US President Donald Trump impeached for second time

With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 on Wednesday to impeach Trump.

President Donald Trump was impeached by the US House for a historic second time, charged with “incitement of insurrection” over the deadly mob siege of the US Capitol in a swift and stunning collapse of his final days in office.

With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 on Wednesday to impeach Trump. The proceedings moved at lightning speed, with lawmakers voting just one week after violent pro-Trump loyalists stormed the Capitol, egged on by the president’s calls for them to “fight like hell” against the election results.

Ten Republicans fled Trump, joining Democrats who said he needed to be held accountable and warned ominously of a “clear and present danger” if Congress should leave him unchecked before Joe Biden’s inauguration January20.

Trump’s impeachment trial could begin at 1pm on Inauguration Day next Wednesday as Biden is being sworn into office. That’s according to a timeline of Senate procedure obtained by the AP.

Trump is the only US president to be twice impeached. It was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in modern times, more so than against Bill Clinton.