Late in the evening, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump under the “incitement to mutiny” clause. This was a “farewell gift” from the Democrats to Trump and an attempt at revenge for the dramatized storming of the Capitol that took place a week ago.
All Democrats and several Republicans, including Dick’s daughter Cheney, supported Trump’s impeachment. And most Americans, according to polls, consider this impeachment a waste of time.
The rushed impeachment process has not been influenced by the latest leaks to the press about the progress of the investigation into the storming of the Capitol. Law enforcement officials believe that it was planned in advance and did not become an instant reaction to Trump’s call to picket the building of Congress.
Now the only article of impeachment is to be sent from the House of Representatives to the Senate. When this will happen exactly is not yet clear – the Democrats are afraid that impeachment will complicate the first 100 days of Biden’s presidency and will not allow him to approve all of his ministers in time.
There have already been disputes among constitutional lawyers about whether the Senate has the right, in principle, to consider the impeachment of a person who no longer holds a public office. The US Constitution does not give a clear answer to this, although there have been similar precedents.
Senators will gather to discuss impeachment on the last day of Trump’s presidency. Voting will take place no earlier than the end of January and will be rather symbolic.
Certain sane democrats have already worried that they are opened a Pandora’s box, which in the future will begin to use their opponents. Indeed, Republicans are already preparing articles of impeachment against Biden for corruption.
If the Democrats lose control of the lower house in the 2022 elections, which is likely given their shaky five-seat majority, then Biden or Harris will face the threat of impeachment. There will be plenty of reasons for it by that time.