Rule of Law

RELEASE: Historic Second Impeachment of President Trump: A “Critical Step Forward, But Congress’s Work Is Not Done” 

WASHINGTON – On President Donald Trump becoming the first President in American history to be impeached twice by the U.S. House of Representatives—following a vote that included 10 House Republicans in favor of impeachment, the most bipartisan impeachment of a President ever—Constitutional Accountability Center President Elizabeth Wydra issued the following reaction: 

Last week, on behalf of CAC, I called for the impeachment, removal, and disqualification of President Trump, in the wake of atrocious behavior that the American people should never accept from any occupant of the White House 

In just four days, President Trump threatened a Georgia state election official in a failed attempt to coerce him into declaring Trump the winner of the state’s electoral votes. Then, President Trump incited a vicious, terroristic mob that invaded and wrecked the U.S. Capitol building, in a failed attempt to prevent the counting of electoral votes for President-elect Joe Biden—a heinous act that resulted in five deaths, including a police officer. 

Today’s vote to impeach the President for a second time was historic and bipartisan. One of Congress’s staunchest conservatives, and a member of Republican leadership—Rep. Liz Cheney—said, “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” Nine of her Republican colleagues joined her in that conclusion today.  

That was a critical step forward for America, but Congress’s work is not done.  

Now the spotlight of history shines on Senate Republicans. One year ago, they made a horrible mistake, giving President Trump a free pass for his impeachable offenses and taught him the poisonous lesson of impunity. That impunity wound its way back to the U.S. Capitol last week, with deadly consequences. Senate Republicans owe America a debt for that mistake. They must quickly vote to convict President Trump for the offenses against the U.S. Constitution he committed last week, in violation of his oath of office, and then they must disqualify him from ever again holding federal office. 

 

Resources 

RELEASE: “Impeach, Remove, and Bar Donald Trump From Holding Federal Office Again,” January 7, 2021: https://www.theusconstitution.org/news/release-impeach-remove-and-bar-donald-trump-from-holding-federal-office-again/  

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Constitutional Accountability Center is a think tank, public interest law firm, and action center dedicated to fulfilling the progressive promise of the Constitution’s text and history. Visit CAC’s website at www.theusconstitution.org 

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