Leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives have put into play this week a two-step plan to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time in less than one year.
This is in response to the takeover of the US Capitol by violent rioters in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, which intended to derail the counting of the electoral votes cast in the November 3 election certifying Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States.
The articles of impeachment to be considered this week were drafted by Congressman from the Democratic Party. They claim President Donald Trump incited demonstrators to interfere in the constitutional process of electoral vote certification, which is a violation of law. They also claim Trump violated the law Jan 2, when he called Georgia state election officials and suggested they find 11,000 votes to overturn the state election results.
Rioters entered the US Capital building by force Jan. 6, reaching the House chambers, which caused a four-hour delay in the vote and forced members of Congress, the Senate and Vice President Mike Pence to seek shelter from perpetrators. Five people were killed in the events, including a member of the Capitol Police.
The House of Representatives will vote on a resolution calling for Pence to organize a session of the President’s Cabinet and vote to remove the president from office within a 24-hour period on the grounds “he is unable to discharge the powers and duties of this office.” Three Cabinet members – the heads of departments of homeland security, education and transportation – have already resigned. If that constitutional impeachment route does not materialize, which is highly likely because Trump’s cabinet remains loyal to him, the House will then proceed with a second impeachment route.
That route calls for an investigation to be held in the House of Representatives on charges of “incitement of insurrection against the Government of the United States” by President Trump. Two hundred eighteen votes, a simple majority, is required to pass and impeach Trump for a second time. The next step would be for the House impeachment committee to prepare for a Senate trial, which would require two-thirds of all Senators to support a conviction of the president. During Trump’s impeachment procedures last year, he was impeached in the House, but was not convicted in the US Senate.
With less than 10 days remaining in his presidency, the chances of impeaching Trump a second time are high. But, obtaining a Senate conviction is low. That’s why House members are calling for the vote to be passed in the House immediately but, slowed down in the Senate for several weeks in order for Biden to be inaugurated president, the Democrats to take control of the Senate, and a more thorough investigation be completed. If convicted in the Senate, Trump could be stripped of his ability to run for the US presidency a second time, which might please some Republican leaders.Parallel with impeachment proceedings, the American public, as well as stakeholder groups such as business and the mass media have been jolted into action by the events of January 6, and the death of five people.
First, many are questioning the lack of adequate security around the Capitol during the day of protests. Police estimated 50,000-60,000 protesters gathered on the Mall in front of the Capital that day. The Capitol Police Force guarding congressional buildings number 2,500 officers, but only 1,200 were on duty the day of the riots. About 8,000 rioters surrounded the entrances of the Capital. When violence broke out around 13:00, requests from Capitol Police for back-up were slow. Only the Metropolitan Police Force of the District of Columbia came to help with 340 unarmed officers. Republican Congressional Leaders called Trump asking for National Guard back-up around 14:00. It wasn’t until 16:30 that they had appeared after four people were already killed. The House Sergeant of Arms and head of the Capitol Police resigned immediately after the protests. In contrast, 15,000 National Guardsmen are being mobilized for the January 20, inauguration.
Second, many are appalled by the president’s use of social media platforms promoting a false narrative of “election rigging,” which incited rioters to violence. In response, private technology firms such as Apple and social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, among others, immediately shut down the President’s access to these platforms when it became clear he was abusing them for political purposes and inciting violence.
What became even more concerning to the tech companies was Trump’s call to action titled “Stop the Steal,” opposing the election results in all 50 state capitals to be held in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration January 20. Extremists platforms, such as Parler, which has close ties to Russian financial backers and a large following of the Christian right, have called for violent insurrection and the killing of Jews and other minorities. On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned state governments and the general public about the call to action and advised police agencies to increase their security around state houses and government buildings. Close to 50 arrests were made of protesters participating in violent activities in the Capitol building with more arrests expected.
Third, big business, which eagerly supported Trump tax cuts and deregulation, has now turned on him and pulled its financing of political action committees and members of Congress and the Senate allied with him. JP Morgan, Microsoft, Marriott and a number of big banks have cut ties to Trump and the Republican Party. More than 30 CEOs of major US companies condemned the January 6 events. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, a close Trump ally, lost a million dollar book deal with publisher Simon & Schuster. The company issued a statement explaining that “after witnessing the disturbing, deadly insurrection that took place on Wednesday in Washington, DC, Simon & Schuster has decided to cancel publication of Senator Hawley’s forthcoming book, The Tyranny of Big Tech.”
Despite the outcry from democrats, some republicans and the mass media, and regardless of the reaction of big business, it looks like Trump may certainly be impeached twice within a period of one year. But, he may not face any impunity for his actions. And that will lead to a continuation of the false narratives, fake news and alternative reality that has so successfully infiltrated the Republican party and may continue to challenge American democracy in the weeks and months ahead.
