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US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump last night became just the third US president to be impeached, joining Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998.
That does not mean that he will be removed from office, however, that will be determined by the US Senate.
In both of those previous cases, the presidents were not removed from office and the expectation is Trump won’t be either.
So this is what will happen next.
Impeachment is a process undertaken by the US House of Representatives which draws up and votes on articles of impeachment.
If an article or articles are passed by a simple majority in the House, the process moves to the US Senate for a trial.
In the Senate trial, representatives from the House act as prosecutors and the president and his attorneys present his defence.
The chief justice of the Supreme Court presides over the trial and the 100-member Senate then votes on the charges. A two-thirds majority is necessary to convict and remove the president.
If the president is convicted, the vice president would then take over the White House.
Democrats currently have a majority in the House and Republicans have a majority in the Senate, so the expectation is that the Senate will vote to acquit Trump.
Last night’s House vote went more or less along party lines and the Republican majority in the Senate makes conviction of the president unlikely.
The Senate is currently made up of 53 Republicans and 47 Democrats and the two-thirds majority rule means that 20 Republicans and all Democrats would have to vote to convict Trump.
In Democrat Clinton’s case, the 45 Democratic Senators stayed united to block a two-thirds vote for conviction.
So, when will the trial in the Senate happen?
We’re currently at the point between the House and Senate processes, but exactly when we’ll see the trial is unclear.
The trial won’t be until the new year at least but the transfer of the articles from the House to the Senate is at the discretion of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and she has given little away about her immediate intentions.
There are reports in the US media that some Democrats are urging Pelosi to hold off on sending the articles to the Senate.
Asked about this yesterday, Pelosi threw uncertainty into the process by refusing to say, repeatedly, when or whether she would send two articles to the Senate for a trial.
She started by praising her fellow Democrats for having “moral courage” and said it was “a great day for the Constitution of the United States of America.”
But then she declined to say when she would send the articles to the Republican-led Senate. Until the articles are submitted, the Senate cannot hold the trial.
Asked again if she could guarantee that she would send the articles to the Senate, Pelosi said at the news conference: “That would have been our intention.”
But they will see what the Senate decides, she said.
“We are not having that discussion. We have done what we set out to do,” Pelosi added.
When/if it does happen, what will the Senate trial look like?
If the procedures used in the 1868 and 1999 trials are repeated, Democratic prosecutors, or “impeachment managers” will enter the Senate to read out the articles of impeachment, or charges.
“All persons are commanded to keep silence, on pain of imprisonment,” the Senate sergeant-at-arms will warn. This is the official who notifies the White House by summons that the president has been charged.
Speaking yesterday, Pelosi said House Democrats could not name impeachment managers until they know more about how the Senate will conduct a trial.
The Republican majority in the Senate means the party will have control over how the trial is conducted.
They can decide if witnesses can be called, and which ones, how long prosecutors can take to present their case and how long the trial will last.
If the Senate doesn’t want to try Trump at all, it can simply dismiss the case by a simple majority vote.
And given Trump’s political hold over his party, the rules can be dictated by the White House itself.
A battle has already erupted between Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Democrat Minority Leader Chuck Schumer over whether witnesses will be called and evidence demanded.
Those issues could prolong the trial from the two weeks McConnell has reportedly envisioned to over a month. Clinton’s trial ran for five weeks.
Democrats hope that four Republican senators might join them to form a majority, forcing McConnell to allow witnesses.
It underscores the complex role of Senators and the essential political nature of the process.
Even before impeachment passed the House, some Republicans declared where they stood.
“The House impeachment articles are a joke,” Senator Josh Hawley told Fox News. “This whole thing is a joke and it’s time to get the president exonerated.”
McConnell also said that he is coordinating with the White House and declared that: “I am not an impartial juror.”
“We’ll be working through this process, hopefully in a fairly short period of time, in total coordination with White House counsel’s office and the people who are representing the president in the well of the Senate,” McConnell said this week.
“There is zero chance that the president will be removed from office,” he added.
- With reporting by Associated Press and © – AFP 2019
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Oh whoops. I thought all those cuts and removal of machines would speed up the service. What’s that you say? It’s effected voting? Because it has delayed ballots being delivered on time and therefore declared void? And this seems to have effected the democratic vote more? Oh dear. That certainly wasn’t intentional. But at least my friend Donald is president again. That’s good news.
@seanfean: This DeJoy fella is like if we sent Sean Gallagher in to head up the Post Office.
@RogersRabbit: This DeJoy fella is a cod.
@seanfean: I think you mean *affected (twice).
Isnt it funny how those delays tend to effect Democrat-supporting districts more than Republican-voting ones, must be just a coincidence I suppose?
@James Walsh: Trump appointed a ‘donor’ as postmaster general in June when postal votes were looking more likely in some States
Bet Don won’t be using the mail service to pay Stormy her 44k court expenses…….
It’s all BS. You can send kids to school, go to the local supermarket, gather for demonstrations in thousands, send covid infected people to nursing homes and have funerals with packed out church etc etc etc…. BUT YOU CANNOT VOTE IN PERSON.
The DemocRats altered state of reality is getting worse. Next they’ll want to rewrite history, oh wait….
@David OShea: sure Donny
@David OShea: well during a pandemic you might want a choice? Or are you a covid denier as well?
@DarkSithLord23: just put on a BLM t-shirt apparently the virus skips over ya
Problem solved!
@Al.Dunne: But there was no virus, it was all a democrat hoax. You dont need social distancing and why is everyone wearing masks????
@David OShea: 16% of the US population is I’ve 65. Over 20% of 18-64 year olds have underlying conditions that mean they are more susceptible to the more sever outcomes of covid-19. Now, that’s well over 50 million people that you are demanding risk their health to vote, voting which is a right and should not be burdensome. Add in the fact that many polling places have been removed from the list since the last election and you’re crying out for vulnerable people standing around in crowds for hours upon hours in the midst of a global pandemic.
@Dave O’Keeffe: Covid is mostly spread by the respitory system, all they have to do is wear a mask and implement social distancing in voting centres. Simple.
@The Upside-down Triangle: masks are risk reduction, not risk elimination. Social distancing in voting centres would have queues for miles for the entire day as well. Add to that the surfaces touched and the length of waiting time meaning people will need to have food and water and toilets available while queueing for hours (queueing for hours was already normal in many districts last time around) Also, telling people they can’t vote unless they’re wearing a mask may be unconstitutional. Not sure on that last part but it’s more likely than masks being unconstitutional in general.
@David OShea: back to voat like a good lad..
@David OShea: you argued against your position
@Dave O’Keeffe: postpone the elections like they did in NZ, problem solved. But no the Democrats would never have that, they rather risk the lives of people or have a contentious vote rather than just doing the right thing. The opposition in NZ actually came up with that idea, why dont the Democrats do the same?
@Giddy: the constitution doesn’t allow for postponement. Constitutionally the presidents term must end at midday on January 20th.
@Giddy: yet more evidence that you don’t have a clue
@Dave O’Keeffe: Postpone them till January then, the election doesn’t have to be in November, Its not that hard to the maths Dave, think rationally for once Dave
@Dave O’Keeffe: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-delay-powers-factbox-idUSKCN24V2V1 here you go Dave, it can be postponed, wrong again as usual Dave
He owns 70 million in shares in rival delivery services
@Colm Lawlor: He’s a Trump Stooge trying to influence the election. But some people think that’s ok.
Wink Wink
@Ger O’Reilly:
Nudge Nudge!!
BS.
The only good thing about the Orange Tub is the short shelf life, soon gone and swiftly forgotten by all.
The cheque is in the post
@Paul:
No Paul… He’ll most likely put it in her hand :-)
Just postpone the elections like they did in NZ, problem solved, everyone can vote in person or through absentee ballot like normal.
Haha could you imagine the Democrats actually caring more about people’s health over getting into power.
Big fat lies… don’t believe a word he’s saying !
have your say