President Trump has officially become the first president in U.S history to be impeached twice. House Democrats know that getting to a Senate trial that would officially convict the President before he leaves office is a tall order. They argue that it is not about getting him out of office now, but impeaching him so that he never runs for public office again. Instead of working on transition plans regarding the incoming Biden Administration, Democrats continue to focus on political games that get them more power in office.
The final vote in the House was 232-197, with 10 Republicans crossing party lines and four Republicans not voting at all. The impeachment process was about accusing President Trump of inciting violence that sparked last week’s incident at the Capitol building.
A handful of Republican politicians felt that the commander-in-chief had betrayed the constitutional process and should bear responsibility for that. Others argued that people brought their own personal issues into the House and produced discord that did not reflect the majority of the Republican Conference. They said that the rushed impeachment, without any Judiciary Committee hearings, would do little to unite a fractured country, including the fact that many passionate Trump supporters do not believe that the President’s actions caused any of the violence.
“If we impeached every politician who gave a fiery speech to a crowd of partisans, this Capitol would be deserted. That’s what the president did. That is all he did. I cannot think of a more petty, vindictive, and gratuitous act than to impeach an already defeated president a week before he is to leave office,” said Rep. Tom McClintock.
Rep. McClintock also pointed out that several high-profile Democrats made fiery and provocative speeches last summer in support of the Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots. Thousands of people incited violence and lotted small businesses in the name of “racial injustice.” He warned Democrats of preparing for the consequences next time the “lunatic fringe” of their party acts out.
Vice President Mike Pence also declined to vote on impeaching President Trump out of office or invoke the 25th Amendment. He assured his colleagues that Trump is fit to serve the remainder of his term and wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the Democrats’ efforts have amounted to ‘political games’ with just eight days left in the President’s term. He wrote about bringing people together to heal and direct energy in ensuring an orderly transition for the Biden team.
“Work with us to lower the temperature and unite our country as we prepare to inaugurate President-elect Joe Biden as the next President of the United States. I pledge to you that I will continue to do my part to work in good faith with the incoming administration to ensure an orderly transition of power,” Pence wrote.
Vice President Pence continues to uphold our country and understands that the Constitution cannot allow for him to do what the Democrat Party is demanding of him. He is bound by honor, integrity, duty, and his word. Republican members continue to push messages of regrouping and remaining steady until Democrats get tired of the political games they are playing and move on to blaming someone else for their problems.
