Donald Trump indicted, a second historic "impeachment"
A week before the end of his term, the US president faces a new impeachment procedure for "inciting insurgency" in a speech that preceded the invasion of Capitol Hill on January 6.
A week after supporters of US President Donald Trump burst onto Capitol Hill, the House of Representatives approved by 232 votes to 197, Wednesday, January 13, his indictment for "incitement to insurgency" during a speech pronounced prior to the violence. A week before the end of his term, Mr. Trump therefore faces a second impeachment: a first for a president in the history of the United States. An impeachment trial must now take place in the Senate.
"The President of the United States has incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion", declared the leader of the Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, before continuing: "He must leave, he is an obvious and immediate danger against the nation that we all love ”.
While the indictment did not receive a single Republican vote in the Ukraine affair over a year ago, several party members have this time joined the Democrats, already in the majority in the chamber. Congress bass. Ten elected members of the "Grand Old Party" voted for the opening of the procedure. Among them is Liz Cheney, one of the centerpieces of the Republican minority in the House, also the daughter of former US Vice President Dick Cheney. "None of this would have happened without the president," she said in a statement.
The figurehead of the Republicans in the House, Kevin McCarthy, for his part assured that this procedure was "a mistake". Admittedly, he admits that the outgoing president bears a “responsibility” for the violence on the Capitol, which occurred on January 6, but he also believes that the way forward would have been to create a “commission of inquiry” and to vote a “motion”. of censorship ”.
Possible support for Mitch McConnell in the Senate
The Democrats may take control of the Upper House on January 20 (the day of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden), they will nonetheless need the rallying of many Republicans to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary for the conviction. Holding the trial may also hamper legislative action by Democrats at the start of Biden's presidency, as he will monopolize Senate sessions.
Mitch McConnell, leader of the Republican majority in the upper house, has also indicated that he does not intend to use his prerogatives to summon senators from this week, therefore ruling out any possibility that the hearings end before Joe Biden is sworn in on January 20.
At the same time, Mitch McConnell is said to have told those close to him that he viewed the indictment favorably, believing it to be valid and that it would help the Republican Party to turn the page on Donald Trump for good. So this skilful, highly influential strategist may hold the key to the outcome of this historic procedure, for a single public word could encourage Republican senators to condemn the 45th President of the United States.
Donald Trump denounces a "witch hunt"
Each day a little more isolated within his own camp, Donald Trump has tried to reduce the procedure aimed at yet another maneuver of the Democrats, to a new "witch hunt". A few days before his departure for Mar-a-Lago, Florida, where he should begin his new life as "ex-president", however, he appears more and more disconnected from the course of political life in the heart of the capital. federal government.
As only response to his indictment, the president released a five-minute video in which he called for unity, saying violence “has no place” in America. "None of my real supporters could be in favor of political violence," he insists in this short speech in which he at no time directly mentions the "impeachment" procedure.
The Vice President of the United States, Mike Pence, had the day before definitively ruled out the other threat to the end of Mr. Trump's mandate by refusing to invoke the 25th amendment of the Constitution, which would have allowed him to dismiss the outgoing president by declaring him unfit to exercise his functions. Despite his assertiveness and the support of some very loyal elected officials, Donald Trump is more alone than ever after a series of resignations from his government, accompanied by scathing criticism.
