Donald Trump has
become the third US president in history to be impeached by the House of
Representatives, setting up a trial in the Senate that will decide whether he
remains in office.
The House voted on two
charges – that the president abused his power and that he had obstructed
Congress.
Nearly all Democrats
voted for the charges and every Republican against.
President Trump’s
Republicans control the Senate so it is highly unlikely he will be removed from
power.
As voting took place
in the House, Trump was addressing a campaign rally in Battle Creek, Michigan.
The White House
released a statement saying that the president was “confident that he will
be fully exonerated” in a Senate trial.
The first charge is
abuse of power, stemming from Trump’s alleged attempt to pressure Ukraine to
announce investigations into his Democratic political rival, Joe Biden.
It passed by 230 votes
to 197, almost completely on party lines. Only two Democrats opposed – New
Jersey’s Jeff Van Drew, who is set to leave the party, and Michigan’s Collin
Peterson.
The second charge is
obstruction of Congress, because the president allegedly refused to co-operate
with the impeachment inquiry, withholding documentary evidence and barring his
key aides from giving evidence.
It passed by 229-198.
Democrat Jared Golden of Maine voted for the first charge but opposed this.
No Republicans
supported impeachment, although ex-party member Justin Amash, from Michigan,
did.
Being impeached places
Donald Trump alongside only two other presidents in the nation’s history –
Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton.
