• U.S. Donald Trump becomes the third president of the United States to face a political trial
  • History: The impeachment: a political trial that already affects four US presidents
  • Analysis: The dynamite of the United States democracy

Donald Trump is a "continuing threat" to national security, sentenced yesterday the president of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi. Minutes later, the Democratic congressmen approved to put the president of the United States accused of abuse of power and obstruction of justice to a political trial. Both charges went ahead with more than 216 votes, the minimum necessary. But what happens now? Is there any chance Trump will be removed from office?

What is an impeachment?

An impeachment or political trial is that process by which Legislative can dismiss a president if he considers that he has committed a crime. Under the US Constitution, the president, vice president and all civil servants "will be removed from office for prosecution and conviction for treason, bribery or other crimes and misdemeanors." Given the breadth of the definition, Congress can initiate the process for criminal activity, abuse of power or any other infraction.

And, in this case, why does the impeachment start?

We are facing one of the biggest political scandals in the country. Trump is being investigated for pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic Senator Joe Biden , his rival in next year's elections, and his son, Hunter. Joe Biden, vice president with Barack Obama , is the favorite Democratic candidate in the polls and the favorite of working voters from states like Pennylsvania, Ohio, Michigan or Wisconsin, who left the Democratic Party in the last elections. In other words: he is a competitive candidate, perhaps the only one on the endless list of Democratic primary candidates.

Wait a minute, explain better about Ukraine. Hunter Biden, a former alcoholic and cocaine addict, a guy who cheated on his wife with his brother's widow, joined the board of directors of Burisma, the largest gas company in Ukraine, in 2014. He left office last April. Your compensation has not been made public. But it is estimated that he charged about $ 50,000 (45,100 euros) per month. Did Hunter Biden know any energy or gas? Not that it is known. Did you get hired by your last name? Yes (welcome to the capitalism of the 21st century). He joined the company when the owner of Burisma, accused of corruption in 2014, decided that, in order to clear his image, he was going to hire international personalities. Among them, Hunter Biden. It is no accident that in those years the relations between the US and Ukraine were coordinated by Joe Biden (remember, vice president with Obama).

But what does Trump look like in all this?

In March of this year (when it was already clear that Biden was going to stand in the elections), Trump sent his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to Ukraine, to pressure that country to investigate Biden. Earlier, in February 2018, the US Congress had approved the delivery of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine worth 391 million dollars (353 million euros). Ukraine, a country virtually at war with Russia since 2014, needed those missiles.

Did Trump try to negotiate information about Burisma, the company that Biden's son was in, in exchange for those missiles? More or less. In July 2019, Trump had a telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine, Volodymir Zelensky , a talk that was the true spark of all this soap opera. When Zelensky asked him what had happened to the missiles, Trump changed the subject and went on to talk about Burisma and Biden. His phrase began with an expression that has become the summary of the scandal: "I need you to do us a favor."

The thesis in favor of the impeachment against Trump is that he took advantage of his public position - head of the State and Government, that is, as much as the Spanish king and the president of the Government together - to try to benefit from a private activity, such as It is winning the elections . Since the president of the United States cannot be charged with crimes when he is in office, dismissal is, according to his critics, the only possible course of action.

What will happen now?

Once the first step in the House of Representatives is over, the Senate receives the articles of the political trial and the rules and procedures to be followed are agreed upon. It is expected that in the coming days the date on which the process will continue will be set, predictably in mid-January.

During this process, the Senate is led by the president of the Supreme Court, John Roberts , and the senators act as a jury, while a group of legislators proposed by Nancy Pelosi and approved by the House act as "prosecutors." Roberts, 64, is a Republican and his role could be key during the process.

Once the "impeachment" starts in the Senate, it develops quite similar to a traditional trial. First it is the turn of prosecutors and then Trump's lawyers take the floor. There may or may not be witnesses, this is also decided by the Senate. In addition, there is another very controversial issue: the president has no obligation to appear. After each of the parties presents their arguments, the deliberations take place behind closed doors and, finally, the Senate votes in public for each of the charges.

Are there chances that Trump will be dismissed?

No. The chances of the president of the first world power being dismissed are virtually nil, as Republicans control the Senate (they have 53 seats out of a total of 100) and have already closed ranks around Donald Trump. The numbers are these: two thirds are necessary to convict you; otherwise, it is exonerated. It would take a score of political senators to change sides, something practically impossible.

And Trump, what do you think of all this?

While the House of Representatives approved the impeachment, Trump climbed, smiling, confident, to a stage in Battle Creek (Michigan) to give a rally to tens of thousands of supporters. "The crazy Democrats of Nancty Pelosi have indicated themselves with an eternal mark of shame," he told the crowd that cheered him. "They do not believe that you have the right to elect your president." Applause. "Everything will end soon and with a great victory." More applause

To the other barometer of Trump's feelings, his Twitter account (with 67 million followers), returned, as you might expect, his friends capital letters. "SO MANY HORRIBLE LIES FROM THE RADICAL LEFT". "I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BAD".

What are the precedents?

Of the 45 presidents that the United States has had, the impeachment shadow has weighed on three of them: Andrew Johnson , Bill Clinton and, now, Donald Trump . This impeachment process was also activated against Richard Nixon but he resigned before the charges of which he was accused, following the Watergate Scandal , were voted.

Both Johnson (1865-1869) and Clinton (1993-2001) were charged but eventually acquitted in the Senate. The most controversial case was that of Clinton, which arose in the wake of the archifamoso Lewinski Scandal. In '98, newspapers revealed that the president had maintained a relationship with a 22-year-old White House Fellow. Clinton denied it but, soon after, the evidence came to light. Among them, a famous semen-stained dress. The House of Representatives initiated the impeachment against the president for perjury and obstruction of justice, but the Senate saved him. Clinton remained in office until 2001.

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  • Ukraine
  • Donald Trump
  • Joe biden
  • U.S
  • Barack Obama

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