just a few days left after four
tumultuous years
in power donald trump has just become
the first president in u.s history to be
impeached twice
members of the u.s house of
representatives have formally charged
him with
inciting insurrection after last week's
deadly assault by his supporters on the
capital
the impeachment vote was to decide
whether or not the president should
stand trial
the answer was yes he will now go on
trial in the upper house the senate
though it's not sure when donald trump
is one of just three presidents to be
impeached
and now the only one to be impeached
twice
the vote took place in the last half
hour and north america editor john
sopple has the very latest on this
extraordinary development john
sophie this time last wednesday there
was a riot going on
in congress today donald trump has been
impeached for a second time
this time next wednesday joe biden will
be president
whatever donald trump hoped would be his
legacy it can't have been this
as a real estate developer he loves
seeing his name on tall buildings
on the trump tower on fifth avenue the
trump hotel in washington the trump golf
courses
in scotland but now his name will be
forever linked
with the congress and capitol hill and
for all the wrong reasons
on this vote the eyes are the moment
when donald trump carved himself an
unwelcome niche in american history
becoming the first president to be
impeached twice without objection the
motion to reconsider is laid upon the
table as dawn broke over the nation's
capital
the place was somehow unrecognizable the
landscape had changed
it now feels like the front line a
garrison town with the elegant marble
corridors
a barracks the civil war president
abraham lincoln
looking down on resting servicemen but
impeachment 2.0 is different
very different for a start the u.s
congress
where this is being heard is also the
crime scene
where the trump supporting mob descended
last week almighty god
wield your sword and penetrate the
confusion and discontent of our country
and this isn't about some call to a
ukrainian politician
this is about an assault on the sacred
heart of u.s democracy
that donald trump is charged with
inciting the president must be impeached
and i believe
the president must be convicted by the
senate a constitutional remedy
that will ensure that the republic will
be safe from this man
who was so resolutely determined to tear
down the things that we hold dear
and that hold us together this was not a
protest this was an
insurrection this was a well organized
attack on our country
that was incited by donald trump
last time around every republican voted
as a block to back the president
but now they're splitting three ways
there are those
backing his impeachment today we make
history forever so choose well
a vote to impeach donald trump means
years from now you can look your
grandchildren in the eyes
and say i did the right thing there were
those questioning the impeachment
process
but not backing donald trump we need to
recognize
we are following a flawed process we
need to recognize that people of
goodwill can differ
we need to recognize that while the
house may be done with this matter
after today's vote it will not be done
for the country
and a few who support for donald trump
is undimmed today the second annual
impeachment of president trump
isn't really about actual words spoken
out of rally
no this is all about madam speaker the
unbridled hatred of this president
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the president made his first foray out
of the white house yesterday
warning somewhat ominously that his
supporters would be very angry
if impeachment went ahead but today a
new statement issued
in light of reports of more
demonstrations i urge that there must be
no violence
no law breaking and no vandalism of any
kind
that is not what i stand for and it's
not what america stands for
i call on all americans to help ease
tensions
and calm tempers thank you
today airbnb announced that it was
cancelling all bookings in washington
for next week some hotels are doing the
same
to stop potential rioters coming in the
capital
is becoming a citadel
and just on the security situation there
are now more troops deployed in
washington dc
than there are u.s troops in iraq and
afghanistan
combined so what happens next well the
trial will take place
in the senate and mitch mcconnell the
current republican majority leader says
it's not going to happen
before joe biden takes over as president
so there's going to be some delay
and that will be raised the question in
many people's minds well what's the
point of going ahead with this
if donald trump has already left office
well one is it would could debar him
from ever holding office again
but the point that a democratic
congressman made today
when asked that question he said yeah it
may be late
but it is never too late to do the right
thing
our north america editor john sopel in
washington thank you