At least four Republicans have stated that they would vote to impeach US Outgoing President Donald Trump in the last eight days of his office in the aftermath of the US Capitol coup. A dozen other Republicans are said to be considering joining Democrats to unseat Trump. The House is to vote today, 13 January.
Democrats on Monday introduced an article of impeachment against outgoing US President Donald Trump in the House of Representatives for "incitement of insurrection".
With more than 210 co-signers, lawmakers said they were confident they had the votes to proceed. If there is a majority of the House votes to impeach Trump, he will be the first president to be impeached twice.
The Democrats have moved forward on the article of impeachment in spite of Vice President Mike Pence declining to support efforts to invoke the 25th Amendment. The House passed a resolution, 223-205, calling on the VP to take action, reported Reuters.
‘Never Been A Greater Betrayal’
"There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution. Trump summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack (on the Capitol). I will vote to impeach the president,” said Representative Liz Cheney, the No. 3 House Republican to Reuters.
Three other Republican House members, John Katko, Adam Kinzinger and Fred Upton are in agreement that they will vote for impeachment. Republican leaders are leaving it to individual members to decide whether to vote for impeachment as a “matter of individual conscience”, quoted Reuters.
Impeachment requires both chambers of Congress — the House of Representatives and the Senate — to act. If Trump is impeached in the House, he would need to be convicted by a two-thirds majority in the Senate as well. “I don’t think you would have a hard time finding 17 Republicans to convict” with a tightly drawn article of impeachment, a former Senate Republican leadership aide told Reuters.
Trump Calls Impeachment ‘A Witch Hunt’
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump made his first public address since the storming of the US Capitol last Wednesday 6 January. Speaking at the border wall in Alamo, Texas, the outgoing President said, “The 25th Amendment is of zero risk to me but will come back to haunt Joe Biden and the Biden administration – as the expression goes, be careful what you wish for.”
“The impeachment hoax is a continuation of the greatest and most vicious witch hunt is causing tremendous anger and division and pain far greater than what most people will ever understand. Which is very dangerous for the USA especially at this very tender time,” Trump added.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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