History was made as Donald Trump becomes the first president in the history of the United States to ever be impeached twice. On Wednesday, January 13^th, the House of Representatives impeached the President in a bipartisan majority, charging him with inciting a riot within the Capital building. According to Steny Hoyer, House Majority Leader, the impeachment will be sent to the Senate immediately, in an attempt to remove Donald Trump from office before Biden’s inauguration on the 20^th of January. A total of 10 House Republicans voted in favor of the impeachment, with a final vote of 232-197.

The impeachment article is stating that Trump made false claims to his supporters in regard to the election and that he claimed the reason he lost was due to voter fraud. It also states that the Trump pushed his supporters to contest the election results, which occurred soon before they marched on the Capital in an attempt to disrupt Congress’s recount.

According to the charging documents of the House, “He threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of Government. He thereby betrayed his trust as President, to manifest injury of the people of the United States.”

The riot in the Capital building killed 5 people, including a federal police officer. The democratic party believes that not impeaching Trump allows him to escape the consequences he should face and may lead to further violence and riots leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.

Despite the quick move by the House of Representatives, Congress may not have enough time before the end of Trump’s term to impeach him. After being urged by Democrats to start the process of the 25^th Amendment sooner, Vice President Mike Pence refused, stating that it is not “in the best interest of our Nation or consistent with our Constitution.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that “Even if the Senate process were to begin this week and move promptly, no final verdict would be reached until after President Trump had left office. This is not a decision I am making; it is a fact.”

Some GOP representatives, such as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, believe that impeaching Trump would lead to an even deeper divide in the nation, fueling the flames of partisan division.

Even though Trump may not be in office by the time the Senate comes to a consensus as to the outcome of the case, impeachment could prevent the President from running again in 2025 and could take away some of the perks normally given to presidents after their terms.

With the nation more divided than ever before, it will be interesting to see the outcome of the impeachment. Did President Donald J. Trump truly incite the capital riot and does he deserve to be impeached and barred from running for office again?