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WASHINGTON another historic day, yet another in this dramatic American crisis. The president of the United States is accused a second time. Never happened. Yesterday, with only one session, the Chamber of Deputies approved the impeachment of Donald Trump, with 232 yes 197 no. Democrats as a whole plus ten Republicans voted in favor. And four other conservative deputies preferred not to attend. The accusation contained in a single article, but very heavy: Incitement to insurrection.
Trump’s words
At noon, while the debate was in full swing, the incumbent president issued a conciliatory note: In light of reports of other demonstrations, I urgently call for no violence, law violations, and vandalism of any kind. I am not fighting for this and not what America is fighting for. I ask all Americans to work together to reduce tensions and calm things down. Thank you. Perhaps an extreme move to seek a compromise with the Democrats. Or an attempt to rally the Republicans. In the evening, Trump released a video in which he did not mention the House vote, but simply condemned the violence and protested his expulsion from social media – wrong and dangerous, an unprecedented attack on free speech. But only the day before yesterday, speaking in Alamo, Texas, Trump had said that impeachment would produce anger and danger for the country.
An atmosphere of siege
The problem is that nobody seems to be able to decipher what happens in a deranged White House. For the moment, the incumbent president would not even have formed the legal reserve to defend himself in the Senate, where the final phase of the process, that of the verdict, should begin on January 19 or 20. The debate in the House took place in an atmosphere of siege, with hundreds of National Guard soldiers camped in the Rotunda of the Capitol. The debate, broadcast live on television, showed how deep the divide is growing among Republicans. The conservatives have entrusted the coordination to Congressman Jim Jordan, protagonist of the first impeachment trial against the president in the Ukraine case in early 2020. On January 11, Trump himself awarded him the highest honor, the Medal of Freedom, for dealing with the witch hunt. Jordan tried all morning to repeat the same pattern, accusing Democrats of wanting to mount another spurious campaign, having tolerated violence from left-wing extremists for months during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations. But he did not convince all his colleagues. Even the leader of the Republicans, Kevin McCarthy, has acknowledged that Trump has responsibility for January 6. However, he added, the impeachment would only serve to reignite the conflict, to incite the violent. Some conservatives have proposed signing a vote of no confidence in a bipartisan fashion.
Divisions among Republicans
But ten of them openly turned against Donald. Like Liz Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney and number three on the Republican House organization chart: Trump lit the flames on Capitol Hill. The Democratic Party presented itself as compact. Many interventions have been angry. President Nancy Pelosi has drawn the line: The president has incited an insurrection, he has failed to defend the Constitution, and he still represents a clear danger to the nation. He has to go. The Senate must convict him. And in drawing the conclusions, group leader Steny Hoyer compared, by political gravity, January 6 to the attacks of September 11, 2001. Now the focus shifts to Mitch McConnell, the number one Republican in the Senate. Yesterday he confirmed that the Upper House will not meet before January 19. But, in a letter to his fellow party members, he wrote:
Jan 13, 2021 (change Jan 14, 2021 | 01:07)
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