House votes to impeach Trump on two counts, as president holds defiant rally
The House voted to impeach President Trump for "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress" related to his dealings with Ukraine after six hours of heated debate Wednesday, making Trump the third American president ever to be impeached.
The separate votes on the two counts teed up an all-but-certain Senate acquittal, should House Democrats forward the charges to the GOP-controlled chamber. They also fulfilled a promise made by some Democrats ever since Trump's inauguration to impeach him, even as polls have shown support for impeachment declining.
The final vote on the abuse-of-power count was 230-197, with Hawaii Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voting present. In a statement, Gabbard called for a censure resolution instead of impeachment, saying, "My vote today is a vote for much needed reconciliation and hope that together we can heal our country."
"I also could not in good conscience vote for impeachment because removal of a sitting President must not be the culmination of a partisan process, fueled by tribal animosities that have so gravely divided our country," Gabbard said. "When I cast my vote in support of the impeachment inquiry nearly three months ago, I said that in order to maintain the integrity of this solemn undertaking, it must not be a partisan endeavor. Tragically, that's what it has been."
No Republicans voted to impeach the president on either count, even though House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had vowed earlier this year that impeachment would need to be a bipartisan effort to have legitimacy.
Democratic Reps. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Collin Peterson of Minnesota opposed the abuse-of-power count, and also opposed the obstruction charge. Peterson represents a district that Trump carried in 2016 by an eye-popping 31 points.
First-term Maine Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who flipped a GOP seat in 2018, voted yea on abuse of power count, and was expected to vote no on the obstruction-of-Congress count. Trump also carried Golden's district in 2016.
The vote unfolded as Trump was holding a rally on friendly turf in frigid downtown Battle Creek, Mich., where thousands lined up hours in advance -- with some reportedly sleeping in tents beginning Tuesday night so that they could guarantee a seat.
"By the way, it doesn't really feel like we're being impeached," Trump said at the rally. "The country is doing better than ever before. We did nothing wrong."
He went on to say that Pelosi and Democrats had "branded themselves with an eternal mark of shame," and were on a "political suicide march."
In his closing remarks late Wednesday, which were punctuated by cheers from his colleagues, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., argued that Democrats "and many in the media" have long been trying to get rid of Trump for partisan reasons.
"After 3 years of breathless and baseless outrage, this is their last attempt to stop the Trump presidency," McCarthy said. "Speaker Pelosi even recently admitted that Democrats had been working on this impeachment for 'two and a half' years. Those were her words, not mine."
He added: "Will we let impeachment become an exercise of raw political power, regardless if it damages our country? Or will we protect the proper grounds and process for impeachment now and in the future?" he asked. "Because they lost to him in 2016, they'll do anything to stop him in 2020."
Debate on the articles broke down into a shouting match early in the afternoon, when House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., accused a GOP congressman of "spouting Russian propaganda on the floor of the House."
Nadler's unsubstantiated remark drew an immediate rebuke from its target, Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert, who returned to the floor to shout at Nadler even as his microphone was turned off and he was not recognized to speak.
Gohmert had been arguing that Democrats' partisan impeachment effort meant that the country's "end is now in sight" and that he hopes he doesn't "live to see it." No House Republicans support impeachment.
At the outset of the proceedings, Pelosi claimed Democrats have "no choice" but to impeach the president, and that they were in reality quite saddened.
Despite Pelosi's claim, photographs emerged apparently showing Democratic staffers partying on Capitol Hill as the impeachment debate went on. And, as McCarthy argued in his closing address, other top Democrats have long encouraged their colleagues to impeach the president -- including Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who promised on video to "impeach the motherf---er" all the way back in January.
As he prepared to head to a Michigan campaign rally later in the day, Trump voiced his frustration with the process unfolding on Capitol Hill.
"Can you believe that I will be impeached today by the Radical Left, Do Nothing Democrats, AND I DID NOTHING WRONG!" Trump wrote in one of 45 tweets posted before noon. He asked his followers to "Say a PRAYER!"
Later, en route to the event in downtown Battle Creek, Mich., Trump told reporters he felt good.
In the morning, the House approved by a 228-197 vote the rule for guidelines for impeachment debate.
Much more of the article:
House impeaches Trump over Ukraine dealings, paves way for Senate trial | Fox News