Updated at 5:28 p.m.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 232-197 on Wednesday to impeach President Donald Trump, marking the second time in 13 months that it has charged the president with committing high crimes and misdemeanors.
Barely a week after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol in a bid to stop lawmakers from certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election, the House accused the president of endangering national security and interfering with the peaceful transfer of power by inciting the rioters.
Among those voting in favor of impeachment was Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., Vermont’s lone delegate to the House.
Speaking on the House floor Wednesday morning, Welch said that Trump had attempted to thwart the will of the people. He called upon his fellow members of Congress to emphatically rebuke the president.
“The mob was assembled by Donald Trump, incited by Donald Trump and in service of Donald Trump’s effort to overturn — through violence — what he lost at the voting booth,” Welch said.
The president, Welch said, must be held accountable for his actions.
“Will Congress condone through acquiescence or condemn through impeachment Donald Trump’s violent acts to overturn the election?” he asked, adding, “Congress must impeach.”
Ten Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach the president on Wednesday. When Trump was first impeached, in December 2019, Republicans unanimously opposed the move. In that instance, Democrats alleged that Trump had abused his power to pressure the Ukrainian president into investigating the family of President-elect Joe Biden. Trump was subsequently acquitted by the Senate.
Vermont’s two delegates to the U.S. Senate, Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have expressed support for impeaching and convicting the president before his term ends on Jan. 20, though it’s not clear when a Senate trial would begin. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., reportedly appeared pleased that the president faced a second impeachment, according to the New York Times, but he indicated Wednesday that he would not call the Senate back to Washington before Biden is inaugurated next week.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., told VTDigger Monday that even if McConnell blocked a trial in the coming days, Leahy would favor resuming the process when Democrats take control of the Senate next week.
“We can do it even after Trump leaves and it could be done in a way that he would not be able to hold office again,” Leahy said.
In the days since last Wednesday’s siege, which resulted in the deaths of six people and many arrests, calls to remove the president from office have grown.
Trump has been banned from Twitter and other social media platforms out of concern that he might incite more unrest in the runup to Biden’s inauguration.
Members of the National Guard had already arrived in Washington, D.C., as reports emerged that the U.S. Capitol could see more violence on Inauguration Day.
In response to those reports, the White House released a statement from Trump on Wednesday in which he said he did not “stand for” acts of violence.
“In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO law breaking and NO vandalism of any kind,” the president said.
