Trump spoke to the supporters near the White House and encouraged them to “fight like hell”.

As the protesters broke in, both chambers were debating Republican challenges to the electoral vote count in Arizona as part of the process for certifying Biden's election win.

What support does Trump have from fellow Republicans?

Following the Januart 6 riots, five Republicans said they would support impeachment. No Republicans supported Mr Trump's first impeachment in 2019.

Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the No3 Republican in the House and the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, said she would vote to impeach Trump because “there has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution”.

Ms Cheney said Trump “summoned”, “assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack”.

Trump is accused of ‘lighting the flame’ of the riotous attackREUTERS
Trump is accused of ‘lighting the flame’ of the riotous attackREUTERS

New York Republican John Katko was the first in his party to say he'd vote to impeach. A former federal prosecutor, he said he did not make the decision lightly.

"To allow the president of the United States to incite this attack without consequence is a direct threat to the future of our democracy," Mr Katko said. "I cannot sit by without taking action."

Also saying they would vote for impeachment were Republicans Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan and Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington.

However, the denunciations appear to have cooled off since then, with Mr Trump’s party colleagues questioning the legitimacy of the trial and questioning whether his repeated demands to overturn the election results really amounted to incitement.

What happens next?

For Democrats the tone and length of the upcoming trial, so early in Mr Biden’s presidency, poses key challenges.

They need to strike a balance between their vow to hold Mr Trump to account and their eagerness to deliver on the new administration’s priorities following their sweep of control of the House, Senate and White House.

Mr Biden himself told CNN late on Monday that the impeachment trial “has to happen”.While acknowledging the effect it could have on his agenda, he said there would be “a worse effect if it didn’t happen”.

However, he also admitted that he doesn’t think enough Republican senators will vote for impeachment to convict.

Only one Republican voted to convict Trump last year: Utah’s Mitt Romney.

What does impeachment mean for Trump?

Mr Trump could be prevented from running for office again if he is convicted.

However, Democrats insisted it was important to move forward whatever the outcome.

Vermont’s Bernie Sanders tweeted earlier in the month that some people might ask why they would try to impeach a president with only a few days left in office.

“The answer: Precedent,” he said.

“It must be made clear that no president, now or in the future, can lead an insurrection against the U.S. government.”

Read More

Joe Biden admits impeachment is unlikely... as proceedings start

Donald Trump impeachment trial moves closer as House delivers charge

Biden signs first executive orders and begins reversing Trump policies

It’s now the strangest noise of all... the silence of the Donald

The ten Republicans who voted to impeach Donald Trump