Impeachment process: House of Representatives votes to impeach Trump
The Democratic President of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, in Congress, January 13, 2021. AFP - SAUL LOEB
Text by: RFI Follow
4 min
A majority of elected officials from the House of Representatives voted this Wednesday, January 13, to formally indict Donald Trump for inciting violence on Capitol Hill, paving the way for a second historic trial of the President of the United States.
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It took 217 votes for the indictment against Donald Trump to pass.
It has been met and even exceeded, with the Democratic-majority House continuing to vote.
Ten Republicans have already voted with Democrats in favor of impeachment.
The trial of the outgoing president, by senators, is expected to take place after he leaves the White House on January 20.
"
The president must go
"
Nancy Pelosi opened the debates.
"
The president must leave, he is a clear danger for the nation we all love
," thundered the leader of the Democrats.
"
Since the presidential election in November, an election the president lost, he has repeatedly lied about the results,
" sought to cast doubt on the electoral process and "
to influence local officials unconstitutionally
" for reject Joe Biden's victory, she added.
On the contrary, elected Republican officials accused the Democrats of wanting to conduct a new political trial against the Republican president, reports our correspondent in Washington,
Anne Corpet
.
Parliamentarian Jim Jordan, who had already distinguished himself during the
first procedure
in his defense of Donald Trump, denounced a political maneuver, a desire "
to annul the president
".
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said for his part that an indictment of Donald Trump a week before the end of his term would be "
a mistake
."
The outgoing president carries a "
responsibility
" in the violence of the Capitol, he nevertheless admitted, asking for the creation of a "
commission of inquiry
" and the vote of a "
motion of censure
".
Twitter impeachment
Kevin McCarthy leader of the minority rep denounces the assault on the capitol, and evokes the victims, praises the courage of the police officers of the capitol but adds "I believe that to remove the president in such a fast delay would be a serious mistake" pic.twitter. com / NCUN2CGQux
- anne corpet (@annecorpet) January 13, 2021
An ultra secure Capitol
This vote is taking place in a particularly tense context.
Following
the riots last Wednesday
, the Capitol is almost under siege.
Elected officials must now go through a metal detector portal to access the chamber.
A barrier was also erected around Congress and thousands of National Guard soldiers were deployed.
For the first time since the American Civil War, hundreds of soldiers spent the night inside the Capitol.
The troops settled down as best they could and slept on the floor in this prestigious building.
A total of 15,000 troops will be deployed in the federal capital to protect the investiture ceremonies.
That's more than the contingent deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hundreds of soldiers spent the night inside the Capitol.
AP - Alex Brandon
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