US President, Donald Trump Impeached For A Record Second Time

A bipartisan majority of lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted Wednesday to impeach Donald Trump seven days from the end of his term, making him the first US president to be impeached twice. 

AFP reports that with nearly all votes counted, the number supporting impeachment on the single charge of “incitement of insurrection” for Trump’s role in whipping up a violent mob surpassed 217, the majority threshold out of 433 current House members. At least 10 Republicans joined the Democrats.

Impeachment of the president will trigger a trial in the Senate, which is not expected to begin its proceedings until Trump is out of office.

Read also: US House Of Reps Convenes To Impeach Trump For “Inciting Insurrection”

The White House has however put out a statement from Trump, in a last minute effort to quell future violence, as the House debated.

“In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That is not what I stand for, and it is not what America stands for. I call on ALL Americans to help ease tensions and calm tempers. Thank You,” the president’s statement said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Trump a ‘clear and present danger,’ as Democrats said they were standing in a ‘crime scene’ and Trump needed to pay a price for a campaign of ‘lies and conspiracy theories,’ which had fomented violence.

As safety concerns grew, thousands of troops were stationed around Congress building – the first time troops have been called in since the Civil War.